Life Sciences in Delaware: Momentum and Opportunity

Life Sciences in Delaware

Momentum and Opportunity

A comprehensive new report on the Delaware life sciences vividly demonstrates the sector’s strength and recent growth, with 11,000 jobs in the field, an economic impact of $2 billion in GDP and a 65% increase in the number of new biotechnology R&D companies formed over the last ten years.

Produced by Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and the Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio), the study, “Life Sciences in Delaware: Momentum and Opportunity,” is the first comprehensive assessment of the breadth, depth and potential of the Delaware life sciences landscape.

The report analyzed five component subsectors capturing the full spectrum of bioscience activity in the state across private sector companies, higher education and nonprofit research institutions: Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics; Research and Development, Testing and Medical Laboratories; Agricultural and Industrial Biosciences; Medical Devices and Equipment; and Supply and Distribution.

Key Findings Include:

Bioscience is a powerful economic driver in Delaware

The life sciences sector employs approximately 11,000 people and directly generates $2 billion in GDP (both 2.5% of total state employment and GDP) along with payrolls of at least $230 million. Learn More

Delaware’s bioscience landscape has transformed in recent years

The number of life sciences operations in Delaware has grown significantly in the past decade — most notably in the biotechnology R&D subindustry with an increase of 65% — and Delaware now ranks 7th nationally for life sciences venture capital funding per capita. Learn More

Delaware draws on a worldclass talent pool in the statewide and regional labor market

Nearly 30% of all biochemists and biophysicists in the U.S. and one in six U.S. pharmaceutical employees works in Delaware’s region. The greater Philadelphia area ranks fourth in life sciences employment nationally, with Delaware employers drawing about one of five employees from across state lines. Learn More

Growth in federal funding has accelerated R&D activity

Since 2000, Delaware’s R&D funding from the National Institutes of Health has more than doubled, and the state is among the top three recipients per capita of funding from the NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program. The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), centered at the University of Delaware, recently opened a $156 million center for R&D and biopharmaceutical workforce training and, in July, received another $153 million in federal grants. Learn More

Delaware is home to an increasing, wide range of degree and training programs

The number of degrees in the life sciences disciplines awarded by Delaware institutions has grown by 64% since 2010. Learn More

Recent developments underscore significant momentum and opportunity for growth areas, including advanced manufacturing

These include the announcement of a several hundred-million-dollar-investment in a new pharmaceutical development and manufacturing facility in Middletown, hundreds of millions dollars more in investment planned for a new science and innovation park at a former DuPont site, a $10 million program supporting the expansion of lab space and one of 2020’s most successful biotech IPOs by a Delaware company. Learn More

Cementing Delaware’s position as a preeminent hub for the life sciences will require clear focus and collaboration across government, higher education and industry

The state is ideally situated to accelerate sector growth with sustained, strategic investment in workforce development, infrastructure and lab space, and improved university-industry engagement and access to capital. Learn More

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“This report confirms the exciting growth, vitality and great potential of Delaware’s life sciences sector, our state has so many unique strengths and advantages within a thriving region. Ensuring Delaware is a top-tier global hub of life sciences research and innovation is essential to both public health and our economic future, and we will continue to invest in its long-term growth.”