State officials formally marked the grand opening of a
new $14 million Georgia Bioscience Training Center on Sep. 10 in Newton County.
Located directly across from the site of Baxalta’s $1
billion biomanufacturing facility in Social Circle, Ga., the training center is
designed to meet Baxalta’s workforce training needs and includes flexible space
to accommodate the training needs of additional life sciences companies that
choose to locate or expand in Georgia. The training center is owned by the State
of Georgia and operated by Georgia Quick Start, a division of the Technical
College System of Georgia.
“A skilled, professionally trained and qualified
workforce is essential for Georgia to usher in a new era of bioscience
industry,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “The BioScence Training Center is a showcase
destination where biotech prospects and industry groups can see the level of
support and training expertise Georgia can provide. Operated by Quick Start,
the No. 1 workforce training program in the country, this first-of-its-kind
training center offers companies a great opportunity to secure a qualified
workforce and offers Georgians resources and support to ensure their success in
these high performance jobs.”
“Our employees are the core of this mission,” said senior
vice president and head of global operations of Baxalta John Furey. “With
Georgia Quick Start’s help, we will continue to attract and train top-talent in
the area to join our Baxalta team.”
The facility features custom-made technology that
simulates Baxalta’s biomanufacturing processes such as centrifugation,
chromatography, nanofiltration and aseptic filling. It also has space for the
aseptic production of pharmaceutical-grade clinical samples. Additionally, the
training center is equipped to deliver training on a wide range of advanced
manufacturing technologies including mechatronics, metrology and process
controls.
“This is a significant milestone in Georgia’s growth as a
premier location for biomanufacturing, and solidifies the state’s commitment to
the life science industry,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development
Commissioner Chris Carr. “To be able to offer biotech companies access to
customized training and one-of-a-kind equipment gives us a major competitive
advantage in the global marketplace.”
Baxalta was spun off from Baxter International in July. It is currently fighting attempts by Shire PLC, which launched a takeover bid in August.
