Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker (center) presents a $7.9 million check from the Commonwealth to Dr. Timothy Block, HBF President (left) and Dr. Thomas Leamer, Former President of Delaware Valley College (right) on January 7, 2003.
PA Governor Ed Rendell approved the Commonwealth award to the Foundation and College after his inauguration on January 21, 2003.
The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County is the result of a unique partnership between the Hepatitis B Foundation and Delaware Valley College. Its creation was funded in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In 2001, former Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker jointly awarded $7.9 million to the Hepatitis B Foundation and Delaware Valley College towards the development of a biotechnology center in Bucks County, Pennsylvania – the first of its kind. As his last official act in office, the state award represented an enormous opportunity for the two nonprofit organizations to work together as partners with a common vision: to stimulate the biotechnology community, so new companies and ideas will be launched, and relationships networked.
The Foundation and College originally planned to build an entirely new facility, but fortuitously was given an opportunity to purchase an empty 62,000 square foot warehouse fated for abandonment. The building, which once employed more than 100 workers, was renovated to create state-of-the-art research labs and offices to house nonprofit research organizations and biotech companies under one roof. By using an existing structure, the need for new construction was avoided and spared almost 10 acres of open space!
The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County is home to the Hepatitis B Foundation and its research institute, the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research, as well as other nonprofit “mission oriented” research organizations, such as the Drexel Institute for Biotechnology, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Classroom space will be utilized by Delaware Valley College to provide educational opportunities for its students.
The Center is truly unique with its wealth of resources and core group of nonprofit scientists and educators motivated to work collaboratively with their commercial colleagues on common research themes.
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