ORO VALLEY, Ariz. - Pima Countya nd Oro Valley have partnered to bring to life a brand new biotech incubator facility to Innovation Park in Oro Valley.
The incubator facility will be home to biotech companies just starting up.
"Some of these companies especially coming out of the U of A with new development need an assistance to develop new product and an environment, a laboratory to develop and test their environment," said John Moffatt, the director of Pima County Economic Development.
The hope is the facility will help add to the number of high-tech jobs in Pima county and southern Arizona.
"They need clean rooms, they need ovens, they need that sort of thing, sterile environment. So in addition to their work, they'll have the equipment available to produce their product and test it," said Moffatt.
The biotech industry focuses on developing medical treatments, pharmaceutical products, agricultural technologies and more.
The incubator will be operated by the nonprofit Oro Valley Innovation Labs.
The University of Arizona's Campus Research Corporation, Venture West, Roche-Ventana, and Icogen are all also partners in the project.
Pima County has agreed to distribute up to $60,000 toward the building of the incubator, which is planned to be a roughly 4,000 square foot building.
The Pima County board of supervisors approved and intergovernmental agreement with the tow on Oro Valley on June 4.
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