Workforce commitment through the Ohio Life Science Training Center helped secure one of the largest biomanufacturing investments in state history
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Life Sciences today applauded Bayer’s announcement that it will invest $2.2 billion in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in the New Albany International Business Park. The project is expected to create about 600 high-value jobs and roughly 1,500 construction jobs, further establishing Ohio as a global leader in biomanufacturing.
“Today is a proud day for Ohio’s life sciences community,” said Eddie Pauline, President and CEO of Ohio Life Sciences. “Ohio wins transformational investments like this because we listen to industry and act early. Bayer told us workforce readiness was essential, and our collective investment in the Ohio Life Science Training Center gave them confidence that Ohio can deliver.”
Workforce readiness was central to Bayer’s decision. The Ohio Life Science Training Center, led by the Ohio Life Sciences Institute and scheduled to open in New Albany in summer 2027, showed Bayer’s team that Ohio’s commitment to a reliable, job-ready talent pipeline is real. It is a $35 million facility under construction, not a promise on paper. Bayer will draw on the center to train Ohioans as operators and technicians.
The announcement also shows the return on the center’s public investment almost immediately. The Ohio General Assembly committed $1.5 million in state capital dollars to the project, and the center is already helping win a multibillion-dollar investment before it has opened its doors.
“For our partners in the state legislature and every investor who believed in this vision, the return is real,” Pauline added. “Because of this facility, Ohio earned a seat at the table and helped close a $2.2 billion project that will create hundreds of careers for Ohioans.”
Ohio Life Sciences credited the partnerships behind the effort:
- JobsOhio, whose investment of up to $30 million in the center and whose leadership made life sciences an economic development priority for the state.
- The City of New Albany and The New Albany Company, whose long-term planning, infrastructure, and investment in the center made the site ready.
- Industry partners, who shaped the center’s training to meet real-world manufacturing needs.
- Ohio’s Federal leaders, especially Senators Moreno and Husted, who have been steadfast supporters of Ohio’s life science industry.
- The State of Ohio and its higher education partners, including Columbus State Community College, who are building the talent pipeline alongside us.
“This is what a true partnership looks like,” Pauline said. “JobsOhio, the City of New Albany, our industry members, the State of Ohio, and our other investors all pulled in the same direction. The result is a model that keeps us competitive against other states that are making big investments into the life sciences.”
Bayer joins a growing life sciences cluster in New Albany that includes Amgen, Hims & Hers, American Regent and Pharmavite. Bayer’s first module, focused on drug substance manufacturing, is expected to be operational in 2031, with a second module for drug product manufacturing planned for 2034.
“Ohio Life Sciences and the Ohio Life Sciences Institute will keep working with Bayer, our partners and our members to ensure that Ohioans are trained and ready on day one,” said Pauline. “We welcome Bayer to Ohio and look forward to building the future of medicine together.”
About Ohio Life Sciences
Ohio Life Sciences (OLS) is a statewide nonprofit representing more than 300 member organizations across biotech, pharma, medtech, digital health and advanced manufacturing. Together with the Ohio Life Sciences Institute (OLSI), OLS advances policy, talent, and investment to grow Ohio’s life sciences economy.
Media Contact: Natalie Monroe, nmonroe@ohiolifesciences.org
