It’s been one year since NC State opened the doors to its state-of-the-art Biomedical Partnership Center on Centennial Biomedical Campus. Anchored by NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the NC State Veterinary Hospital, the 250-acre biomedical campus is an extension of the university’s Centennial Campus.

The Centennial Campus approach to public-private partnerships has proven effective for developing a mixed-use innovation environment, combining private lab and office space with academic, residential and recreational opportunities. Centennial Biomedical Campus builds on this model by bringing together academia, government and industry to collaborate on cutting-edge biomedical discoveries and applications — for the advancement of both animal and human health.

Leah Burton, who leads NC State’s Centennial Campus Partnerships Office, says companies located on campus are partners with the university — they hire NC State students as interns, sponsor faculty research, license technologies and more. “This proximity and diversity of knowledge leads to new ideas, products and jobs.”

Building a Hub for Collaboration

The campus’s first public-private partnership building, the Biomedical Partnership Center is 44,500 square feet of innovation space — approximately 75 percent lab and 25 percent office. The building is a hub for industry and government partners to work side by side with NC State researchers and students.

Raleigh-based commercial real estate firm Capital Associates is the Biomedical Partnership Center development and brokerage partner. The firm also helped the university develop The Greens Apartments on Centennial Campus, among other projects at NC State.

“The Biomedical Partnership Center offers a unique setting for companies to lease private lab and office space, with direct access to the expansive resources that NC State can offer to companies who locate on campus,” says Bret Muller, principal at Capital Associates.

NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine is recognized as one of the top veterinary programs in North America. The university’s interdisciplinary research yields breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, cancer research and preventative health. Recent discoveries include repairing damaged cardiac tissue, moving away from toxic chemotherapies toward medicines targeted for tumor treatments that increase the immune system, and combating drug-resistant bacterial pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella.

“We are excited to have the Biomedical Partnership Center on our campus and have an opportunity to collaborate with new industry partners,” adds Dr. Kate Meurs, associate dean for research and graduate studies at NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “This provides wonderful new research relationships for our students, staff and faculty.”

NC State also offers a leading program in biomedical engineering through its College of Engineering — a partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill. The program integrates engineering, math, medicine and science to improve human health and quality of life. Students graduating receive a degree from both universities.

Partnering for Better Health Outcomes

HIPRA, a Europe-based veterinary pharmaceutical company, is the most recent life sciences company to locate on Centennial Biomedical Campus. In early 2018, HIPRA opened its U.S. headquarters in the Biomedical Partnership Center. The multinational company is collaborating with NC State on preventative health for animals and developing vaccines for the primary diseases affecting food-producing animals.

HIPRA’s long-term goal is to grow and become established in the U.S., a reference country for biologicals production in the animal health industry worldwide. The team has already hired laboratory research associates and will soon hire Ph.D. level positions in the veterinary sciences.

Nearly 14,000 square feet of office and lab space is currently available at the Biomedical Partnership Center, with a variety of suite options.