Center of Excellence Research & Education Building Complete, Design and Construction for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Begins

The University of Florida’s Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology (CERHB) is making progress as faculty and staff members work to bring to fruition this progressive biopharmaceutical research, education, and manufacturing center in Alachua, Florida. Renovation of the CERHB North building (Research and Education) is complete. Faculty and researchers now occupy this facility that will be at full capacity later this year. The design and construction phase for the CERHB South building (Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing) has begun.

The South building will house a state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The construction is funded in part by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), which partners with state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to provide funding for projects that aid communities throughout the United States. The other source of funding derives from the State of Florida, through the Governor’s Center of Excellence initiative.

Leading the South building project for UF are Frank Javaheri (Facilities Planning and Construction, Project Manager) and Richard Snyder (Director, CERHB). The Austin Company has been hired to design and build the facility.

The Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology, established in 2003, is part of an effort to develop Centers of Excellence statewide that facilitate the creation of new high-tech, capital-intensive business ventures that provide high-wage job opportunities for Florida’s citizens. The primary focus of the CERHB is to establish infrastructure, and research and education programs that transform potential products discovered in the research laboratory into new medicines.