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AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Merck commit $120m to Virginia pharma training
October 31, 2025
Pharma companies and state entities signed MOU to develop training center
Pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly & Co. and Merck & Co. have committed a cumulative $120 million to develop a workforce training center for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing in Central Virginia.
The companies, each of which is planning to build manufacturing facilities in Virginia; the state government, including Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp.; and multiple Virginia colleges and universities entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish the center, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed at an event announcing the partnership on Friday.
Dubbed the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, the workforce development training program will offer stackable credentials and degree pathways from technician certifications to advanced degrees. Each year, 2,000 to 2,500 Virginians will graduate from the center with a degree or credential, Youngkin said.
Read the full story on this new pharma training center here.
