Pittsburgh Review

ElevateBio revealed that it will invest in its first operation in Pennsylvania and create 172 six-figure jobs in Pittsburgh.

The technology-driven company is focused on powering transformative cell and gene therapies, according to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf's (D-PA) office.  The company committed to a long-term lease and construction of the biomanufacturing facility will take three to four years.

"When I first took office, I promised to support Pennsylvanians with a strong business economy by creating and retaining good jobs that pay well," Wolf said in the news release. "This investment in ElevateBio is just the latest fulfillment of that promise. I'm thrilled to welcome ElevateBio to the commonwealth, where they're joining a $50 billion life sciences ecosystem."

The company will make investments with the University of Pittsburgh in the build-out and operation of the facility, which includes $35 million in capital expenditures, the news release noted. The 172 new full-time employees will be trained and paid more than $105,000 annually within five years of the start of construction.

"ElevateBio's mission is to enable the entire cell and gene therapy industry to accelerate the development of life-saving therapies for many decades to come," David Hallal, chairman and CEO of ElevateBio, said in the news release. "We thank Gov. Wolf for his support and are excited that Pittsburgh will be home to one of our BaseCamp facilities so that we can enable greater access to our next-generation enabling technologies and end-to-end capabilities for local, national, and global scientific innovators."

"The University of Pittsburgh will finance the build-out of the anticipated 80,000-square-foot ElevateBio BaseCamp biomanufacturing facility," according to the news release. The facility will be located at ElevateBio's Pitt BioForge Biomanufacturing Center at Hazelwood Green. 

"Western Pennsylvania is on course to become a leader in both driving and commercializing life sciences discoveries, and we have taken one giant leap forward in realizing this vision today," Patrick Gallagher, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, said in the news release. "The University of Pittsburgh is honored to partner with ElevateBio and the commonwealth on this journey, which will see us leveraging lessons from the lab – in new and exciting ways – for the benefit of the region, research, and humankind."

Mark Anthony Thomas, president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, called Pittsburgh a mecca for innovation in various industries. He said the city is a growing hub in the life sciences field. 

"Pittsburgh is where what's next is happening now," Thomas said in the news release. "... We’re thrilled to welcome ElevateBio to the region – a landmark investment at the convergence of R&D, life sciences, and biotech manufacturing. ElevateBio will be a major anchor at Hazelwood Green. This cutting-edge development is rapidly becoming home to companies and other organizations driving innovation in AI and robotics; high-value, deep-tech enabled manufacturing; and life sciences. Every one of these is shaping the future for not only this region, but for the world, and it's remarkable to say that's happening here in Pittsburgh."

Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive, was excited to welcome ElevateBio to the region. He said he is proud of the city of Pittsburgh's ability to attract life science companies, and the city is fortunate to have the University of Pittsburgh and its medical school as a means of attracting companies like ElevateBio.

"Along with this region's quality of life and investment in innovation, we continue to see businesses choosing Pittsburgh and providing great career opportunities for talent to fill jobs across the ecosystem's pipeline," Fitzgerald said in the news release. "We look forward to all that ElevateBio will do here."