Spartanburg Community College (SCC) has been awarded more than $1.15 million in combined public and private funding to expand workforce training, strengthen innovation infrastructure and accelerate economic development across Spartanburg County and South Carolina.
The investments support development of a state-of-the-art clean room facility at SCC’s Spark Center, positioning the college at the forefront of industry-aligned education while reinforcing its role as a critical talent pipeline for the state’s growing life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.
“These significant awards mark a transformative moment for Spartanburg Community College and the communities we serve,” Dr. Michael Mikota, president of SCC said. “By pioneering advanced infrastructure like the Spark Center’s clean room, we are shaping a new future for our students while simultaneously developing the talent pipeline that will power South Carolina’s next generation of life sciences and the industries of tomorrow.”
SCC’s Spark Center provides nearly 400,000 square feet of adaptable space to support business expansion while ensuring lasting economic impact through commitments that keep jobs, capital investment and permanent facilities rooted in Spartanburg County.
Most recently, SCC has been awarded $776,200 by the South Carolina Department of Commerce through its Site Enhancement Initiative (SEI) to advance development of a state-of-the-art clean room facility at its Spark Center.
This award builds on additional funding support from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Piedmont Natural Gas, reflecting strong multi-partner investment in Spartanburg Community College’s role as a workforce, innovation and economic development leader for South Carolina.
The ARC provided a $247,500 grant to support inclusive economic development by strengthening and diversifying the Appalachian economy through investments in entrepreneurship and business development.
This funding specifically advances life sciences manufacturing ventures that require controlled environments to ensure high-quality production. Within three years of ARC’s grant closeout, the project is expected to support the creation of three new life sciences businesses, while an estimated six unique companies will utilize the clean room for short-term or long-term operations during that same period.
In addition, Piedmont Natural Gas contributed $127,500 to support ancillary costs associated with installing the clean room, further reinforcing multi-sector investment in Spartanburg Community College’s innovation infrastructure.
Together, these investments strengthen SCC’s ability to deliver hands-on, industry-aligned workforce training while positioning the college as a critical driver of talent development for South Carolina’s growing life science industries. The project is supported in collaboration with OneSpartanburg Inc. and Palmetto InnovaSphere.
“This investment enhances the value of the Spark Center as a competitive workforce and innovation asset,” Katherine O’Neill, chief economic development officer for OneSpartanburg, Inc. said. “By expanding specialized infrastructure at SCC, we are supporting talent development while positioning the county to attract and retain innovative companies.”
