Push for biotech in county revives
The great recession may have stalled the big promise of biotech jobs coming to north county, but some local officials see a revival.
Florida Atlantic University on Dec. 1 announced plans to build a $33 million building to promote scientific research.
And BioCurity Holdings Inc., now in New Smyrna Beach, is considering moving to South Florida. The Jupiter Town Council votes tonight on a loan guarantee to make it happen.
BioCurity plans to create five biotech positions in Jupiter by the end of 2019. These new positions will have average salaries of at least $60,000. The company also will have support staff in accounting, legal and marketing.
BioCurity Holdings develops products to treat patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast, lung, colon, prostate and head and neck cancers.
“BioCurity’s technology seeks to minimize the compli- Bill DiPaolo cations from radiation exposure,” according to the company website.
Jupiter, and other cities, the county and Florida have often offered to guarantee loans to draw businesses.
“Many people think the town is giving the company money. We are not. We are guaranteeing their loan. We secure their assets as an avenue for recovery in case they do not pay the loan,” said Jupiter Council Member Ron Delaney.
Despite a public investment of some $750 million in Scripps Research Institute and Max Planck Florida, Palm Beach County’s biotech hub has fallen far short of creating the tens of thousands of private-sector jobs predicted by then-Gov. Jeb Bush when he wooed Scripps and Max Planck.
“The declining economy hurt job creation. Plus, the amount of jobs and economic impact were over-promised,” Jupiter Medical Center CEO John Couris said at the Dec. 1 announcement at FAU’s Lifelong Learning Society center. “We are resetting our expectations. Will we be successful? Yes.”
FAU President John Kelly said the university already has received $3.3 million from the state and hopes to get $15 million each of the next two years, for a total of $33 million. Kelly also announced that FAU’s Abacoa campus has been named a “Nikon Center of Excellence.”
FAU joins a handful of organizations with Nikon centers, including the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, Vanderbilt University and Princeton University, and Kelly hopes the designation will help lure faculty and students.
“It’s huge for recruiting,” Kelly said.
More medical research is planned for Jupiter.
A March opening is scheduled for Nu-Vista, a $70 million medical research center in Abacoa that will combine research, education and patient care. Nu-Vista will include a 129-bed nursing home, 70-bed assisted-living facility and 30-bed center for people with brain disorders.