Georgia on shortlist for more domestic manufacturing facilities, jobs in this industry
Georgia is on a shortlist of states considered as potential sites for creating a national network of bioindustrial manufacturing pilot facilities.
In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded $87 million to BioIndustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), a nonprofit organization aiming to increase domestic bioindustrial manufacturing.
Bioindustrial manufacturing uses biology to convert raw materials, like grains or agricultural waste, into everyday products, Jack Starr, BioMADE chief manufacturing officer, told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Products made from biomanufacturing may include food, ingredients for cement or fire resistant materials.
“I worked, early in my career, for a company that was able to make plastic from corn,” Starr said. “And then those plastics are being used in a wide variety of areas including food service and fabrics.”
The United States has a gap in bioindustrial manufacturing infrastructure, reads a news release, and BioMADE’s plans to create a national network of pilot facilities will bring manufacturing jobs, retain research and development efforts in America, secure a domestic supply chain and preserve U.S. leadership in the industry.
The other five states, along with Georgia, being considered for BioMADE’s facilities include California, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa and North Carolina.
BioMADE narrowed it down to these six states after evaluating the needs from manufacturers, labor markets in each state and the opportunity for economic development, Starr said.
“Georgia already has a good nucleus of industrial biomanufacturing to build upon,” he said.
If the state is selected for the pilot facilities, Starr said, the manufacturing jobs could be spread out across the state. Although BioMADE will be tied to the ‘bigger cultural centers’ of the state because that’s where the raw materials are, he said, people can also expect ties to the more agricultural portions of the state.
A key factor in choosing the location for the pilot facilities is also the ability to work with local partners and community leaders.
“We want to make sure we have a good alignment with local towns and counties around the type of facility we would build,” Starr said. “And make sure that it’s in line with their own economic development, zoning and environmental permanence.”
BioMADE has federal funding, Starr said, but they would also like co-investment at a local or state level.
“These partnerships need to really withstand the 20 to 25 years that this pilot facility is going to run,” he said. “So, we’re really highly invested in making sure that we have a great coalition of partners to take this forward.”
Besides infrastructure, education and workforce development is one of the main tenets in the process of building this network, Starr said. BioMADE is looking for educational partners from high school, community college and universities in all six states on the shortlist.
His hope is for programs to be created, which are similar to programs in the semiconductor industry, that will help build a skilled workforce ready to work in biomanufacturing facilities.
There is currently no timeline in choosing exactly where BioMADE will build its facilities because it is a complex process, Starr said.
“In 10, maybe 15 years, hopefully bioindustrial manufacturing is very routine,” he said. “And that you’re using items made from biology every day in your life. That’s our vision, and that’s the type of economic development we’re trying to accelerate.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2024 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Georgia on shortlist for more domestic manufacturing facilities, jobs in this industry."
