The Science Center in Philadelphia announced on October 12, 2026 that it has been selected to administer the Mid-Atlantic Biomanufacturing Scale-Up Cluster (MABSC), one of the U.S. Small Business Administration‘s newest Regional Innovation Clusters. The cluster will help emerging biotech and biomanufacturing companies bridge the gap between promising science and qualified domestic production, so that critical manufacturing capacity is built in the U.S. rather than offshore.
“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 and CEO of the Science Center.
A 36-County Biomanufacturing Corridor
The MABSC 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 cluster aligns with the Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership’s identification of Biomedical Engineering and Production as a priority industry for the region.
NIIMBL as Anchor Partner
The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), headquartered at the University of Delaware, will serve as the cluster’s anchor partner. NIIMBL will help develop the cluster’s biomanufacturing readiness curriculum and provide 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 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 of NIIMBL.
Keeping Founders in Philadelphia
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 start, place, and build the next generation of biotech companies in the city. “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.
“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 Philadelphia-based catalyst of entrepreneurial activity, healthcare innovation, and economic growth. It has supported hundreds of early- and growth-stage companies, driving a combined $7.6 billion in annual economic impact in Greater Philadelphia, and delivers nationally recognized STEM education to Philadelphia youth, including its FirstHand program.
About NIIMBL
NIIMBL is a public-private partnership working to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing, and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce. It is part of Manufacturing USA and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with significant additional support from its members.
