Cell & Gene Therapy Hub
Making the region a top global cell and gene therapy hub
The following Phase 1 recommendations emerged from the discussion and discovery sessions held from June 15 to July 21, 2020. Task Force members, divided into industry subcommittees and supported by extensive research from McKinsey & Company, brainstormed tactics with the most potential to quickly and equitably return our region to its pre-pandemic GDP and position it for success beyond.
Five aspirations emerged during this process which now forms the framework for Recharge & Recover PHL’s short- and medium-term actions. Among these aspirations is the idea that Greater Philadelphia can become a top global cell and gene therapy hub.
QUICK LINKS
Progress as of June 14, 2021
- Select and the CEO Council are working on an account-based marketing campaign that will generate cell and gene therapy company leads through e-mail marketing and LinkedIn targeting. This campaign will serve as a basis for company recruitment from priority markets such as Boston, San Francisco, New York City, and Europe. The campaign is focused on 250+ companies and has already generated several new leads.
- In response to a 2020 study predicting substantial job growth in the cell and gene therapy sector in Greater Philadelphia, the Chamber kicked off its Life Science Talent Pipeline Collaborative in September 2021, which has identified jobs critical to the future growth of the industry. Collaborative members are driving the effort to identify the most critical jobs to the future growth of the industry and are working together to identify and act on collective solutions.
- We have developed a paid social media campaign to target and attract cell and gene therapy talent with a talent ambassador video series in design.
- Through Select and the CEO Council, we have enhanced our messaging efforts through in- and out-of-market earned and owned media, consistent communications about our assets, open-source communications tools, and our shared messaging platform—DiscoveryStartsHerePHL:
- The CEO Council’s Cell and Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative has developed a toolkit of key messages and supporting points designed to resonate with relevant audiences, including investors, customers, talent, expanding companies, members of the media, and others.
- Since July 1, 2020, Select has engaged with 13 new life sciences leads and prospects considering the Greater Philadelphia Region for its business expansion or relocation.
- A tangible result of our collaborative marketing efforts and regional progress is the rise in rankings—or appearance for the first time—in several “top” lists, including ranking 7th on Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News’ (GEN) top 10 list of biopharma clusters, ranking 20th on Hickey and Associates list of Top 25 Global Innovation Hubs in 2020, and ranking 6th in JLL’s Life Sciences Real Estate Outlook for 2020 (up from 8th in 2019).
Ongoing & Upcoming Actions
- A 10-month account-based marketing campaign began in the fall of 2020 to ensure a continuous, multi-channel approach to highlighting our region’s strengths and opportunities for the life sciences sector. The campaign has been targeting a pre-qualified list of over 260 cell and gene therapy companies from top markets, including Boston, the Bay Area, New York, Southern California, and Europe. This campaign will continue with a refreshed target list and the addition of in-person meetings and outreach tactics as people return to offices and trade shows after the height of the pandemic.
- The Life Science Talent Pipeline Collaborative now consists of 19 companies working together to bolster the region’s pipeline for future life sciences talent. With an emphasis on meeting the needs of the cell and gene therapy sector, this employer-led group works toward their goals of fostering collaboration between employers and training providers to diversify and upskill regional talent, driving awareness of and interest in careers among current and future job seekers, and ensuring supply of talent for in-demand jobs.
- Our Cell and Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative recognizes Greater Philadelphia’s leadership in several of the fastest-growing subsectors of the health care industry and is designed to leverage our specialized assets to accelerate growth. It prioritizes Greater Philadelphia being recognized as the global hub of research, talent, capital, and companies in cell and gene therapy, gene editing, and connected health. The Cell & Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative is supported by 11 partner companies, institutions, and universities in the Greater Philadelphia region.
- Cell and Gene Therapy Talent Attraction: We also piloted a paid LinkedIn campaign targeting specific audiences by education and job title with messages about the accessibility, livability, and affordability of the Greater Philadelphia region. We began producing a new talent attraction marketing tactic, “Discovery Starts with Me,” a storytelling-based video campaign featuring young employees who share what they love about working in our region’s cell and gene therapy companies and living in Greater Philadelphia. So far, we have produced three videos where we hear from:
- Darshil Patel, Associate Principal Scientist at Cabaletto Bio
- Audrey Greenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at the Center for Breakthrough Medicines
- Mohamed Aziz, Director of Planning and Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls (CMC) Project Management at Passage Bio
- Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Expanding on the commitment to promote the region as a hub for cell and gene therapy, we engaged leading economic development marketing firm, Development Counsellors International (DCI), to promote our region to cell and gene therapy company executives through an account-based marketing lead generation campaign. The 10-month campaign began in the fall of 2020, ensuring a continuous, multi-channel approach to highlighting our region’s strengths and opportunities for this sector. The campaign has been targeting a pre-qualified list of 420 executive-level contacts at over 260 cell and gene therapy companies from top markets, including Boston, the Bay Area, New York, Southern California, and Europe. In FY22, this campaign will continue with a refreshed target list and the addition of in-person meetings and outreach tactics as people return to offices and trade shows after the height of the pandemic.
TAKE THE PHL PLEDGE
Commit to information sharing, reskilling, buying from small, Black-, brown-, and locally-owned businesses, and advocating for a business recovery agenda at the federal, state, and local levels.
News & Perspectives
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia Welcomes Bonduelle Americas Philadelphia Growth Hub, Projecting Over 100 Jobs
French food industry leader selects Greater Philadelphia for its North American Growth Hub
CTIBIOTECH to Establish North American Headquarters in Greater Philadelphia, Bringing 35 Biotech Jobs
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia Played a Key Role in Guiding the French Biotech Company to Select Greater Philadelphia
TerraPower Isotopes Selects Greater Philadelphia’s Bellwether District for $450 Million Flagship Facility
Life sciences company TerraPower Isotopes has announced a $450 million investment to establish a cancer-fighting radioisotope manufacturing facility in Greater Philadelphia’s Bellwether District. The Chamber is proud to have played a role in TerraPower Isotopes’ location decision by positioning Greater Philadelphia as a competitive destination for cutting-edge investment and innovation.
