BIO 2025 | North Carolina
State & Region Spotlight: North Carolina — Meet Bill Bullock, Senior Vice President of Economic and Statewide Development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech)! We had a chance to talk about why North Carolina continues to attract—and retain—top-tier life sciences companies.
Bill gave a powerful perspective on how parts of North Carolina, like Research Triangle Park, were purpose-built for biotech from the ground up. With a rare convergence of world-class academic institutions (UNC, NC State, Duke) and a dense ecosystem of pharma, biotech, and tech companies, NC isn’t just competing—it’s leading.
Whether you’re investing, expanding, or building in the life sciences space, North Carolina’s mix of talent, infrastructure, and innovation makes it a region to watch.
-
00:00:00.815 --> 00:00:01.445
Hello everybody.
2
00:00:01.455 --> 00:00:04.565
We're here on day two at Bio 2025,
3
00:00:04.745 --> 00:00:08.045
and I have the amazing privilege to be here
4
00:00:08.045 --> 00:00:09.645
with Bill from North Carolina.
5
00:00:09.905 --> 00:00:12.525
And I say amazing because I am also from North Carolina
6
00:00:12.545 --> 00:00:15.525
and we're here to celebrate all good things, Carolina. Wow.
7
00:00:15.905 --> 00:00:16.925
Yes, I'm in.
8
00:00:16.945 --> 00:00:19.285
You're in. I'm in. So, bill, what do you do?
9
00:00:19.825 --> 00:00:22.205
Uh, I am the, uh, senior VP of Economic
10
00:00:22.225 --> 00:00:24.125
and statewide development at the North Carolina
11
00:00:24.125 --> 00:00:25.245
Biotechnology Center.
12
00:00:25.965 --> 00:00:27.485
Excellent. In the Raleigh area, correct?
13
00:00:27.985 --> 00:00:30.685
Yes. Our headquarter office is in Research Triangle Park.
14
00:00:31.345 --> 00:00:33.285
Yes. We are also based in Research Triangle Park.
15
00:00:33.285 --> 00:00:34.685
So I have a little bit of fondness for that area.
16
00:00:34.715 --> 00:00:35.645
This is gonna go very well.
17
00:00:35.645 --> 00:00:36.805
This is gonna go very, very well.
18
00:00:36.915 --> 00:00:39.605
Okay. I have some lightning round questions for Bio 2025.
19
00:00:39.625 --> 00:00:41.245
You ready to jump in? Yes, I'm ready. Let's do it.
20
00:00:41.245 --> 00:00:43.165
Yeah, let's do it. Okay. In a word
21
00:00:43.165 --> 00:00:45.645
or two, why should the biotech industry choose
22
00:00:45.645 --> 00:00:46.685
North Carolina to grow?
23
00:00:47.025 --> 00:00:50.245
So, I think North Carolina is unique and we're unique
24
00:00:50.245 --> 00:00:54.765
because we are a great destination, high quality of life,
25
00:00:55.135 --> 00:00:57.845
great business climate, great innovation,
26
00:00:58.385 --> 00:00:59.805
really good at manufacturing.
27
00:01:00.425 --> 00:01:01.725
And all of those things are
28
00:01:01.725 --> 00:01:04.165
what are driving the biotech industry right now.
29
00:01:04.565 --> 00:01:05.965
A great environment to grow. Yes.
30
00:01:06.305 --> 00:01:08.165
Yes. It's Our time. Yes, it is our time.
31
00:01:08.825 --> 00:01:10.845
What's one unique advantage that North Carolina offers
32
00:01:10.845 --> 00:01:12.445
that others may overlook? Uh,
33
00:01:12.445 --> 00:01:15.325
I, you know, I'm gonna go with collaboration.
34
00:01:15.865 --> 00:01:17.605
May maybe something be like, we'll have it,
35
00:01:17.605 --> 00:01:19.845
but I'm, I'm gonna tell you, in my experience, 20 years
36
00:01:19.845 --> 00:01:22.725
of doing economic development in life sciences, it's real.
37
00:01:23.405 --> 00:01:25.325
I, I've been other places doing biotech
38
00:01:25.985 --> 00:01:28.405
and there's a level of connectivity in North Carolina
39
00:01:28.405 --> 00:01:29.645
that I think stems from
40
00:01:29.645 --> 00:01:32.525
where it came from in NC North Carolina.
41
00:01:32.525 --> 00:01:34.965
Really purposely built a biotech industry.
42
00:01:35.265 --> 00:01:37.325
I'm at the biotech center. We've been part of that.
