In 2003, a group of University of Maryland officials approached then-mayor Martin O’Malley with a development plan for vacant land along West Baltimore Street, adjacent to University of Maryland, Baltimore’s campus. Today, this ambitious project, the University of Maryland BioPark, boasts nearly three dozen life science companies, ranging from leading global firms to mature companies to early-stage ventures.
In recent years, the BioPark has attracted a cluster of early-stage medical device companies. For these young companies, the BioPark offers something even more important than a corporate headquarters: a location on UMB’s campus and in the heart of Maryland’s biomed ecosystem.
“The real magnet to coming to our research park is the University of Maryland, Baltimore,” said UM BioPark Executive Director Jane Shaab. “As a leading academic medical center, the quality and scope of research going on here is what companies want to access.”