Life Sciences in New Castle County, DE

Your Life Sciences Ecosystem

Life sciences innovation at the heart of the Mid-Atlantic.

The Chamber recognizes our region’s leadership in the life sciences workforce and is dedicated to establishing our county as a premier global hub for innovation.

New Castle County, isn’t just a place to locate; it’s a strategic gateway. Within a 45-minute drive, your company connects directly to one of the world’s most dynamic life science clusters, allowing you to recruit, collaborate, and compete effectively.

1 hr

Located at the center of the 1-Hour Life Sciences Ecosystem.

2nd

Ranked 2nd for combined effective corporate tax rate for new firms (KPMG/Tax Foundation 2021).

3rd

Ranked 3rd for Best Business Environment (U.S. News & World Report 2024).

Located at the center of the 1-Hour Life Sciences Ecosystem, New Castle County connects you directly to world-class talent, capital, and research assets across the Greater Philadelphia region, transforming access into advantage. With biopharma projected to become Delaware’s highest-value innovation export by 2030, New Castle County is not just keeping pace with the future of life sciences—it’s helping to define it.

Geographic and Logistical Advantages

Site Readiness: Shovel-ready industrial parks and energy-capable sites, including CRISP and STAR Campus, allow companies to scale quickly.

Global Connectivity & Supply Chain Efficiency: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is just 30 minutes away for global freight and travel, while the Port of Wilmington supports cold chain logistics and the Wilmington Airport offers fast regional air transport.

Commuter Draw: Recruit from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Southern New Jersey, expanding your available workforce.

Legacy of Innovation & Enduring Infrastructure: Delaware’s DuPont DNA—from pioneering materials science to the rise of biotechnology—provides a foundation of research parks, lab facilities, and skilled technical workforces that powers today’s biotech revolution.

Access to an Unrivaled Concentration of Talent

Local Anchors: Join a thriving cluster featuring global firms such as AstraZeneca, Incyte, Agilent, and Prelude Therapeutics.

Recent Investment: Merck’s $900M campus investment highlights New Castle County’s growing life sciences ecosystem; WuXi STA’s U.S. manufacturing expansion in Middletown, DE; the continued growth and success of Incyte.

Greater Philadelphia/PA Suburbs: Direct access to Johnson & Johnson, GSK, and Philadelphia’s Cell & Gene Therapy Hub.

New Castle County’s Value Proposition

Here in New Castle County, Delaware’s century-long legacy of corporate excellence meets the dynamic momentum of the Mid-Atlantic corridor, creating a launchpad for life sciences innovation and growth.

We are anchored by four pillars of strength—a business-friendly climate, a specialized workforce pipeline, a robust R&D ecosystem, and exceptional quality of life—New Castle County offers a stable, cost-efficient foundation for companies ready to scale.

Business Friendly Climate

Delaware is engineered for business success. We maximize your investment by combining financial incentives, legal certainty, and a legacy of corporate leadership.

Lowest Total Corporate Tax Burden: Favorable corporate structure with no sales, inventory, or VAT taxes. Ranked 2nd for combined effective corporate tax rate for new firms (KPMG/Tax Foundation 2021) and 3rd for Best Business Environment (U.S. News & World Report 2024).

R&D & Innovation Incentives: Delaware makes your investment in innovation go further.
EDGE Grants: Competitive matching grants up to $25K (Entrepreneur Class) or $100K (STEM Class).
SSBCI: Access to capital for small and early-stage businesses through loans, accelerator funding, and seed capital.
Graduated Lab Space: Supports early-stage or expanding companies, in-state or relocating.

Corporate Law Certainty: Tap into the predictability and stability of the internationally recognized Delaware Court of Chancery, a key reason nearly 67% of Fortune 500 companies incorporate in Delaware and 81% of 2024 IPOs chose Delaware.

Global Corporate Hub & Legacy: Generations of world-leading companies have chosen Delaware for its legal stability, research culture, and talent development. That same tradition of predictability and trust now supports life sciences investment.

Specialized Workforce Pipeline

We don’t just have talent; we have life science-specific talent ready for the demands of biomanufacturing and discovery.

Robust Biopharma Workforce: Delaware’s biopharma cluster, anchored by New Castle County, employs 5,700+ workers, generating $1.1 billion in annual output.

Cutting-Edge Infrastructure: The Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI) houses research laboratories and high-end instrumentation accessible to the entire Delaware life sciences community. New Castle County is also home to the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) at the University of Delaware (UD), positioning the county as a national leader in advanced biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation.

Academic Excellence: UD (R1 research status) graduates 500+ students annually in Biological & Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, not including Chemical Engineering, Data Science, and related fields that support life sciences. Delaware Technical Community College, offering a gene-editing curriculum developed with ChristianaCare, and Wilmington University further strengthen New Castle County’s life sciences talent pipeline.

Targeted Training: BioConnect DE provides industry-driven upskilling and workforce development programs specifically focused on biomanufacturing roles.

Pathways for the Next Generation: Delaware Pathways and New Castle County Vo-Tech provide STEM and life sciences career exposure for high school students.

Robust R&D Ecosystem

New Castle County fosters collaboration between industry, academia, and healthcare to accelerate innovation and drug discovery.

Strong Growth: Delaware’s biopharma R&D growth has outpaced the national rate by more than 2:1 since 2019.

Clinical Research: Access clinical trial and research expertise at the ChristianaCare Health System, including the cutting-edge work done at its Gene Editing Institute.

Strategic Infrastructure: Delaware Technology Park and Delaware Innovation Space (100,000+ sq. ft. lab space at DuPont Experimental Station) support growing companies.

Contract Expertise: A strong heritage in chemical and materials science fuels New Castle County’s specialized ecosystem of CDMOs, CROs, and analytical service providers, including QPS, Adesis, Charles River Laboratories, WuXi STA, and others.

Research Funding & Collaboration: INBRE (Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) expands biomedical research funding and fosters collaboration among Delaware’s universities, hospitals, and research institutions.

Quality of Life & Retention

New Castle County, home to over half of Delaware’s population, embodies a unique culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and heritage. Attract and retain the best talent with a superior quality of life that blends urban convenience, urban comfort, and regional accessibility.

Affordable Living: 27% less expensive than Washington, D.C., 56% less than New York City, 36% less than Boston, largely due to housing costs (Salary.com).

Convenience & Connectivity: Centrally located with easy access to the Wilmington Airport (ILG), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Amtrak (Wilmington), and major interstates for commuting and travel.

Vibrant Community & Culture: Historic museums, a thriving arts scene, and beautiful parks define New Castle County. Wilmington alone features the Grand Opera House, Delaware Museum of Art, the Queen, Brandywine Zoo, minor league baseball and basketball teams, and award-winning culinary destinations.

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