Santa Clara University and Biocom California Institute Partner to Advance Biomanufacturing Workforce Development

March 19, 2025 |

5 min read

18-month Project Receives Funding to Support Curriculum to Train Educators

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Santa Clara University (SCU) and Biocom California Institute (BCI), the workforce arm of Biocom California, have launched a strategic partnership designed to help community college students become critical innovators in the fast-growing biomanufacturing field.

The new BioCAD Data Programming for Biomanufacturing Scale-up project, also supported by Genentech and Merck, was funded by a $500,000 award from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). It serves several key objectives:

Preparing students for jobs in the growing biopharmaceutical development field.
Broadening the number of skilled workers who can use advanced analytics tools to assist the biopharma industry utilize massive amounts of manufacturing data to identify problems, optimize performance, and ensure quality.
Creating off-the-shelf instruction for community college professors and others to introduce students to Python programming language, applications, and problem-solving techniques.

As the demand for skilled professionals in biomanufacturing surges, particularly in data-driven processing, the need for a workforce proficient in data analytics becomes increasingly critical.

The new BioCAD program will expand upon an existing biomanufacturing analytics curriculum currently used in four-year California colleges and the industry. The aim is to serve two audiences. First, it introduces students in the life sciences and bioprocessing to the tools and techniques essential for designing, producing, and delivering precision next-generation drugs. Participants will be better able to identify meaning in complex data, ask critical questions, solve problems, and make recommendations that improve quality and efficiency across the biopharma supply chain. Second, it introduces software engineering and data science students to compelling applications in biopharma that are rarely presented in college computer science and analytics courses.

SCU and BCI will implement an innovative program model that bridges traditional gaps between industry applications and academic programs. Expert teams at Genentech and Merck will help identify critical advanced analysis problems common to emerging cell and gene therapies, advise on the design and modularization of specific curricula, and support rigorous beta testing.

Parallel collaborations with community college instructors across California will support integration of instructional materials for use in community college courses. This ensures students at different educational levels are exposed to emerging roles in biotech and develop essential skills for successful life sciences careers.

“The BioCAD curriculum is designed to prepare students for a career in the biomanufacturing industry. By collaborating with community colleges, we aim to ensure access to this curriculum in a way that is sustainable and provides long-term benefits to students,” said Prashanth Asuri, Santa Clara University Chair and Professor of Bioengineering and Director of the Healthcare Innovation and Design Program.

Ultimately, the program is expected to help more than 500 students and 100 industry professionals annually gain skills in preparation for manufacturing, process development, analysis, and scientific jobs in biomanufacturing.

Training the Trainers

To achieve this, community college instructors from across the state will convene at Santa Clara University in mid-2025 to learn how to teach Python as it applies to biomanufacturing, providing input that will shape the development of new teaching and learning modules for community college classrooms. This will significantly expand the Biomanufacturing Consortium for Analytics and Data Engineering (BioCAD) training program, preparing it for broader dissemination benefiting students across California.

“Biocom California Institute is dedicated to workforce and talent development for the life sciences. BCI’s work on programs like BioCAD and others bridge the gap between the need for qualified professionals and the abundance of aspiring employees who require specific training or knowledge,” said Tim Scott, Biocom California CEO. “Under the leadership of Vicki Brannock, BCI has seen tremendous success in engaging students, companies, HR professionals, and other stakeholders to achieve this goal.”

“To sustain the growth and innovation of the life science industry in California and nationwide, we need to cultivate a talented workforce,” said Vicki Brannock, Biocom California Institute Senior Director of Workforce Strategy and Innovation. “By partnering with the community colleges, we’re exponentially expanding the reach of a course currently exclusive to SCU, enabling it to benefit a much broader audience. This unique approach ensures that essential training is accessible to individuals from all educational backgrounds, amplifying its impact. This enhances employment opportunities and drives widespread innovation across the industry.”

This initiative is the latest in a series of successful collaborations between NIIMBL, Biocom California Institute, and Santa Clara University. Earlier this year, the NIIMBL eXperience program engaged a cohort of students to explore careers in biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Participants visited manufacturing sites, attended industry panels, and built valuable connections, sparking interest and providing pathways into the field.

This project was developed with an award from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (70NANB21H086).

About Biocom California Institute

Biocom California Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization established by Biocom California, with the mission of developing and promoting a skilled and diverse pipeline of talent to accelerate the growth of California’s life science ecosystem.

About Santa Clara University

Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.

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