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In San Francisco's Bay Area, Genentech, the largest biotech company in the country, generates executives who are able to advance biotech startups. Boston has the same in Genzyme, another biotech giant. Lacking a homegrown success like those two companies, North Carolina relies on local research and manufacturing operations of out-of-state drug makers such as GlaxoSmithKline and Biogen Idec to replenish the pool of experienced executives.

In the past two years, state recruiters also have zeroed in on attracting drug manufacturing plants with the help of incentives and job training programs. The economic development efforts aim at replacing the more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs North Carolina has lost in the textile, tobacco and furniture industries.

Last week, Gov. Mike Easley gave them a hand.

In only his second economic development mission overseas, Easley met with Irish recruiters to learn how Ireland has been successful in establishing a world-class biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The country's tax incentives, low corporate tax rate and training programs have attracted 170 companies that employ about 35,000.

He also toured the Dublin facilities of drug makers GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth and Bristol-Myers Squibb. GSK and Wyeth have operations in the Triangle. North Carolina is on Bristol-Myers Squibb's short list to build a $660 million drug manufacturing plant.

North Carolina is on the short lists of many drug makers considering expansions. In January, Japanese drug maker Eisai said it would expand in Durham County.

But the state hasn't done as well attracting venture capital.

There's plenty of money available, but North Carolina isn't getting its fair share, said Clay Thorpe, general partner of Hatteras BioCapital, a Durham venture capital firm.

The state receives about $1 in venture capital for every $5 in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Based on NIH funding, Massachusetts' venture capital share is about twice as large as North Carolina's. California's is about four times as large. "We're two to three, maybe four, times underfunded," Thorpe said.

Still, there is movement in the right direction.

Billionaire David Murdock committed to pumping $150 million into a 350-acre health-research campus in Kannapolis. Groundbreaking for the project was in February.

Investors are again willing to take risks with unprofitable startups.

Nationwide, venture funds are looking to put about $40 billion to work, according to the National Venture Capital Association. And firms continue to raise cash, including in the Triangle. Intersouth Parnters and Aurora Funds, both of Durham, are pulling together new funds.

Venture capitalists from all over the country flocked to Pinehurst Resort on Monday to check out North Carolina's 11 hottest young biotech companies at a two-day venture conference. All but one of the companies were based in the Triangle.

And the next generation of startups is spinning out of the Triangle's universities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill created five companies in the past 18 months.

Despite the attention up-and-coming states are getting, it takes a long time to build a biotech hub, said venture capitalist Will Brooke, chairman of Southeast Bio, a nonprofit organization that fosters the growth of the region's life sciences industry. "You've got to be patient." Brooke said.

North Carolina is on the right track, said Thorpe of Hatteras BioCapital. The state just needs some luck, good timing and patient investors. "We have to keep trying," he said. "We have to keep swinging at the ball."

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