But these are only the latest in a substantial list of additions to the First State’s pool of bioscience facilities. Many leading pharmaceutical companies call Delaware and the surrounding area home, and all are committed to collaborating with research and medical institutions to develop and bring to market new medicines, diagnostic products and medical devices.
That’s a lot going on for such a small state. But what Delaware lacks in square mileage, it makes up for with a close-knit business and research community, said John Koh, director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.
“We’re so good at forming collaborations in Delaware,” Koh said. “Whether we’re trying to get through regulatory hurdles, trying to find investors or trying to connect with different scientific expertise, we all know each other in this community, so it’s always easy to find what we need. That’s how Delaware competes on the world stage.”
Attracting life sciences firms are the many resources available in the region, the abundant universities and a robust population of degreed scientists and researchers. Just among life sciences disciplines at Delaware institutions, the number of life sciences degrees awarded has grown by 64% since 2010.
Of all biochemists and biophysicists in the United States, 30% work in the Delaware region, with the same area claiming one in six of all U.S. pharmaceutical employees. The greater Philadelphia area, of which Delaware’s New Castle County is a part, ranks fourth in life sciences employment nationally, with about one in five of Delaware’s life sciences employees crossing state lines to work in the state, according to DPP.