43
00:01:37.475 --> 00:01:39.005
When you come into the environment,
44
00:01:39.205 --> 00:01:41.885
I hear from companies I work with all the time saying, wow.
45
00:01:41.995 --> 00:01:44.525
Like, you're just instantly one degree
46
00:01:44.525 --> 00:01:46.885
of separation from anybody and everybody.
47
00:01:46.945 --> 00:01:49.925
So I think that is very, I'm gonna say that's a very
48
00:01:50.725 --> 00:01:51.845
uniquely North Carolina thing.
49
00:01:51.955 --> 00:01:54.765
Your background's in both biotech and in business. Yes.
50
00:01:54.765 --> 00:01:55.725
And so you see North Carolina
51
00:01:55.725 --> 00:01:56.805
as a great intersection of the two
52
00:01:57.365 --> 00:01:58.365
A hundred percent. Uh,
53
00:01:58.365 --> 00:02:00.965
I think it's fate that I'm there for that reason. Yeah.
54
00:02:00.985 --> 00:02:03.325
Uh, absolutely Great innovation assets.
55
00:02:03.405 --> 00:02:06.045
I mean, the biotech industry still grows
56
00:02:06.045 --> 00:02:09.005
and resonates around hubs of good innovation and technology.
57
00:02:09.185 --> 00:02:10.645
We have that in North Carolina.
58
00:02:11.185 --> 00:02:13.685
Uh, but we've invested in, uh,
59
00:02:13.735 --> 00:02:15.765
we've really invested in workforce development
60
00:02:15.765 --> 00:02:16.885
that promotes, uh,
61
00:02:16.905 --> 00:02:19.125
the biomanufacturing side, but very diverse.
62
00:02:19.285 --> 00:02:20.165
I think it's another unique
63
00:02:20.165 --> 00:02:21.485
characteristic in North Carolina.
64
00:02:21.785 --> 00:02:24.125
Strong in human health, strong in bioindustrial,
65
00:02:24.305 --> 00:02:27.645
strong in med tech, strong in Ag tech, strong in
66
00:02:27.665 --> 00:02:30.525
so many different clinical research, like strong,
67
00:02:30.625 --> 00:02:31.925
not just have them, but strong.
68
00:02:32.145 --> 00:02:34.885
The diversification, I think is also a really unique part
69
00:02:34.885 --> 00:02:36.725
of the sustainable part of our biotech cluster.
70
00:02:36.985 --> 00:02:38.805
If our region had a tagline
71
00:02:38.865 --> 00:02:40.965
for biotech innovation especially,
72
00:02:41.515 --> 00:02:42.965
what would that tagline be? Uh,
73
00:02:43.075 --> 00:02:44.405
I've been waiting to answer this question.
74
00:02:44.885 --> 00:02:48.845
I like North Carolina brings innovations to life.
75
00:02:49.305 --> 00:02:52.085
And why I say that is you have to innovate.
76
00:02:52.085 --> 00:02:53.165
We've already talked about that,
77
00:02:53.705 --> 00:02:55.485
but innovation for innovation's sake
78
00:02:55.485 --> 00:02:56.925
doesn't really get you anywhere.
79
00:02:57.225 --> 00:02:59.725
You have to translate it into products and services.
80
00:02:59.865 --> 00:03:02.965
And so everything I just talked about around the diversity
81
00:03:03.025 --> 00:03:06.005
of what we do, not only diversified in how we apply,
82
00:03:06.385 --> 00:03:08.485
but diverse in terms of innovators, r
83
00:03:08.485 --> 00:03:11.045
and d, translation and manufacturing.
84
00:03:11.335 --> 00:03:12.605
We're really good at innovating,
85
00:03:12.605 --> 00:03:15.045
but we're really good at translating those innovations into
86
00:03:15.045 --> 00:03:17.285
products and services that actually can help
87
00:03:17.825 --> 00:03:20.045
our citizens in the state and humanity in general.
88
00:03:20.235 --> 00:03:21.205
Yeah. So we take action.
89
00:03:21.205 --> 00:03:22.365
It's not just about talking about it.
90
00:03:22.565 --> 00:03:25.485
A hundred percent Innovations come to life from coast
91
00:03:25.485 --> 00:03:27.485
to coast in the Carolinas.
92
00:03:27.485 --> 00:03:28.125
What does the life
93
00:03:28.125 --> 00:03:29.765
sciences industry look like across the state?
94
00:03:30.035 --> 00:03:31.245
This is it, right? Yeah, exactly.
