New partnership boosts state’s biomanufacturing workforce development

WEST LAFAYETTE and INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A landmark agreement among major Indiana life science players to elevate the state’s biomanufacturing workforce was announced Thursday (Nov. 13) at the annual BioCrossroads Life Sciences Summit. Leaders from BioCrossroads, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College, Eli Lilly and Company, and the Applied Research Institute, as well as U.S. Sen. Todd Young, attended the announcement of the agreement with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT).

This agreement marks a new chapter for the state’s growing life sciences sector. Through Heartland BioWorks, the regional tech hub established with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the state of Indiana will become the exclusive Midwest provider of NIBRT’s biomanufacturing training programs. Based in Ireland, NIBRT is widely recognized for its premier biomanufacturing education, research and workforce training.

Purdue’s William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for the Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals will be a key implementation partner for the NIBRT license through its BioTrain Fellows. Fellows will integrate the NIBRT curriculum to prepare students and professionals for careers in biotechnology and biomanufacturing throughout Indiana.

“Making NIBRT’s biomanufacturing training programs accessible in Indiana greatly complements our efforts to attract and train students and professionals for careers in biotechnology and biomanufacturing,” said Alina Alexeenko, the Reilly Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics and Chemical Engineering in Purdue’s College of Engineering and co-director of the Young Institute. “The addition of more specialized training opportunities will increase Indiana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing talent pool.

“As biomanufacturing is integral to human, animal and plant health — and Indiana’s life science sector — this initiative also supports Purdue’s One Health initiative.”

Indiana is a leading hub in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, strategically positioned within America’s Hard Tech Corridor, which fosters innovation and collaboration in advanced technologies and life sciences.

“This partnership reflects the power of global collaboration in advancing biomanufacturing excellence,” said Killian O’Driscoll, NIBRT’s chief commercial officer. “By combining NIBRT’s international expertise with Indiana’s growing life sciences ecosystem, we are creating a world-class training hub that will prepare talent to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving industry — not just locally, but globally.”

Starting in 2026, the NIBRT training curriculum will be piloted at Heartland BioWorks’ Indianapolis headquarters with hands-on training beginning in 2027.

“Purdue plays a vital role in growing the state of Indiana’s biopharma workforce by connecting world-class research and education to industry needs right here in Indianapolis,” said David Umulis, Purdue senior vice provost for Indianapolis. “Through partnerships like this as well as BioTrain, we are creating new pathways for Purdue students to gain the skills and experience needed to thrive, ensuring our city and state remain at the national forefront of biomanufacturing education, research and economic growth.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives. 

Media contact: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu