By all accounts, an announcement held at the New Iberia Research Center Tuesday evening marked the beginning of a new economic industry in Iberia Parish that will impact the entire world.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette representatives along with Iberia Parish and state legislative representatives came together to announce nearly $50 million in state funding to expand the NIRC and create a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at Progress Point in what Iberia Parish President Larry Richard said would form “the biopharmaceutical corridor” of Louisiana.

UL Lafayette Dean Joseph Savoie, who was also present for the announcement, said both projects will have a lasting impact on the economic future of Iberia Parish, creating hundreds of jobs in the area.

Known affectionately to many Iberia Parish residents as the “monkey farm,” the NIRC is one of the largest primate research centers in the country and has been instrumental in global health issues including the creation of the Pfizer vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The research center played a pivotal role in the development of the Pfizer vaccine, and this life saving measure was delayed for three months because final testing could not occur in this level 2 facility,” Savoie said. “With this investment we will become a level 3 facility and that problem will be a thing of the past.”

With the expansion and creation of a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, Savoie said a drug will be able to be researched, tested and manufactured to the marketplace all within a five mile radius within Iberia Parish.

UL Vice President of Research Dr. Ramesh Kolluru said the creation of a business incubator accelerate that will aid the next generation of startup companies in biotechnology will also be created, which will see Iberia Parish become a pivotal spot for the biotechnology industry.

“These projects can bring something that we’ve never imagined here to Iberia Parish,” Richard said.

State funding that has been committed to the projects include $22 million to the drug manufacturing facility and $25 million to the expansion of the research center.

Many echoed throughout the presentation that the funding could not have been made possible without the Acadiana state delegation, who were supportive of both projects and also happened to reside in key legislative positions across the House and Senate to make the funding appropriations possible.

State Sen. Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, said the projects were a top priority for the Acadiana delegation this past legislative session. Whether it was State Reps. Stuart Bishop and Beau Beaullieu guiding the bill in the House or State Sens. Brett Allain, Fred Mills and Stuart Boudreaux working in the Senate, the bill was guided by local representatives who were committed to seeing the biopharmaceutical upgrade in Iberia Parish, Cortez said.