Biomanufacturing uses living things like cells, enzymes, and microorganisms to make products such as medicines, vaccines, food additives, and chemicals. The United States leads the world in this area because it invests a lot in biotechnology research and building factories.
For example, Amgen has worked in biotechnology for more than 45 years. They use living cells to make medicines for cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and rare illnesses. Even though their newer factory in Singapore is outside the U.S., it shows the kinds of smart and flexible systems that are being used in the country. These systems focus on quality, safety, and following rules to meet more patient needs. Amgen uses AI and machine learning to make clinical trials faster and help develop medicines better. This shows how data and technology work together to improve results.
The biomanufacturing market in the U.S. is expected to grow a lot. This is because more people need health products and are interested in bio-based goods. Worldwide, the biotechnology economy could be worth about $700 billion by 2040. This includes medicines, food proteins, bioingredients, and sustainable materials, not just special pharmaceuticals.
Even though biomanufacturing is growing, it still has problems. Old methods like fed-batch fermentation, which grows biological materials, have some limits. They are slow, expensive, and need big factories that cost a lot to build. It is hard to take discoveries from a small lab and make them on a big commercial scale, especially for small companies that do not have money for large plants.
The U.S. also needs more skilled workers. For instance, North Carolina’s life sciences area shows there will be many unfilled jobs by 2030 if education does not keep up with industry needs. North Carolina has a program where schools and biotech companies work together to train workers. This model could help other parts of the country prepare more workers.
New technology in biomanufacturing tries to lower costs, improve scale, and make processes more efficient. For example, Cauldron’s hyper-fermentation technology uses continuous fermentation to get more productivity with smaller bioreactors. This lowers costs like electricity, water, labor, and maintenance. With higher output from smaller equipment, these technologies make biomanufacturing cheaper and easier to do.
AI is important for making biomanufacturing better. It helps from the research stage all the way to making products in factories. AI tools can handle large and complex data fast so companies can make quicker and smarter choices.
Jon Goriup, CEO of VCG.AI, says AI helps by understanding huge amounts of biomanufacturing data about materials, processes, and markets. AI’s predictive analytics can lower risks, find good innovation chances, and rank plans by how ready the technology is, market need, expected money, and environmental effects. It can increase the value of by-products by up to ten times by spotting unused possibilities.
AI also improves manufacturing processes. Machine learning models find problems early, adjust fermentation conditions, and forecast when machines need fixing. This cuts downtime and makes things more steady. AI helps biotech makers keep processes consistent and grow from small to large scale.
Healthcare places see AI helping not just with making biotech products but also with daily tasks linked to those products and services. For example, AI-powered phone answering and scheduling systems can lower the work of office staff and improve communication with patients. Simbo AI uses AI to handle patient calls, so staff can spend more time caring for patients.
In both biotech factories and healthcare offices, AI automates many jobs:
Automation with AI makes healthcare delivery smoother and connects well with what biotech factories produce. For healthcare managers and IT staff, these tools can improve how things run, lower mistakes, and help patients stay engaged.
The U.S. biotech field benefits when the government, schools, and private companies work together. Programs like North Carolina’s BioWork train young people and current workers to get jobs in biotech manufacturing.
Government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense also support new biomanufacturing technology. For example, Cauldron got $1.76 million in grants to plan a bigger factory. This shows how the government helps speed up advanced biomanufacturing in the U.S.
There is also a need for workers with skills in AI, biotech, and healthcare management. Schools and training programs working together can help fill this need.
Good healthcare depends on having high-quality biotech products like biologic medicines, vaccines, and tools to diagnose diseases. Companies like Amgen make treatments suited to each patient’s biology by using AI in research and manufacturing. AI helps understand genetics and disease faster and tailors therapies better.
In the future, AI will help by:
Healthcare managers and IT teams in the U.S. should see AI and automation as practical tools, not just new technology for labs. These tools help with patient care and keeping biotech medicine supplies steady.
When choosing AI solutions, it is important to think about security, rules like HIPAA, and fitting well with current systems. Working with technology experts who focus on AI for healthcare helps make sure the tools work smoothly. This way, staff can spend more time helping patients.
AI is changing biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the U.S. by making research faster, production easier to grow, and operations smoother. With more healthcare needs and fewer workers available, AI is a way to cut costs, raise productivity, and help patients.
Companies like Amgen and Cauldron show how biotech uses AI to improve making medicines and other products. At the same time, healthcare groups can use AI-driven automation for tasks like patient communication and managing supplies.
By getting ready for AI and training workers, healthcare managers and owners can help their organizations succeed as biotechnology and biomanufacturing change.
North Carolina’s life sciences industry is strong and growing, contributing about $82 billion in economic impact and employing over 100,000 people. The industry addresses major global challenges and has received a record $10.8 billion in projects in 2024.
Various initiatives include partnerships between companies and educational institutions, training programs such as BioWork, and outreach efforts aimed at raising awareness of biotechnology careers.
North Carolina promotes collaboration among public and private entities, supports small businesses with funding, and has established research partnerships with universities to drive innovation.
Challenges include a capacity gap in manufacturing, competition for talent, and the need for infrastructure investment to support onshoring manufacturing.
The industry focuses on increasing awareness about manufacturing careers, promoting biomanufacturing as an environmentally friendly option, and partnering with educational institutions to create more training opportunities.
Community engagement involves outreach efforts, hosting tours and workshops for students, and using technology to simulate modern manufacturing environments, encouraging interest in biotechnology.
Companies like Novonesis are optimistic about biotechnology’s potential to solve global challenges, emphasizing the need for investment and support to fully realize this potential.
Regional partnerships facilitate resource sharing, foster innovation, and support small businesses while enabling larger companies to thrive, thus strengthening the overall biotech ecosystem.
Public-private partnerships help fund innovation and infrastructure development, ensuring sustainable growth and securing a domestic supply chain for biotechnology manufacturing.
AI is expected to play a vital role in improving efficiencies and outcomes in biomanufacturing and biotechnology by enhancing processes and innovations, requiring skill development for the workforce.