Novonesis, a leading global biosolutions company, welcomed a large group of college students to its Franklinton, North Carolina, manufacturing site to experience how biology is scaled into solutions that improve food, support healthier living, and transform the production of everyday products. The Franklinton facility was selected by the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) Carolina-South Atlantic Chapter as a host site for its Emerging Leaders program. Novonesis, while not a pharmaceutical-related company, was chosen for its scale, diverse biosolutions portfolio, and the range of roles on site, giving students a real-world view of careers across multiple areas of biotechnology.
At a time when the United States is accelerating investment in biotechnology and domestic manufacturing, building the next generation of talent is more important than ever.
The Franklinton site, home to Novonesis’ North America headquarters and the largest multipurpose enzyme manufacturing facility on the continent, plays a central role in the company’s U.S. operations and contributes to local economic growth and job creation. North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing biotechnology hubs in the United States, making initiatives like this critical to sustaining regional and national growth.
The event brought together undergraduate and graduate students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees for a behind-the-scenes look at how biosolutions are developed and produced at industrial scale. These solutions are already shaping everyday life across more than 30 industries, from food and beverage to biofuel. Novonesis biosolutions already reach billions of people around the world through everyday products and processes.
“The biggest challenge in biotech today isn’t innovation — it’s scaling talent fast enough to meet demand,” said Julianne Bove, ISPE-CaSA, Co-Chair, Emerging Leaders. “Programs like this help close that gap by connecting students directly to the realities of biomanufacturing.”
For many students, it was their first time inside a working biomanufacturing facility. From fermentation to quality control to environmental operations, students were exposed to nearly all functions supporting biomanufacturing at scale. The experience showed how biology can create sustainable solutions benefiting people and planet.
As the need for biotechnology talent accelerates, building the workforce is essential.
“This is where science becomes real,” said Andrea Green, Head of Site, Novonesis Franklinton. “When students visit our facility, they see how we leverage biology to shape solutions that solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. Through experiences like this, they can envision themselves making a real difference.”
There’s a biosolution for (almost) everything, and the next generation will play a key role in bringing those solutions to life.
