Gov. Don Carcieri has proposed in his state budget to spend $300,000 as seed money to fund the conceptual design of a bio-manufacturing training facility.
We think it’s a wise investment.
The proposed bio-manufacturing training facility is one that, once designed, would be a self-supporting facility built largely by private funds.
Why is it so important to establish such a facility – and to do so sooner, rather than later? Because of companies like Amgen in West Greenwich, Dow Chemical Co. in Smithfield and so many of the budding Slater Center-funded biotech manufacturing companies located throughout the state. Presently, these companies do not see in the Ocean State an efficient means for training bio-manufacturing workers for the highly sensitive work required of them. Typically, an experienced worker is required to work side by side with a new hire for several months. This is a necessary approach, but one that can significantly diminish productivity.
The facility being proposed by the governor would provide that critical hands-on training. It would also function as a pilot manufacturing plant that would produce products for local companies.
The proposed facility is expected to cost between $5 million and $10 million and would be run by the University of Rhode Island. It would be made available to other colleges and to employers for their proprietary training programs.
We like this proposal because it is about jobs. And specifically, jobs in an industry that has been widely accepted as one that could bolster the Rhode Island economy.
The recruitment and expansion of companies like Amgen and Dow to Rhode Island in recent years has been nothing short of astounding. In 2002, biotechnology clearly emerged as one of the state’s most promising sectors.
In addition to the expansion at both companies’ Rhode Island operations, several biotech startups pulled in multimillion-dollar venture capital deals during the past year. This is a climate upon which the state must take advantage.
The bio-manufacturing training facility is foremost a jobs-producing endeavor, but it is also about creating a better climate for companies like Amgen and Dow. Solidifying their very presence here is a wise investment of taxpayer money.
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