Founded in 1984 by the North Carolina General Assembly, it was the first state-sponsored biotechnology initiative in the United States, merging the interests of the academic private and public sectors.
The permanent headquarters of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park is a hub for work, learning, and interaction.
[2] At that time, the state's General Assembly appointed a legislative study commission to determine how North Carolina could ensure long-term economic benefits from biotechnology.
A yearlong study by the commission concluded that North Carolina needed a private, non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to biotechnology development.
The first president of the N.C. Biotechnology Center was Leon Golberg, previously head of the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology in RTP.