A delegation from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), led by President and CEO John F. Crowley, visited Research Triangle Park on October 2, 2026, the latest stop on BIO on the American Road, the organization’s learning and networking tour of America’s biotech ecosystems. The delegation met with industry leaders, patient advocates, and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC), and toured Biogen‘s RTP manufacturing campus, which is in the middle of a $2 billion expansion.
“Companies come to North Carolina and RTP because of the investments, talent, partnerships and strong support from elected leaders, like Rep. Ross, that make innovation possible,” said Crowley. “RTP has built an ecosystem where biotechnology companies can develop medical breakthroughs and manufacture them right here in America. The U.S. must continue to lead in biotechnology, and that requires building a stronger American biotech industry. North Carolina and RTP are demonstrating the power of bringing innovation, investment and manufacturing together.”
A Powerhouse Built Over Decades
Established almost 70 years ago, RTP is a 7,000-acre complex spanning Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. North Carolina’s life sciences sector employed 103,107 people across nearly 6,700 businesses as of 2024, according to a TEConomy report for NCBiotech. The BIO delegation met innovation leaders at an industry roundtable hosted by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, founded in 1984 as the first state-sponsored initiative of its kind, and held a luncheon with patient advocates from across the state.
Rep. Ross, who represents the RTP area and sits on the House Judiciary Committee, recently cosponsored H.R. 6089, the Biomanufacturing Excellence Act of 2025. The bill would establish a public-private partnership to help innovators scale their products in the U.S. through more efficient manufacturing practices, and it was inspired by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology’s April 2025 Action Plan for Congress.
“I’m proud to represent North Carolina’s Research Triangle, where universities, startups, and major institutions are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” Ross said. “That’s why I was grateful to visit Biogen’s RTP campus in Morrisville for an important discussion about the future of biomanufacturing in North Carolina. Biomanufacturing is a pillar of our economy and workforce, creating good-paying jobs and attracting some of the brightest minds to our community. It’s more important than ever that we develop new medications here at home that are accessible and affordable.”
Bipartisan Support for Biotech
Laura Gunter, President of NCLifeSci, BIO’s state affiliate, credited North Carolina’s federal delegation with broad pro-biotech work. Ross has collaborated on IP with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Reps. Gregory Murphy, MD (R-NC), Don Davis (D-NC), and Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced the EPIC Act, which would give small molecules the same protection from drug price negotiations as biologics. Tillis and Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored it in the Senate.
“Given the high level of biotech employment, the importance of the industry’s supply chain and research activities around the state, we see a lot of good bipartisan support for biotech from our federal delegation,” said Gunter.
At the state level, Gunter said NCLifeSci helped make North Carolina one of the first states to offer matching funds for federal SBIR dollars, secured state support for workforce training and tax incentives, and helped establish the bipartisan NC Life Sciences Caucus, which introduced the state’s first omnibus life sciences appropriation bill. She pointed to North Carolina’s five R1 research universities, small biotechs, concentration of CROs, and manufacturers ranging from major pharma to CDMOs. “So we have the full soup-to-nuts of the biotech ecosystem, and it really works well together,” Gunter said.
Biogen’s $2 Billion Bet on RTP
With more than 1,500 manufacturing and technical employees and more than 400 skilled contractors, Biogen is North Carolina’s largest biotech employer. Although it is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company conducts most of its U.S. manufacturing in North Carolina.
“Biogen announced a $2 billion investment in our existing Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina manufacturing footprint in July 2025, and we’ve continued to progress this multi-project strategic investment plan since our announcement,” said Nicole Murphy, Biogen Executive Vice President and Head of Pharmaceutical Operations and Technology. “This year, Biogen’s facility in RTP has executed approximately $200 million year-to-date, supporting progress across multiple modality expansions, including a new ASO (antisense oligonucleotide) purification factory and additional synthesis capabilities.”
The expansion will also add clinical product assembly and packaging capabilities, infrastructure improvements, an AI-enabled digitalization roadmap, and initial engineering for future biologics, fill-finish, lyophilization, and oral solid dose capabilities. “Given recent acquisitions, we are also evaluating additional potential investment opportunities based on our late-stage portfolio,” Murphy said. “RTP has become our largest manufacturing footprint because it offers the right environment for advanced biomanufacturing. You have leading universities, research institutions, life sciences companies and a deep technical workforce all in one region.”
A Wave of Manufacturing Investment
Biogen’s expansion is one of several recent major investments in North Carolina:
- Genentech: plans to invest $2 billion in its first East Coast manufacturing facility, in Holly Springs.
- Novartis: plans to build a flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina, creating 700 jobs.
- AbbVie: announced plans for a $1.4 billion manufacturing facility in the state.
“North Carolina’s biotech sector is rooted in a long tradition of innovation, and its momentum continues to grow,” Crowley said.
