RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina Biotechnology Center will locate its new Greater Charlotte Office on the campus of the Charlotte Research Institute this fall. The office will be dedicated Oct. 10 in conjunction with the Biotechnology Center's Board of Directors meeting, to be held in Charlotte for the first time.

"This office is a great opportunity to leverage our shared efforts to develop biotechnology research, education, and business in the Charlotte region," said Bob Wilhelm, executive director of the Charlotte Research Institute.

W. Steven Burke, the Biotechnology Center's senior vice president for corporate affairs, said, "Because biotechnology is complex, its development requires that varied resources work together. Partnerships are key to a successful biotechnology community. Locating our office at the Institute, a smart catalyst for scientific and economic development, will surely benefit the Biotechnology Center and the region as well."

The Greater Charlotte Office will be the fifth and final regional office of the Biotechnology Center. Others established across the state since 2003 include a Western Office in Asheville, a Piedmont Triad Office in Winston- Salem, an Eastern Office in Greenville, and a Southeastern Office in Wilmington.

The small offices, each staffed by a director and an assistant, work to strengthen biotechnology research, business, education and workforce training in all parts of the state, drawing on the unique resources of each region.

Developing biotechnology in all parts of the state is a major priority of the state's blueprint for biotechnology development, New Jobs Across North Carolina: A Strategic Plan for Growing the Economy Statewide through Biotechnology.

The Greater Charlotte Office will help institutions, schools and agencies identify area needs, goals, and niche capabilities; draw on the programs and activities of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center; and develop a regional Advisory Committee to guide biotechnology development - all toward the goal of creating biotechnology companies and the high-paying jobs they bring.

The Greater Charlotte region has a growing foundation of resources and capabilities for biotechnology development, from university research and workforce training to technology transfer and company development. Niche capabilities in nanotechnology, bioinformatics, food and nutrition, medical devices and medicine offer particular promise for scientific and economic development.

The Charlotte Research Institute is the portal for business-university partnerships at UNC Charlotte. Focusing on science and technology, CRI supports new research ventures, university partnerships with regional and national enterprises, and spin-off companies created from UNC Charlotte research results. It is located on the UNC-Charlotte campus northeast of Charlotte.

The Biotechnology Center, headquartered in Research Triangle Park with five regional offices across the state, is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the State of North Carolina. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business and education statewide.

Visit the Biotechnology Center's Web site at www.ncbiotech.org or the Charlotte Research Institute's Web site at www.charlotteresearchinstitute.com.

SOURCE North Carolina Biotechnology Center