INDIANAPOLIS (August 12, 2026) – BioCrossroads today announced the charter members of Indiana’s Life Sciences Industry Talent Association (ITA), an employer-led body that will help define occupational standards and build industry-aligned training pathways for the state’s growing life sciences sector.
Ten employers – three founding members, Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis, and RayzeBio, a Bristol Myers Squibb Company, and seven members, Boston Scientific, Elanco, Evonik, INCOG BioPharma Services, Stevanato Group, Simtra BioPharma Solutions, and BioConverence LLC dba Singota Solutions – have joined the Life Sciences ITA, united by a shared commitment to ensuring Indiana has the skilled workforce its life sciences industry needs to grow, compete, and continue leading the nation.
BioCrossroads serves as the designated ITA for life sciences within the Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP), a statewide, employer-led education and training pathway that connects classroom learning with paid, on-the-job training beginning in high school and continuing into adult career advancement. Through INCAP, the various industry-specific ITAs give employers within specific sectors a direct role in identifying priority occupations, defining the skills and competencies those roles require, and shaping the training programs that education and workforce partners deliver.
“Indiana is a critical part of the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing and building that future requires building upon the investments in facilities and technologies to train a highly skilled workforce prepared to support the safe, reliable production of medicines for patients,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president, manufacturing operations, Eli Lilly and Company. “The Life Sciences ITA gives large and small employers a direct role in shaping the training pathways needed to prepare that workforce, creating new opportunities for Hoosiers while strengthening Indiana’s leadership in life sciences manufacturing.”
The Life Sciences ITA’s first priority occupation is a Life Sciences Operator, a foundational role responsible for supporting pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing production environments. Life Sciences Operators help monitor and maintain the equipment used to manufacture medicines in highly regulated settings, ensuring processes meet rigorous quality and safety standards. The role is accessible to candidates with a high school diploma, making it a meaningful entry point into the sector with well-paying wages and clear pathways for career advancement. The Life Sciences ITA plans to launch pilot apprenticeship opportunities for this role in fall 2027.
“Ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent is key to Novartis’s global workforce strategy and we are proud to be part of bringing Swiss-style apprenticeships to Indiana,” said Rheyan Cader, global head of people & organization, RLT operations / U.S. operations P&O head, Novartis. “As Indiana’s life sciences sector continues to grow, partnerships like this are essential to expanding access to meaningful career pathways and developing the skilled talent needed to support advanced manufacturing, innovation, and long-term industry growth.”
The announcement comes at a moment of significant momentum for Indiana’s life sciences sector and its identity as BioHeartland – the bioscience ecosystem connecting human health, animal health, and plant science innovation across the full journey to invent, make and move life-changing products. Indiana is the nation’s top exporter of life sciences and pharmaceutical products and home to more than 3,300 life sciences establishments employing approximately 70,000 Hoosiers. Together, these companies and their employees generate more than $100 billion in annual economic activity. Demand for skilled talent, including entry-level production and manufacturing roles, continues to outpace supply. Industry projections estimate a need for 2,400 to 3,700 new biomanufacturing employees per year over the next decade in Indiana alone.
“Indiana’s life sciences sector is strong and enjoying tremendous growth. To sustain that growth depends in large part on a workforce pipeline built around the needs of employers,” said Melanie Vuynovich, senior director of life sciences at BioCrossroads, and the leader of the Life Sciences ITA. “The Life Sciences ITA gives industry leaders a direct role in defining what workforce readiness means for life sciences occupations, from the skills required on day one to the training models needed for long-term career growth. As BioHeartland continues to attract global investment and industry growth, developing and retaining world-class talent remains critical to the region’s long-term competitiveness and economic vitality.”
The Life Sciences ITA will operate within Indiana’s growing life sciences workforce ecosystem and through affiliations with other workforce initiatives such as BioTrain, the biomanufacturing training effort established through the Heartland BioWorks Tech Hub, a $51 million project supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and led by the Applied Research Institute in collaboration with BioCrossroads, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College, and Employ Indy. BioTrain will participate in the Life Sciences ITA to coordinate respective efforts to align training curricula, share employer-defined competency standards, and expand the pipeline of job-ready talent for Indiana’s life sciences and biomanufacturing industries.
Life sciences companies operating in Indiana, or those considering a presence in the state, are encouraged to join the Life Sciences ITA. ITA Membership gives organizations a direct voice in creating and defining the occupational pathways and standards that will shape Indiana’s next generation of life sciences talent. To learn more or express interest in joining, contact BioCrossroads at biocrossroads.com/incap.
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About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads is a catalyst for Indiana’s diverse and growing life sciences industry, supporting collaboration, expertise, and investments that fuel innovation and transform global health. An initiative of the CEOs of Corporate Partnership (CICP), BioCrossroads advances Indiana’s signature strengths in the life sciences by connecting corporate, academic, and philanthropic partners; facilitating investments in promising startups; building new enterprises; and educating through conferences, reports, and market insights. For more information, visit biocrossroads.com.
About INCAP
The Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) is a statewide initiative that creates new pathways for high school students and adults to train for in-demand careers while helping Indiana employers build the talent pipelines they need to grow. The INCAP Apprenticeship Program (INCAP AP) offers multi-year apprenticeships beginning in high school, combining classroom learning with paid on-the-job training. The INCAP Career Program (INCAP CP) offers industry-led programs for adults. Both programs are anchored by Industry Talent Associations, employer-led bodies that define the occupations, skills, and training needed to meet current and future workforce demand. This work is supported by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. For more information, visit indianacap.org.