Blunt Rochester, Carper, Coons break ground on NIIMBL’s new SABRE Center
Newark,
April 22, 2024
NEWARK, Del. – Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (all D-Del.) took part today in a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals’ (NIIMBL) new Securing American Biomanufacturing Research and Education (SABRE) Center on the STAR Campus in Newark. The SABRE Center will be a pilot-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility to support the work of NIIMBL and enable the growth of the larger biopharmaceutical industry in Delaware. “With today’s groundbreaking, we are one step closer to turning the vision of SABRE into reality,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “This state-of-the-art 70,000 square-foot facility will be instrumental in shaping biomanufacturing and the life sciences here in Delaware by aiding in critical research and development efforts in an FDA-regulated environment, helping attract and retain businesses, and allowing for critical biopharmaceutical workforce training. At a time when we are facing changing demographics and workforce shortages, SABRE’s efforts to help create a more diverse biomanufacturing sector could not be more important. I am proud to join NIIMBL, the University of Delaware, Senators Carper and Coons, and all the academia and industry partners as we break ground on this facility that will help us protect and strengthen our health, our biomanufacturing workforce, and our national security all while boosting innovation in the First State.” “Today’s groundbreaking builds upon all the years of work that has gone into transforming the once-shuttered Chrysler plant into the research and development hub it is today,” said Senator Carper. “This facility will be a training center for our future biopharmaceutical workforce, as well as a testing center for biopharma companies to test their products in an FDA-regulated environment – giving us a competitive advantage to attract companies and researchers to the First State. I’m so proud of the different ways Delaware is continuing to be a force in R&D. Here, we have a vibrant research community at the University of Delaware, especially in the life sciences, thanks in large part to the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. This has served as a great model for collaboration among education, and the private and public sector.”
“NIIMBL’s new SABRE Center will be a key asset strengthening Delaware as a hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing far into the future,” said Senator Coons. “It will bring new investment, create new jobs, and ensure that the next generation of cutting-edge cures comes from the First State. I’m proud to have already secured more than $30 million for the facility we broke ground on today, and I will continue pushing for its success well after we cut the ribbon and watch it become a center for health care innovation.” “This exciting testbed and facility, supported by our federal delegation and by our state, promises to accelerate the adoption of innovative manufacturing technologies and help address critical workforce needs in support of our economic competitiveness and our public health,” said Kelvin H. Lee, PhD,Director, NIIMBL. When completed, the SABRE Center will be a 70,000 square-foot pilot-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility complementing the work already taking place at NIIMBL. It will also serve as a workforce training facility for industry in Delaware and the region and is expected to help bring biopharmaceutical firms to the state and top talent from NIIMBL member companies to Newark for collaborative work. The federal government has so far invested $45 million in the SABRE Center, $10 million of which was a result of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law in 2021. Senator Coons and the Delaware congressional delegation secured an additional $35 million for the center through congressional investments, including $12.25 million included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill signed into law last month. ### |
