Nebraska is working to capture opportunities in the growing biotechnology industry, starting with a new training facility designed to keep talent in the state.
Metropolitan Community College is building the region’s first biotech lab in Elkhorn, set to open this fall. The facility will train students in biotechnology, which uses living cells like bacteria or yeast to create products for human health, animal care, and environmental applications.
The lab addresses a critical challenge facing Nebraska’s biotech sector. According to Rob Owen, executive director of Bio Nebraska, the state’s roughly 150 industry members are struggling to find workers at every level, from entry positions to executive roles.
“If I’m in high school and I’m really interested in science, and I don’t think there’s a career here for me, then I’m thinking I need to leave the state to go to college because that’s where the jobs are,” Owen said. He believes this perception causes students to either leave Nebraska or abandon science careers entirely.
The state has natural advantages for biotechnology. Nebraska offers abundant corn for feedstock and ample water access, both essential resources for biotech manufacturing.
Bio Nebraska’s membership includes major companies like Streck, Phibro, and Cargill, many of which are partnering with the new MCC facility. Jackie Clifford, MCC’s Biotechnology Program Director, said the lab represents collaboration between education and industry.
Construction is progressing on schedule, with framing and electrical work complete. The facility will include specialized spaces like a gowning room where students will learn proper biotech protocols.
Owen identified workforce development and capital as the biotech industry’s top challenges in Nebraska, with workforce being the most pressing concern.
