Spotlight On: Doug Edgeton, President & CEO, North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech)

Key points:

• • North Carolina’s life sciences sector is expanding statewide, driven by major investments, onshoring, and regional hub growth.
• • Workforce development, especially through community colleges and training programs, remains a key competitive advantage.
• • NCBiotech is focusing on scaling investment, strengthening pipelines, and increasing awareness of career opportunities.

March 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Doug Edgeton, president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, discussed statewide expansion, emerging technologies, and workforce pipelines. “Workforce development is a cornerstone of the state’s success. North Carolina’s community colleges are flexible and responsive to industry needs. That has helped attract major investments,” Edgeton said.

What changes have occurred in North Carolina’s life sciences sector, and in what ways have those changes influenced NCBiotech’s direction?

NCBiotech was founded in 1984 as the world’s first organization of its kind, focused on advancing life sciences in North Carolina. Since then, it has developed a range of programs to help grow the life sciences sector.

A mark of success is how well North Carolina performs as a place to do business. CNBC has ranked it No. 1 in its “best states for business” list three of the past four years. That reflects both strong state policy and NCBiotech’s role in providing expertise in life sciences development and company recruitment.

Recent recruitment wins include Novartis’ $771 million investment in Wake and Durham counties and Johnson & Johnson’s $2 billion investment in Wilson, with the latter expanding the life sciences across the state. Likewise, Novo Nordisk’s $4 billion expansion in Clayton, 25 miles from Raleigh, shows how biomanufacturing is spreading.

For its first few decades, NCBiotech focused largely on the Research Triangle Park region, home to Duke, NC State, and UNC‑Chapel Hill universities. Now growth is statewide, reaching Greenville to the east, Wake Forest, Asheville, and Charlotte to the west, and Wilmington to the south. NCBiotech is working to strengthen those regional hubs while continuing to support the Triangle’s growth.

More companies are also onshoring operations as tariffs and global trade shifts prompt supply‑chain reevaluation. NCBiotech’s recruiters are actively engaging such firms, highlighting North Carolina’s skilled workforce, robust training infrastructure, lower business operating costs, and high quality of life.

These changes have pushed NCBiotech toward a broader statewide mission, focused on regional growth and meeting companies’ evolving needs.

What progress has been made on the goals or direction you are setting for the next five years?

Successes between 2020 and 2025 have set the stage for ambitious 2030 goals. One milestone we met was exceeding the $4 billion target for attracting venture‑funding to North Carolina for our 2025 goals. The new goal is to attract $5 billion by 2030.

Capital has tightened since the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, but large venture capital firms continue investing. In North Carolina, Tune Therapeutics raised $175 million in January and Pathalys Pharma raised $105 million in August. Big pharma companies are also investing locally. Novo Nordisk is partnering with IMMvention Therapeutics on the early-stage company’s oral sickle‑cell therapy technology. 

Another noteworthy collaboration is Lindy Biosciences’ agreement with Novartis for a multitarget drug delivery innovation. Novartis secured global rights to Lindy’s microglassification technology, enabling high‑concentration, self‑administered biologic injections. Lindy received $20 million upfront and could earn up to $934 million in milestone payments plus royalties.

The partnership originated after Novartis noticed an NCBiotech article about Lindy, underscoring how NCBiotech’s efforts drive visibility, connectivity, and investment.

These achievements are shaping NCBiotech’s next phase, supporting companies from early research through commercialization, strengthening collaboration across the ecosystem, and advancing North Carolina’s global standing as a life sciences hub.

How is NCBiotech supporting regional hubs and emerging biotech clusters across North Carolina?

In 2003, we opened our first regional office outside the Research Triangle Park area, starting in Winston-Salem to support regenerative medicine activity there. Since then, we’ve added offices in Greenville, Wilmington, Charlotte, and Asheville. These regional offices help connect local universities and industries with NCBiotech’s statewide programs. The process has taken time, but we’re seeing real results.

