Texas Life-sciences Collaboration Center plans to break ground on second building in June

DisperSol Technologies, a TLCC member company, is one of the companies that require the FDA-approved production space as it moves into clinical trials.

The company is developing a method to take non-water soluble medicines that typically must be injected and compound its molecules with water-soluble molecules to allow patients to take the medication orally.

"[This building is] a very, very important step in retaining a company that will deliver real value to Georgetown in terms of a workforce that is generating high wages for taxes and spending those dollars here in Georgetown. These are not minimum-wage jobs but high-wage jobs that are created through the expansion and development of these companies in this kind of space," Douglas said. "Bio manufacturing is new to the area, and one of those [industries] where we hope to create a critical mass in this area to attract other companies."

Douglas said the center's goal is to continue to bring other companies to Georgetown and eventually create a research park concept in Georgetown's southern industrial area.

"We think that Georgetown presents a compelling case not only to grow companies organically but also to recruit like companies from outside the state," Douglas said. "This is actually sort of an intermediate step to a buildout of a research park concept here in the south industrial park area. Hopefully, we would like to attract other biotechnology companies that would want to come and populate our park and bring more high wage jobs to the city."