Southern Research opens new biotech incubator for startups

Southern Research officially opened its Station 41 biotech incubator for startups on its  Birmingham Southside campus today.

The newly renovated space provides:

• Wet lab space and office space
• Shared lab equipment 
• Services to support biotech startup growth.

Southern Research biotech incubator meets a need

“In the past, Birmingham has lost companies and jobs to other markets because we did not have available commercial wet lab space. With this incubator, we are beginning to meet this need. Under the same roof, we are providing early-stage biotech and pharma companies with unique access to our renowned drug discovery and development capabilities here at Southern Research.”

~ Josh Carpenter, Ph.D., CEO of Southern Research

The incubator space is part of Southern Research’s Station 41 commercialization hub, which includes the Accelerator, the Venture Studio and the Therapeutics Development Fund. Each element exists to help biotech startups with funding, expertise and resources.

12 company capacity — filled by end of 2024

The Station 41 biotech incubator space can fit about 12 companies into the renovated building. Presently four companies have moved in — 3 that are Birmingham-based and one from Austin, Texas. 

Southern Research is targeting companies involved in treating and diagnosing diseases—especially those aligned with the company’s  core focus areas, which include cancer, infectious diseases and chronic diseases.

They expect to be at capacity by the end of 2024.

Lexie Lehmann, Associate Director of Economic Development for Southern Research summed up the importance of the  new biotech incubator for startups this way.

“It’s huge. In the beginning, there were a lot of conversations with local companies and entrepreneurs. Again, and again, we heard that this was a critical need and that the ecosystem needed a space like this that was specifically supporting biotech companies. What at the time was a lot of conversations, a lot of interviews and paperwork is now a real life space. We have four companies and I feel like the fun part is just starting right now.”

~ Lexie Lehmann, Associate Director of Economic Development

Stay tuned

The biotech incubator is just a start. Construction of the new biotech center, which broke ground in May 2023 is well under construction. Once the project is completed, the new center is expected to create 150 new jobs at Southern Research. Construction alone at the state of the art facility will create 1,100 project related jobs and generate $190 million in economic activity.