Greenville is a great example. In 2017, we helped launch the NC Pharmaceutical Services Network in partnership with East Carolina University and Pitt Community College, providing equipment to train workers in tablet pressing and capsule manufacturing. Recent facility upgrades have advanced the training of aseptic techniques and isolator operations. Virtual reality is used to help students hone skills that are in high demand at biomanufacturing companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and Catalent. The program recruits in local high schools from surrounding counties. Graduating seniors who perform well in science and math can complete this training, funded by NCBiotech. If they pass, Thermo Fisher and Catalent have committed to interview them.

The results are powerful. Last year, 28 students completed the program and 26 received job offers, with starting pay around $45,000 and opportunities for further education. Companies like Thermo Fisher provide educational benefits, helping employees continue to pursue associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees while working full-time. These are the kinds of life-changing opportunities the life sciences industry can offer.

What role does workforce development play in North Carolina’s life sciences growth?

Workforce development is a cornerstone of the state’s success. North Carolina’s community colleges are flexible and responsive to industry needs. That has helped attract major investments. For example, a program expansion at Wilson Community College played a key role in Johnson & Johnson’s decision to build a $2 billion facility there.

We also work with the military to attract transitioning service members for biotech careers. More than 20,000 service members leave the military each year in North Carolina, and many want to stay. Our Military Outreach and Veterans Engagement (MOVE) program trains them in the classroom and on the job through internships, and those who complete it have no trouble finding work. It’s a win for employers and veterans alike.

We’re fortunate to have top-tier training centers such as the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) at NC State University and the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) at NC Central University. Both are preparing workers for biologics manufacturing environments. BTEC even trains NIH staff, a sign of its highly credible reputation. BRITE continues to graduate highly qualified, job-ready professionals.

NCBiotech’s Ambassador Program has trained 330 ambassadors across 39 counties, reaching more than 13,000 people in 74 counties with information about life sciences careers.

Our pipeline spans from middle school through advanced degrees. Some school systems are introducing biotech as early as junior high. Each year, around 6,000 students earn advanced degrees in biomedical life sciences, and 4,900 graduate in engineering — both high-demand areas.

Those numbers are expected to grow. The state has directed NC State to add 4,000 engineering graduates, UNC Charlotte 1,500, and East Carolina University around 1,000. That expansion will continue to strengthen the state’s technical workforce for the future.

What broader impacts and challenges are shaping the future of life sciences in North Carolina?

Life sciences are a powerful economic force in the state, generating $82 billion in activity and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes per a 2024 report published by TEConomy. About 67% of that activity is centered in the Research Triangle region, though growth is steadily expanding east to Wilson, south to Holly Springs and Sanford, and west into other regions. While RTP continues to thrive, we’re also focused on driving growth statewide. 

One of North Carolina’s greatest strengths is its collaboration model. When industry leaders identify workforce needs, community colleges and universities coordinate efforts to meet demand, avoiding duplication and delivering complementary training. Other states often ask how we make it work, and the answer lies in how well public and private sectors cooperate here.

In the past two years, the community college system has invested more than $250 million to keep up with workforce needs. Wake Tech, for instance, is expanding in Apex to support growth from companies like FUJIFILM Biotechnologies and Amgen. That kind of alignment between education and industry is crucial.

Still, awareness of job opportunities remains a challenge. People don’t realize major operations may be located just down the road. Students often overlook these career paths simply because they’re not aware of them.

Programs like Accelerate NC and the Ambassador Program are helping address that. With federal support, we’ve trained ambassadors to visit communities and talk to young people about opportunities in life sciences. Their message is clear: you don’t need a four-year degree to enter the field. Community college programs can lead to promising careers at companies like Pfizer, Lilly, and Amgen.

One initiative I’m especially proud of is Made in Durham. It supports 18- to 24-year-olds, many from minority communities, who are out of school and seeking a career path. They complete a six-month BioWork certificate training and receive a stipend to help cover living expenses while training. Many students had been working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. Now, with this program, they’re employed in full-time roles with benefits, sometimes at companies that provide onsite childcare. Their stories are inspiring and a reminder of how life sciences can open doors and transform lives.

Want more? Read the Invest: Raleigh-Durham report.