Government Leaders Call for Expanded Biotech Workforce Development, Private-Public Partnerships to Unleash Biotechnology Innovation
Public-private partnerships like NIIMBL are needed to strengthen the U.S. biotechnology industry beyond the capabilities of our strategic adversaries
22 April 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Newark, Delaware – Today, Commissioners from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), along with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Representative Sarah McBride (D-DE), visited the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) to see firsthand how government and industry partnerships drive excellence in innovation and workforce development.
Following the recent release of the Biotech Commission’s report on strengthening the biotechnology industry, Commissioners toured NIIMBL’s state-of-the-art facility and participated in a roundtable discussion on the value of a public-private partnership model to accelerate workforce development for a future growth industry like biotechnology.
NIIMBL is a public-private partnership established in 2017 with a focus on accelerating biopharmaceutical innovation, developing and scaling advanced manufacturing technologies, and supporting workforce development through training programs and curriculum development.
The NSCEB’s recent action plan for American biotechnology highlights the need for more private-led, public-supported innovation in biotechnology and emphasizes the need for dedicated workforce development programs to strengthen the domestic biomanufacturing industry.
Delaware is a hub of biotechnology investment and innovation, showing the potential of biotechnology to bring industry, academia, and government together for regional economic development opportunities that can benefit the nation.
“NIIMBL is an important program. We need more emphasis on private-public partnerships like this to make our biotechnology innovation ecosystem and biomanufacturing capabilities the most advanced in the world.” – NSCEB Vice Chair Michelle Rozo
“The bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology’s new report makes clear that we are dangerously close to the day when China will pass the U.S. in biotech innovation, and partnerships like NIIMBL are crucial to ensuring that we keep our edge in research and manufacturing. We need to continue to empower NIIMBL and support American biotech to guarantee our security, our health, and our prosperity.” – Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
“Biotechnology is the next frontier for both economic growth and national security, and Delaware is already helping lead the way. Through institutions like NIIMBL, we’re building the workforce, innovation ecosystem, and manufacturing capacity that will ensure the United States not only keeps pace—but sets the pace—for the world.” – Representative Sarah McBride (D-DE)
“The commission’s report highlights the national imperative to adopt a proactive approach to ensure global leadership in biotechnology, and we are grateful to the NSCEB, Senator Coons, and Representative McBride for taking time to learn about NIIMBL’s programs that advance our domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing base.” – NIIMBL Director, Kelvin Lee
About NIIMBL: The institute’s mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry.
About NSCEB: The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the biorevolution. The Commission published a comprehensive report in April 2025, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government. The bipartisan Commission is composed of Congressionally-appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit
biotech.senate.gov.
Contacts:
NSCEB: press@biotech.senate.gov
Sen. Coons: DJ McAneny, dj_mcaneny@coons.senate.gov
Rep. McBride: Michaela Kurinsky-Malos, michaela.kurinsky-malos@mail.house.gov
NIIMBL: Dan Maiese, dmaiese@udel.edu
