Key Industries

Biotech, Science & Technology

Key Industries

Biotech, Science & Technology

Test Tubes on a Rotator for Biotech Companies Research

Key Industries

Biotech, Science & Technology

Delaware’s STEM-Based Industries and Biotech Companies are Among the Strongest in the Nation

While technological innovation occurs in each of Delaware’s key industries, our tech advances span a variety of end use markets, including pharmaceuticals, industrial and agricultural chemicals, medical devices, computer services and more.

Today, the state of Delaware is particularly known for its global leadership in chemical innovation, thanks to our track record of successful Delaware chemical companies such as DUPONT, which has operated in the First State for more than 200 years. In addition, science and technology companies find value in Delaware’s successful research and development environment, which is supported by our collaborative universities, superior research organizations and R&D tax credits available at both the state and federal level.

As a result, Delaware has generated one of the world’s largest talent pools of science and technology expertise, all within easy commuting distance of Wilmington.

Biotech Companies Choose Delaware

Some of the biotech companies thriving in the First State include:

Incyte – A drug discovery and development company focusing on oncology. They began their drug discovery and development activities in early 2002. In late 2011, they received their first US Food and Drug Administration approval for a JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor.

Adesis – A Contract Research Organization supporting the pharmaceutical, chemical, biomaterials, and catalyst industries. They provide expertise in custom synthesis, research and development, and specialty manufacturing.

Resource Links

W. L. Gore & Associates – W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Since 1958, Gore has solved complex technical challenges in demanding environments — from outer space to the world’s highest peaks to the inner workings of the human body. With more than 10,500 Associates and a strong, team-oriented culture, Gore generates annual revenues of $3.7 billion.

Prelude Therapeutics – A privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company designing and developing a pipeline of novel, orally bioavailable, small-molecule therapies that target key drivers of cancer cell growth, survival, and resistance.

Agilent – A leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. The company provides laboratories worldwide with instruments, services, consumables, applications, and expertise.

Featured Testimonial

Entrepreneur Markevis Gideon on how Delaware’s Communities Help Each Other Succeed

Future of Biotech in Delaware

Biotech IS the future of Delaware. From biotech startups and agricultural biotech to research organizations supporting innovation in pharmaceuticals, biomaterials and catalyst industries, Delaware’s vibrant science economy is growing.

Well connected roads, an efficient transportation system and strong legislation that protects intellectual property, have, among other factors, played and continue to play a vital role in influencing biotech companies to choose Delaware.

What works over and above everything else for the biotechnology industry in Delaware is the fact that the First State has a strategic location in the center of the Innovation Corridor (from Washington to New York) and it does not compete in this field with the neighboring states, rather, they all work together as a part of the same region. Added to this are the very experienced ‘retired’ scientists who, with their vast knowledge in biotechnology, assist the firms in tiding overall problems and providing answers to difficult questions.

Delaware Innovation Space

Innovation in Delaware is happening every day in the biotechnology industry. Fueling that innovation is the Delaware Innovation Space launched in 2017 through a partnership between DuPont, the University of Delaware and the State of Delaware. Designed to accelerate science startups in Delaware, this multi-dimensional, resource-rich entrepreneurial science incubator includes state-of-the-art laboratories, business development resources and a group of people with top-notch expertise.

Quick Fact

One out of six U.S. pharmaceutical employees work in the region

Delaware companies successfully collaborate with research and medical institutions to commercialize today’s top drugs.

Quick Fact

Delaware’s biotech R&D workforce concentration is more than 1.5 times the national average

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) recently built a $156 million, 200,000 square-foot building at the University of Delaware’s STAR Campus.

Quick Fact

Chemicals are Delaware’s No. 1 manufacturing sector

Hercules, Ashland, Solenis, W.L. Gore and Associates, Agilent, Incyte, Invista, Axalta and Chemours have all operated at DowDuPont’s $200 million Experimental Station.

Quick Fact

Delaware ranks 9th nationally on the State Technology and Science Index

Our talented workforce of researchers, programmers, engineers and system analysts drives innovation in Delaware.

Notable Employers

Adesis

BASF

Chemours

Dupont

Gore

Incyte

Labware

Solenis

Datwyler

Why Delaware for Your Biotech Company

Delaware is a great place for both existing and emerging biotech companies. Biotechnology is a massive industrial hub and comprises of several areas like biopharmaceuticals, bio-services, bio-agriculture, bioindustry, and bio-IT. The First State contributes to and helps biotechnology companies flourish.

Between 2016 and 2019, 193 bioscience-related patents were assigned to Delaware-based individuals and companies, ranking eighth in the United States on a per capita basis.
Delaware ranked #6 in the nation in concentration of bioscience venture capital investment between 2016-2019.
At nearly 12 times the national average, Delaware has the highest concentration of analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing employment in the United States.
Delaware has a specialized concentration in research, testing, & medical laboratories, with the broader Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden metro region employing more than 26,000 individuals.

There are a lot of opportunities for biotech businesses in the First State as Delaware’s biotechnology capabilities continue to grow and attract businesses and talent worldwide.

“Delaware has a uniquely expansive array of bioscience businesses. Unlike other states, Delaware’s strength is its focus on innovation and its rich diversity of bioscience companies, including precision instrumentation, consumables, recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, contract research organizations and contract manufacturing organizations.” – Helen Stimson, CEO and President of the Delaware BioScience Association