(Photo by Cascade Business News)
Bend’s economic identity is evolving. Long recognized for outdoor recreation, tourism, and quality of life, the region is now strengthening its position as a major player in bioscience and advanced manufacturing.
In 2026, that shift is becoming increasingly visible through tangible investments in facilities, workforce, and infrastructure. The transformation is most notably evident at Juniper Ridge, where new large-scale development is helping redefine what Central Oregon can support.
“The continued expansion of Bend’s bioscience sector highlights the region’s growing role in this vital industry. These high-quality jobs are increasing in both scale and scope, and the region is also playing a part in the reshoring of commercial drug manufacturing,” said Don Myll, Bend area director at Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO).
One driver of the growth is Serán Bioscience, whose continued expansion illustrates both the momentum of the sector and its long-term potential. The company’s newly unveiled commercial manufacturing facility, along with adjacent warehouse and supply chain infrastructure, represents not only a substantial real estate footprint but also a signal that Bend can support the full lifecycle of pharmaceutical innovation; from early-stage development to FDA-approved commercial production.
Bend bioscience companies, including Lonza, Serán, Thermo-Fisher Scientific and Grace Bio-Labs, often offer high-wage jobs that attract specialized talent, add diversity to the regional economy, and create ripple effects across construction, logistics, professional services, and industrial development.
Job Creation and Economic Diversification
The most immediate and visible impact of bioscience expansion in Bend is job creation, particularly in advanced manufacturing and technical fields. These are typically career-track jobs requiring specialized training and offering long-term stability.
EDCO’s Myll noted: “Serán’s new manufacturing facility will help to support family wage and above positions with career pathways. As the facility scales, it is expected to add a significant number of highly skilled manufacturing jobs on top of the company’s existing workforce. These types of jobs help diversify the local economy and create long term stability.”
“Looking at employment levels in the biotech and medical industries, Deschutes County’s biotech and medical industries have grown rapidly in the past decade. Employment in Deschutes County’s biotech and medical industries almost doubled from 2014 to 2024,” said Jake Procino, workforce analyst/economist at the Oregon Employment Department (OED).
According to OED data, employment in bioscience-related companies has increased 22 percent since 2019. Bioscience-type companies used to calculate this growth include pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing, medical and testing laboratories, and biotech research and development companies.
EDCO’s Myll added: “This project also reinforces Bend’s growing role as a bioscience hub. With companies like Serán expanding into commercial scale manufacturing, Bend is no longer just a place for early stage or satellite operations. The region is increasingly capable of supporting the full lifecycle of bioscience work, from research through production, which broadens and strengthens Bend’s economic identity.”
That shift from satellite operations to full lifecycle capability is key. It signals to other bioscience firms, investors, and site selectors that Bend is a viable location for core operations.
Juniper Ridge and the Strategy Behind Growth
The physical footprint of this growth is most visible at Juniper Ridge, where industrial development is accelerating. The Serán Triton commercial manufacturing facility alone is approximately 50,000 square feet, with an additional adjacent 50,000-square-foot warehouse designed to support operations. That is in addition to the company’s existing campus on Empire Avenue, which encompasses nine buildings and approximately 90,000 square feet.
These numbers reflect more than corporate expansion; they reflect years of strategic planning by local leaders.
“There are also important secondary economic impacts,” Myll notes. “Facilities like this generate demand for construction, engineering, logistics, professional services, suppliers, and ongoing operations support. Juniper Ridge is beginning to show how industrial development can ripple outward into the wider economy. Credit is due to the City (of Bend) for its strategic decision to make large tracts of industrial land available there as a way to intentionally spur economic development. That strategy is clearly starting to pay off.”
Serán’s new facility will include advanced technologies designed to improve medicinal performance, including commercial spray drying, tableting and capsules, special coatings, extruding, milling, and blending. The Juniper Ridge site also includes an additional 14 acres designated for future expansion, underscoring that the current investment is part of a longer-term trajectory.
Beyond jobs and facilities, Bend’s growing role in bioscience intersects with a broader national conversation about supply chains and reshoring. The United States has faced increasing pressure to bring more pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity back onshore, both for economic and national security reasons.
“Even as companies weather economic uncertainty, their long-term commitment to workforce development remains clear,” said Liisa Bozinovic, executive director of Oregon Life Sciences, an industry trade organization. Her agency participated in a recent report produced by the National Biotechnology Education Center, which captures an evolving talent landscape across the U.S. life sciences sector.
“This report illustrates a new era in workforce dynamics—where slower overall growth is paired with opportunity in key areas, growing emphasis on upskilling, and a shift toward technology-integrated roles,” Bozinovic said.
After a period of intense hiring post-pandemic, industry employment saw a slight contraction in 2024. Yet major companies have announced more than $200 billion in new domestic manufacturing and R&D investments, suggesting robust long-term potential. Companies are also investing more in continuous training, internal mobility, and performance-based credentialing to meet evolving skill needs, especially in manufacturing and regulatory roles.
As 2026 unfolds, Bend’s bioscience sector is no longer emerging, it is established and accelerating. With expanding facilities, growing headcounts, advanced technical capabilities, and increasing national relevance, the region is positioning itself as a dedicated bioscience hub in the Pacific Northwest.
