Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced that ElevateBio will be investing in its first Pennsylvania operation through the creation of a BaseCamp biomanufacturing facility that will create 172 new, six-figure jobs in Pittsburgh.
ElevateBio is a technology-driven company that has a focus on powering transformative cell and gene therapies, a press release from the governor’s office said. They will be creating an 80,000-square-foot build-out facility in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. Construction is set to begin in 2023 and will take three to four years to complete. It will be located in the Pitt BioForge Biomanufacturing Center at Hazelwood Green.
“When I first took office, I promised to support Pennsylvanians with a strong business economy by creating and retaining good jobs that pay well,” Wolf said in the release. “This investment in ElevateBio is just the latest fulfillment of that promise. I’m thrilled to welcome ElevateBio to the commonwealth, where they’re joining a $50 billion life sciences ecosystem.”
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher praised the project, commenting that western Pennsylvania has made great progress with the move and is on its way to being a leader in driving and commercializing life science discoveries.
“The University of Pittsburgh is honored to partner with ElevateBio and the commonwealth on this journey, which will see us leveraging lessons from the lab – in new and exciting ways – for the benefit of the region, research and humankind,” he said in the release.
Mark Anthony Thomas, president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, called Pittsburgh a “mecca” for innovation in various industries, notably in the life sciences field.
“Pittsburgh is where what’s next is happening now...,” he said in the release. “We’re thrilled to welcome ElevateBio to the region – a landmark investment at the convergence of R&D, life sciences and biotech manufacturing. ElevateBio will be a major anchor at Hazelwood Green. This cutting-edge development is rapidly becoming home to companies and other organizations driving innovation in AI and robotics; high-value, deep-tech enabled manufacturing; and life sciences. Every one of these is shaping the future for not only this region, but for the world, and it’s remarkable to say that’s happening here in Pittsburgh.”
ElevateBio will be making major investments in the operations, including $35 million in capital expenditures. The company will also train the 172 new full-time workers who will all be paid more than $105,000 annually within five years of the start of construction.
“ElevateBio’s mission is to enable the entire cell and gene therapy industry to accelerate the development of life-saving therapies for many decades to come,” David Hallal, chairman and chief executive officer of ElevateBio, said in the release. “We thank Gov. Wolf for his support and are excited that Pittsburgh will be home to one of our BaseCamp facilities so that we can enable greater access to our next-generation enabling technologies and end-to-end capabilities for local, national, and global scientific innovators.”