Life Science Companies Cite Talent as Key Benefit to Choosing Philadelphia Navy Yard Site Selection
By Chris Frew | September 27, 2023
The Navy Yard in South Philadelphia has become one of the most successful revitalization projects in US history and has attracted both talent and leading biotech manufacturing companies as anchors to its success. It has transformed into a vibrant riverfront community, boasting a population of over 15,000 residents, hosting 150 companies, and offering 20 acres of beautiful parks, dining options, and public art. The Navy Yard caters to a diverse range of businesses, both big and small, global and startup. It fosters a unique community where individuals and companies collaborate in a flexible, customizable, and often unconventional environment.
Moderated by Ensemble, Director Leasing and Development, Nelson Way, a recent Philly BuildsBio+ panel discussion hosted several companies who call the Navy Yard home to discuss the various factors that influenced their decision to locate and grow their companies there. Talent, location, and manufacturing.
The Philly BuildsBio+ panelists included:
- Sumit Verma, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Manufacturing
- David Chang, WuXi App Tech (Advanced Therapies Group), President and Chief Technology Officer
- Ben Pascal, Invisible Sentinel, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer
- John Lunger, Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc, Chief Patient Supply Officer
David Chang of WuXi App Tech discussed their decision to select the Navy Yard location. It was able to provide them the real estate footprint they needed to build their cell therapy manufacturing operation at a reasonable operating cost. But he reiterated an underlying thread that guides their decisions, “for us, it’s all about talent.”
“Whether you’re an R&D operation, a PD operation or manufacturing, being located at the Navy Yard I can guarantee that you can attract talent,” Chang touted. “Attracting the talent is so important to build in your capacity very quickly and cost-effectively as a contract service organization. In this location we can quickly bring talent, especially young talent. Young people love it. That’s why I think all this together really makes the Navy Yard such a great location, not only for now, but also for our future.”
Cell therapy companies like WuXi, especially in the autologous space, have a labor-intensive operation where companies must make several thousand patient therapies per year. This level of throughput requires companies to hire 500 to 700 people, so location really matters. Companies need to know that their location can attract talent, especially young adults who account for a large part of the workforce.
Emphasizing these points even further was Sumit Verma, Iovance Biotherapeutics’ Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Manufacturing. For Verma, the Navy Yard provides the critical necessities that their employees and their families look for; such as green spaces, a good community and the ability to enjoy some of these amenities without having to drive 40 minutes away.
“30% of our staff are using all of these kinds of benefits that are now around us, even after work,” Verma shared. “Some people just visit to enjoy their Philly home games and take advantage of the restaurants, the hotel, and all that is here; and it’s such a big factor for them and for us as we think about it.”
Invisible Sentinel is a homegrown Philly company. Co-founder Ben Pascal shared how the Navy Yard played a critical part in their company’s evolution. The company started at the University City Science Center back in 2006 and continued to grow within the city where they built their headquarters and manufacturing for their industrial biotechnology diagnostic test kits.
In 2019 the company was acquired by Biomerioux, an international company with clients and other manufacturing sites all over the world; including in Research Triangle, North Carolina, Chicago and Paolo Alto in the US. Pascal shared that it probably would have been easier for the new French owners to close down production and just keep the R&D in the city, but move manufacturing to another site. Fortunately, the value in staying close to Philadelphia was just as important.
“Our workforce was here and Philly’s been great at giving us the ability to attract new talent,” shared Pascal. “We looked at multiple spaces in the suburbs, but the Navy Yard is where we ultimately found the right fit. We’re headed there this April.”
With the release of the 2022 Navy Yard Plan, the development is set for further expansion over the next two decades. This plan aims to facilitate equitable growth by bringing in an estimated 12,000 new jobs, constructing 8.9 million square feet of mixed-use buildings, and attracting $6 billion in new investments.
As the site continues to grow, the ability to attract and retain talent remains core to why companies are finding value in their Navy Yard site selection.
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Over the past 11 years, Chris has grown BioBuzz into a respected brand that is recognized for its community building, networking events and news stories about the local biotech industry. In addition, he runs a Recruiting and Marketing Agency that helps companies attract top talent through a blended model that combines employer branding and marketing services together with a high powered recruiting solution.
