PHILADELPHIA, PA — October 12, 2026 — Following last week's announcement by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) of its newest Regional Innovation Clusters, the Science Center has been selected to administer the Mid-Atlantic Biomanufacturing Scale-Up Cluster (MABSC). The cluster directly aligns with the Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership's identification of Biomedical Engineering and Production as a priority industry for the region and will support those efforts across Greater Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic.
The MABSC will help emerging biotech and biomanufacturing companies bridge the gap between promising science and qualified domestic production, so that critical capacity is built here rather than offshore. It will serve a 36-county corridor spanning Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, one of the nation's densest concentrations of life sciences research and manufacturing.
The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), the nation's premier biopharmaceutical manufacturing institute, headquartered in the region at the University of Delaware, will serve as the cluster's anchor partner. NIIMBL will support the development of the cluster's biomanufacturing readiness curriculum and provide biomanufacturing-readiness validation and pressure-testing of small-business solutions before companies commit capital to expansion.
"A secure, domestic supply of medicines is a matter of national security. Too much of the manufacturing behind America's medicines happens overseas, and small companies are where much of the innovation that can change that begins. By enabling manufacturing readiness before these companies scale, the MABSC will strengthen domestic biomanufacturing capacity and help build a more resilient supply chain, right here in the Mid-Atlantic," said Kelvin H. Lee, Director, NIIMBL.
The MABSC is also part of the Science Center's growing alignment with CIC Labs + Innovation Campus in Philadelphia, connecting Science Center programs with CIC to incept, place, and build the next generation of biotech companies in Philadelphia. “Together, we're giving founders more reasons to build and stay in Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic," said Sarajane Blair, General Manager at CIC Labs + Innovation Campus.
"The Science Center is committed to collaborating with partners across the region to move Greater Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic forward, and to ensure science and technology are directly impacting and improving lives. The MABSC is a powerful opportunity to do exactly that, helping the region's most promising companies grow and keeping that capacity and those jobs here," said Kerry Benson, Interim President & CEO of the Science Center.
“Pennsylvania's innovation economy is built on assets like our world-class research institutions, our skilled workforce, and organizations like the Science Center and NIIMBL. The Mid-Atlantic Biomanufacturing Scale-Up Cluster shows what's possible when we build on those strengths,” said Rick Siger, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. “This is an excellent example of the kind of innovation and growth the Shapiro Administration is trying to foster across Pennsylvania – and we are going to continue to invest in innovation, through programs like Innovate in PA 2.0, to ensure companies born from that research can grow, create jobs, and stay right here in the Commonwealth.”
Small businesses, founders, manufacturers, investors, and ecosystem partners interested in joining the MABSC can learn more at sciencecenter.org/mabsc.
About the Science Center
The Science Center is a premier catalyst of entrepreneurial activity, healthcare innovation, and economic growth. Recognized by The Brookings Institution as a top-tier investor, mentor, and economic development partner, the Science Center has supported hundreds of early- and growth-stage companies, driving a combined $7.6B in annual economic impact in Greater Philadelphia alone. Today, the organization works across the globe to accelerate the translation of health innovations into real-world solutions, while delivering nationally recognized STEM education to Philadelphia youth. For more information, visit sciencecenter.org.
About NIIMBL
The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry. NIIMBL is part of Manufacturing USA®, a network of federally-sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes, and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce with significant additional support from its members.
About CIC
Tim Rowe founded CIC in 1999 with a single 2,700 square-foot location in Kendall Square’s Clock Tower Building, located at 238 Main Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He saw a need for flexible space for the budding entrepreneurs coming out of the MIT Sloan School of Management.
What began with a small coworking space in Kendall Square has expanded to a global network of innovation campuses, consulting services, and innovation ecosystem activation programs with presence across North America, Europe, and Asia.
