North Carolina Biotech Investments

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is giving economic development in Western North Carolina a bosst with two new grants.

The Center is providing $40,000 to assist Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College to create a laboratory manager position in the new business incubator at the college campus in Enka. The economic development group Advantage West also is offering support. The manager will be responsible for recruitment of biotech businesses for the incubator as well as designing and launching the lab.

“By bringing bioscience companies to this newly established incubator we will support our region’s economic development and create more jobs in the bioscience sector in Western North Carolina,” said Ray Bailey, president of AB Tech.

The Biotech Center also made a $75,000 grant to the North Carolina Arboretum. Working with the North Carolina Natural Products Association, the Arboretum plans to build a business and marketing model for natural products as part of what it calls a “Natural Biotechnology” initiative.

More here.