Athens-Clarke County has been designated as a gold level BioReady Community by the state’s leading life sciences membership organization, Georgia Bio. By doing so, Athens-Clarke County became the first county in the State of Georgia to receive this certification. To receive this distinction, communities must meet certain criteria and be able to support the growing biotech industry. This distinctive honor was presented to Athens-Clarke County March 28, 2024.

Georgia Bio launched the BioReady Community program in Georgia with the support from the non-profit’s partners at MassBio, a global life sciences and healthcare organization dedicated to advancing Massachusetts’ position in the life sciences. With a goal of helping local communities connect with leading life sciences industry representatives, Georgia Bio replicated the MassBio rating system program to determine a municipality’s readiness to host biotechnology facilities based on the community’s zoning practices and infrastructure capacity.

“Given our recent efforts with private and public partners alike, and our firm belief that life science will remain a cornerstone of our local economy, we are delighted at this designation.” said Mayor Kelly Girtz.

As the state’s largest and most influential life sciences advocacy and business leadership organization, Georgia Bio works to improve access to innovative technologies and grow Georgia’s life sciences economy.

The BioReady^® rating system rates communities in three tiers from Bronze to Silver to Gold. Through these BioReady^® ratings, Georgia Bio seeks to provide cities and towns a platform to effectively tell their stories to the biotechnology industry, ultimately helping real estate developers and biotechnology companies find the most favorable destinations to locate.

“The life sciences sector in Georgia continues to grow at a rapid pace, which means the need for BioReady^® sites is continually increasing, and I am proud of the work that Athens-Clarke County has put in to get here,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Bio. “This news could not be timelier as Meissner Corp., a life sciences organization that specializes in microfiltration and pharmaceutical products, recently announced plans to build a $250 million campus in Athens-Clarke County. The BioReady program allows municipalities like Athens-Clarke County to showcase biotech-zoned science parks, streamline permitting, build a robust infrastructure, and identify biotech-friendly sites more effectively, making them an easy choice for industry.”

Learn more on the Georgia Bio’s BioReady Communities website.