North Carolina boasts 210 pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and contract research organizations and ranks among the Top 5 biotech regions in the nation. Currently generating about $7 billion in annual revenues, the life science industry, especially the biotechnology industry, is growing 10 to 15 percent a year and is projected to approach $24 billion in annual revenues and employ 125,000 by 2025.
Additionally, North Carolina also boasts large hospital and medical center systems which often are a community’s largest employer and which are preparing for a time of explosive growth. North Carolina’s 137 hospitals provided 104,926 full-time jobs and another 31,480 part-time paying positions in 2000, the last year complete data is available. Industries which support healthcare and biotechnology, such as medical devices, drug delivery systems, and hospitals and medical centers, benefit from IES’ assistance to continuously reduce costs, diversify, and meet regulations and quality standards.