95
00:03:31.585 --> 00:03:34.405
So over here is the research triangle region.
96
00:03:34.665 --> 00:03:37.925
So clearly that's where it all started in North Carolina.
97
00:03:38.385 --> 00:03:42.045
Um, and it's still probably 65% in the tri
98
00:03:42.045 --> 00:03:43.085
greater triangle region.
99
00:03:43.465 --> 00:03:47.725
Really built on the three corners of, of, um, of Durham,
100
00:03:48.075 --> 00:03:50.765
duke University, Raleigh, NC State University,
101
00:03:50.765 --> 00:03:52.325
and Chapel Hill, UNC, chapel Hill.
102
00:03:52.465 --> 00:03:54.125
And in the middle is Research Triangle Park,
103
00:03:54.135 --> 00:03:55.525
which you can see from this map
104
00:03:55.525 --> 00:03:57.525
that it's now going all over North Carolina.
105
00:03:57.945 --> 00:03:59.045
I'm not gonna do any name jobs,
106
00:03:59.065 --> 00:04:02.765
but there are some very, very large technology companies
107
00:04:02.765 --> 00:04:06.565
that have invested in our area recently, like some
108
00:04:06.565 --> 00:04:08.885
of the most famous in the world bringing, bringing a lot
109
00:04:08.885 --> 00:04:11.005
of business to our state, and of course bringing a lot
110
00:04:11.005 --> 00:04:12.565
of industry, other industries to our state.
111
00:04:12.565 --> 00:04:13.845
Almost like working by proxy.
112
00:04:14.515 --> 00:04:15.805
Yeah, but it's a great point.
113
00:04:16.045 --> 00:04:20.045
'cause you think about where biotech is gonna go bio, the,
114
00:04:20.045 --> 00:04:22.645
the lines are starting to get blurred between data, science,
115
00:04:23.205 --> 00:04:25.045
engineering, biology, right?
116
00:04:25.465 --> 00:04:26.685
As that happening, you talk about
117
00:04:26.755 --> 00:04:28.365
what the impacts of AI are gonna have.
118
00:04:29.305 --> 00:04:31.405
You got a community that's really good at biotech.
119
00:04:31.935 --> 00:04:34.405
We're also really a high tech, to your point, some
120
00:04:34.405 --> 00:04:37.085
of those companies, um, this,
121
00:04:37.195 --> 00:04:39.245
it's only gonna make North Carolina stronger
122
00:04:39.345 --> 00:04:41.565
as we go forward, is the integration of all
123
00:04:41.565 --> 00:04:43.445
that is what's gonna drive the future of the
124
00:04:43.605 --> 00:04:44.605
Industry. Uh, finish the
125
00:04:44.605 --> 00:04:45.885
sentence. Companies, uh,
126
00:04:45.985 --> 00:04:49.925
who moved here usually say they are surprised most by what?
127
00:04:50.555 --> 00:04:51.925
Well, two things. One is I'm gonna,
128
00:04:51.985 --> 00:04:55.485
I'm gonna be a broken record collaboration again.
129
00:04:55.625 --> 00:04:56.965
How, how well we do it.
130
00:04:57.425 --> 00:05:00.525
Uh, and two, the fierce competition
131
00:05:00.525 --> 00:05:02.925
between the big schools in sports.
132
00:05:03.385 --> 00:05:04.845
It is kind of get it, but they don't,
133
00:05:04.845 --> 00:05:06.845
you don't really get it until you're there. Yeah.
134
00:05:07.045 --> 00:05:08.325
Although we can all come together around
135
00:05:08.325 --> 00:05:09.565
the Carolina Hurricanes.
136
00:05:10.085 --> 00:05:11.845
A hundred percent. Yes. And that is based in,
137
00:05:12.505 --> 00:05:14.085
In Raleigh baby in the triangle.
138
00:05:14.385 --> 00:05:15.965
Yes. Yes. And I'm gonna put it in plug
139
00:05:15.965 --> 00:05:17.125
here in the North Carolina.
140
00:05:17.125 --> 00:05:18.205
Courage. Women's soccer.
141
00:05:18.425 --> 00:05:20.205
Go Carolina. Courage. Go Carolina. Courage.
142
00:05:20.545 --> 00:05:22.005
And Go Canes. And Go Canes.
143
00:05:22.005 --> 00:05:24.205
How does our region help companies go from early research
144
00:05:24.585 --> 00:05:27.125
to commercialization? How do we help them grow?
