New Report Assesses Workforce Needs Of NC Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers

By Barry Teater

By the end of 2026, North Carolina’s booming biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry will require at least 8,000 new workers.

Will the state be able to provide that workforce? And how so?

These are among the questions addressed in a new report published by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in partnership with NCLifeSci, the NC Life Sciences Organization.

The report, the fifth of its kind, is based on a survey of 33 biopharmaceutical manufacturing sites across North Carolina employing 13,786 people – representing 43% of the sector’s total employment in the state. The sites surveyed included those manufacturing biologics, vaccines, cell- and gene-based therapies, regenerative medicines, biologics for R&D, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, supplements, and nutraceuticals. For the first time, a separate survey was sent to educational institutions offering training programs specific to biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Gain insight into the intended goals of the survey as well as how the findings can help to inform workforce development initiatives and ensure the state's biopharmaceutical industry has the talent it needs to thrive.