Spotlight On: Maria Thacker Goethe, President & CEO, Georgia Life Sciences
Key points:
- • Biomanufacturing and medical devices are accelerating Georgia’s life sciences growth.
- • Commercialization infrastructure remains critical for scaling local startups.
- • Workforce development is expanding beyond traditional advanced-degree pathways.
September 2026 — In an interview with Focus:, Maria Thacker Goethe, president and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, discussed Georgia’s momentum in biomanufacturing, medical devices, workforce development, and commercialization. “The gap is not often about the quality of the science; the gap is the pathway from science to a fundable, scalable company,” Thacker said.
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What have been some significant milestones for Georgia’s life sciences sector over the past year?
Georgia is working toward becoming a scale-up state for the life sciences sector. We have always had strong life sciences assets, but what is changing is the scale and visibility of the sector. We are seeing growth in biomanufacturing, medical devices, diagnostics, and advanced manufacturing, and that creates an opportunity for the state to define itself as a place where companies can grow, manufacture, hire talent, and commercialize.
The biggest proof point is UCB, a global biotech company, announcing a planned $2 billion investment in Georgia to establish its first U.S. pharmaceutical biologics manufacturing facility. That will bring more than 330 new jobs to Gwinnett County at a purpose-built site called Rowen. UCB’s U.S. headquarters has been in Cobb County for a few decades, and like many companies in our industry, it has been working to reshore manufacturing that is primarily outside the United States.
That was a very competitive process, and the state and many partners led an effort to ensure UCB decided to expand in a state it has already called home for decades. I think it signals to many other biotech, pharma, and medical device companies that Georgia is scaling up as a hub for life sciences.
Our economic development team highlights the state’s life sciences strengths around research institutions, growing infrastructure, workforce, and global access, which is due to our strong supply chain and logistics capabilities with the airport, rail system, ports, and cold-chain capabilities.
We also have a growing medical device presence, with more than 500 medical device companies operating in the state, and that continues to grow alongside our strong technology sector.
What trends are shaping the life sciences sector in Georgia?
Biomanufacturing is becoming a major strategic priority nationally, especially as the United States focuses on better supply chain resilience and domestic production. With the UCB win, that is significant for Georgia.
Medical devices and diagnostics continue to be a strong area for the state, especially given the engineering skill set at Georgia Tech, healthcare across our hospital systems, and our growing manufacturing assets. Boston Scientific opening its facility in Johns Creek was another big win, and one of the factors it cited for selecting Georgia was our supply chain capabilities and resilience.
We are also seeing greater convergence between life sciences, healthtech, data analytics, and AI. That convergence is especially important in advanced manufacturing. Curriculum and training needs have to adapt to meet the future technology being built at these sites in Georgia and around the country as national resilience becomes a greater priority.
Another example is Manus Bio, an industrial biotech company in Augusta. It has built specialized training and is working collaboratively with Augusta Technical College, universities in the area, and even across the border with South Carolina.
We are also seeing more partnerships between cities in Georgia. Augusta is working collaboratively with Georgia Tech on medical device entrepreneurship, which will help connect that city with Atlanta more intentionally. Our life sciences sector looks across the entire state for hiring, not just Atlanta.
What gaps remain for startups trying to scale locally?
One of the biggest gaps, particularly for early-stage entrepreneurs, is the capital and commercialization infrastructure gap. It is not as simple as saying we need more investors, although we always do. Money is important, but life sciences companies need a full continuum of support that helps them move from promising research and early-stage technology to being fundable and scalable.
Access to capital is part of that. These facilities are very expensive to build. It is not just needing an office and an address. Many companies require specialized BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs that are very costly to build, and other cities that have invested in the sector already have this capability.
We also have a talent gap around understanding how to scale up. Mid-level to senior-level talent continues to be a challenge, although remote leadership has helped in some cases. We need experienced mentorship, regulatory strategy, reimbursement strategy, clinical validation, executive talent, lab and manufacturing infrastructure, and stronger connections to customers and strategic partners.
Early-stage, risk-tolerant capital continues to be a challenge. Life sciences companies typically need patient, specialized capital, particularly in the pharma and medical device space. They are not always a fit for tech investors because the timelines are longer, regulatory pathways are more complex, and capital requirements are significant.
We also need more translational and commercial support, experienced operators, and physical infrastructure for lab prototyping and scale-up. Shared equipment and affordable shared spaces would help companies grow here immediately, so they do not have to leave the state.
Many startups need earlier connections to potential customers, so finding a way to connect more intentionally with our healthcare systems is an area where we think we can play a role. We also need more non-dilutive funding. SBIR and STTR reauthorization was incredibly important for research commercialization programs, and thankfully, that was a win.
The gap is not often about the quality of the science; the gap is the pathway from science to a fundable, scalable company.
How is Georgia Life Sciences using digital tools to build awareness and connect the ecosystem?
One of our strategic priorities is strengthening the connectivity of Georgia’s life sciences ecosystem, and digital tools are essential to making that happen. Georgia’s industry is incredibly diverse and geographically distributed, from research institutions and startups to manufacturers, investors, educators, healthcare organizations, and policymakers. Our responsibility is to ensure these stakeholders don’t operate in isolation.
That means we’re building a digital ecosystem, not simply a digital marketing program. We use multiple channels, including email, social media, webinars, video, our Vitals: Georgia’s Life Sciences Podcast, virtual events, and targeted digital campaigns, to deliver timely information, share innovation, and create opportunities for collaboration. These platforms allow us to reach audiences where they already consume information, whether they’re students exploring careers, executives seeking partnerships, legislators shaping policy, or companies considering expansion into Georgia.
Success isn’t measured by the number of emails we send or social media impressions we generate; it’s measured by whether we’re creating meaningful connections, increasing visibility, and accelerating growth across Georgia’s life sciences ecosystem.
What makes life sciences a resilient sector for Georgia’s economy?
Our industry is one of the most resilient across all industries. When a company builds a facility, it is highly specialized, extremely costly, and heavily regulated. Getting up and leaving is not something these companies do easily. It is not just a warehouse with equipment in it. The facilities are specialized, and the overhead is costly. When companies invest, they are in it for the long haul.
Whether a recession hits, a pandemic happens, or another disruption occurs, these companies cannot simply move to another state very easily. These are significant investments. This is especially true on the human health and animal health sides, as we are treating living beings. This sector will always be needed, and it will always be a priority industry.
Other states have been more intentional about incentivizing the sector, whether through true incentives or infrastructure investment. Georgia has a strong opportunity, especially with the UCB win, to come out of the gate in the talent and workforce space.
There are also opportunities for transferable skills from other industries to fill workforce needs in life sciences. Many people do not realize that a lot of these jobs require a technical degree, and in some cases, a high school diploma with a certification. People often think our sector requires a Ph.D. or a graduate degree, or that it is only a white-coat situation. That is not the case, and that is not where all the jobs and talent needs are. Universities are important, but technical colleges are critical as well.
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