145
00:05:27.995 --> 00:05:29.085
Well, I, I'll start with
146
00:05:29.085 --> 00:05:30.725
what I know am passionate about is
147
00:05:30.725 --> 00:05:33.405
that the Biotech center has literally programs, right?
148
00:05:33.405 --> 00:05:35.245
So we have grant programs that, uh,
149
00:05:35.245 --> 00:05:37.685
really focus on leveraging other
150
00:05:37.685 --> 00:05:39.285
dollars for applied research.
151
00:05:39.545 --> 00:05:41.045
And then we have a loan program, right?
152
00:05:41.045 --> 00:05:42.085
We a lot of early money
153
00:05:42.105 --> 00:05:44.285
and we work really closely with a number
154
00:05:44.305 --> 00:05:46.005
of partners across the state
155
00:05:46.345 --> 00:05:48.205
who bring other dollars into that.
156
00:05:48.585 --> 00:05:51.125
Uh, we're really well connected with the universities
157
00:05:51.125 --> 00:05:52.805
who have great tech transfer offices,
158
00:05:52.985 --> 00:05:55.765
who are really focused, not just, again, back
159
00:05:55.765 --> 00:05:57.925
to this notion, our innovations to life.
160
00:05:58.385 --> 00:06:00.765
Not just doing great innovation at the universities,
161
00:06:00.825 --> 00:06:02.925
but how to translate that into commercialization.
162
00:06:03.065 --> 00:06:04.925
And so, again, I'm a theme. It's good.
163
00:06:04.945 --> 00:06:06.685
I'm feeling like there's some context here. Yeah.
164
00:06:06.685 --> 00:06:09.205
There's a lot of connectivity there around the,
165
00:06:09.385 --> 00:06:11.885
the early stage innovation at the university level.
166
00:06:12.025 --> 00:06:14.805
Our developers, you know, our real estate development world,
167
00:06:14.805 --> 00:06:15.965
again, the connectivity.
168
00:06:16.025 --> 00:06:17.685
So we've got some really good incubators
169
00:06:18.025 --> 00:06:21.685
and accelerators in North Carolina, uh, that, that help to,
170
00:06:21.745 --> 00:06:24.005
you know, that early stage of biotech is stuff, right?
171
00:06:24.005 --> 00:06:25.525
Mm-hmm. You gotta have funding, you have place,
172
00:06:25.525 --> 00:06:27.405
you're trying to use your money towards your research,
173
00:06:27.405 --> 00:06:28.565
and you get that commercialization.
174
00:06:28.665 --> 00:06:30.965
So again, a lot of great assets in that space
175
00:06:30.965 --> 00:06:32.845
and a lot of connectivity to help the companies.
176
00:06:32.905 --> 00:06:35.365
What's one way that you're supporting the next generation
177
00:06:35.365 --> 00:06:36.685
of scientists and talent?
178
00:06:37.085 --> 00:06:39.685
A lot of connectivity in K 12
179
00:06:39.685 --> 00:06:41.405
programming across the state.
180
00:06:41.745 --> 00:06:43.165
We have a, we have the, one
181
00:06:43.165 --> 00:06:46.485
of the largest community college programs, so a lot
182
00:06:46.485 --> 00:06:49.245
of biotechnology, uh, and, and,
183
00:06:49.425 --> 00:06:51.885
and bioprocessing biomanufacturing programs.
184
00:06:52.375 --> 00:06:55.205
We're integrating those K 12 programs into those
185
00:06:55.205 --> 00:06:56.525
community college programs.
186
00:06:56.625 --> 00:06:58.845
We have a lot of handoff agreements between them
187
00:06:58.845 --> 00:06:59.885
and four universities.
188
00:07:00.265 --> 00:07:02.485
And what I love most is we're bringing a lot
189
00:07:02.485 --> 00:07:04.405
of the companies into that process.
190
00:07:04.755 --> 00:07:06.085
Yeah. And so when you get big
191
00:07:06.085 --> 00:07:07.485
name companies, they care a lot.
192
00:07:07.665 --> 00:07:09.765
Really interested in integrating into the community,
193
00:07:09.945 --> 00:07:13.965
not just around what they do, but wanna go into the schools
194
00:07:14.265 --> 00:07:17.005
and help create the next generation of folks.
195
00:07:17.295 --> 00:07:19.965
Gotta build an awareness in this industry. Yeah. Right.
196
00:07:20.125 --> 00:07:21.805
A lot, a lot of folks, uh, and,
197
00:07:21.805 --> 00:07:25.405
and kids don't know science, they think of it very linearly.
