The University City Science Center: An Engine of Economic Growth for Greater Philadelphia

Growing yesterday’s industrial manufacturing economy demanded roads, bridges, and rail to move goods and finished products. Growing today’s knowledge economy demands a new sort of infrastructure to bring together the ideas and people that drive innovation. The University City Science Center has played this role in Philadelphia for nearly a half-century, accelerating technology commercialization and the market availability of life-enhancing scientific breakthroughs by bringing together innovations, scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and business service providers into a gathering place.

This report focuses on the impact of the Science Center’s incubation services on the Greater Philadelphia region’s economy by looking at the companies and organizations that received incubator services and other early-stage businesses that received a benefit from being located at the Science Center as they grew.