198
00:07:25.625 --> 00:07:28.485
So you've gotta, you've gotta broaden their perspective on
199
00:07:28.485 --> 00:07:30.965
what it means to go into science without a great career. It
200
00:07:30.965 --> 00:07:31.965
Is. Just gimme
201
00:07:31.965 --> 00:07:32.605
a sense of like,
202
00:07:32.605 --> 00:07:35.245
what makes North Carolina a great place to live,
203
00:07:35.435 --> 00:07:36.445
work, and play.
204
00:07:37.515 --> 00:07:39.445
Yeah. So I, I'm a, I'm somebody who,
205
00:07:40.005 --> 00:07:42.205
I didn't grow up in North Carolina, so I'm somebody who came
206
00:07:42.205 --> 00:07:43.925
to North Carolina, lived there over 30 years.
207
00:07:44.265 --> 00:07:47.365
Um, it's a, it is a re it's when it's affordable,
208
00:07:47.365 --> 00:07:49.045
especially in the world of biotech.
209
00:07:49.345 --> 00:07:51.525
So people coming from biotech clusters,
210
00:07:51.525 --> 00:07:53.045
it's a very affordable place to live.
211
00:07:53.065 --> 00:07:57.045
Mm-hmm. Good weather, seasonal weather, uh, friendly people.
212
00:07:57.105 --> 00:08:00.225
You know, that whole thing actually is pretty real. Man.
213
00:08:00.525 --> 00:08:02.185
My, my chamber folks are gonna love me.
214
00:08:02.185 --> 00:08:04.505
You know, you're three hours, you drive west
215
00:08:04.525 --> 00:08:05.905
and you're in the mountains.
216
00:08:06.445 --> 00:08:09.665
You drive two hours to the east, you're at the beach.
217
00:08:10.245 --> 00:08:13.265
You can drive North DC's four hours away.
218
00:08:13.485 --> 00:08:15.145
You're an hour flight to New York.
219
00:08:15.415 --> 00:08:16.625
It's just a great place to be.
220
00:08:16.965 --> 00:08:18.585
So I bring this a little bit full circle, you know,
221
00:08:18.585 --> 00:08:20.465
being at the center who's been around 40 years
222
00:08:20.565 --> 00:08:22.625
and really created, it's one of the early engines
223
00:08:22.625 --> 00:08:26.305
to build biotech was a very purposeful investment Yeah.
224
00:08:26.405 --> 00:08:27.625
To build biotech. Yeah.
225
00:08:27.625 --> 00:08:30.745
So when you come into the community, you feel that you, you,
226
00:08:30.885 --> 00:08:33.105
you expect to partner with people
227
00:08:33.125 --> 00:08:34.225
and collaborate with people.
228
00:08:34.225 --> 00:08:36.505
Yeah. So again, it's biology, it's evolution,
229
00:08:36.615 --> 00:08:37.905
it's a selective process.
230
00:08:38.175 --> 00:08:41.105
Yeah. That by now we just have a really great collection
231
00:08:41.105 --> 00:08:42.785
of a lot of really good people doing this.
232
00:08:42.785 --> 00:08:43.945
Oh we do. We really, really do.
233
00:08:43.945 --> 00:08:45.505
Especially in the RTP area. I
234
00:08:45.705 --> 00:08:46.705
Absolutely. My biochem
235
00:08:46.705 --> 00:08:47.665
experience into that.
236
00:08:47.765 --> 00:08:48.905
Yes. I love that. Yeah. It's
237
00:08:48.985 --> 00:08:49.985
Bringing it all back together. I
238
00:08:49.985 --> 00:08:52.425
love that. Okay, so if you're still here at Bio,
239
00:08:52.705 --> 00:08:53.985
I hope you do get a chance to stop
240
00:08:53.985 --> 00:08:55.105
by the North Carolina booth.
241
00:08:55.505 --> 00:08:58.045
See Bill and the folks from the NC Biotech Center. Yes.
242
00:08:58.065 --> 00:09:00.205
And get to talk shop and do all the great things
243
00:09:00.205 --> 00:09:02.005
to help bring biosciences
244
00:09:02.005 --> 00:09:03.485
to the great state of North Carolina.
245
00:09:03.715 --> 00:09:05.805
Bill, this has been great. It's been my pleasure.
246
00:09:05.805 --> 00:09:07.045
It's been fun. Yes. Thank you so much for your time.
247
00:09:07.045 --> 00:09:08.285
Thank I hope you have a great show. Yeah, you too. Thanks.
248
00:09:08.285 --> 00:09:08.725
Okay, thanks.