In 1991, a non-profit organization called Maryland Bioprocessing Center, Inc. (later MdBio, Inc.) was created as part of an initiative to enhance Maryland's burgeoning bioscience industry and infrastructure through the construction of a state-of-the-art multi-tenant biomanufacturing facility.
After raising $18,000,000 through state and federal grants and $3,000,000 in private funding, BioCenter construction commenced. The BioCenter, a 54,000 square foot GMP facility owned by Maryland Bioprocessing Center, was completed in 1996 on land leased from the City of Baltimore just off the Johns Hopkins Bayview Research Campus. Shortly after completing construction, the non-profit negotiated a long-term lease with Bio Science Contract Production Corp (BSCP), a contract biomanufacturing company. In 2000, BSCP was sold to Cambrex Corporation, which assumed the lease on the facility. In 2007, Cambrex was sold to Lonza.
With revenue from the lease payments, the non-profit organization has used its financial resources to support and promote the commercial development of bioscience in Maryland. MdBio assumed its current name in July 1997 to better reflect the organization's focus on developing industry support programs intended to advance the growth of bioscience in Maryland.
Since that time, MdBio has been instrumental in the continued growth of Maryland's bioscience industry, providing companies with financial support, business development consulting services, cost sharing and group purchasing opportunities, as well as education and workforce development programs.
In 2006, MdBio merged with the Tech Council of Maryland (TCM). As a result of this merger, two organizations were formed, the MdBio Division of TCM and the MdBio Foundation.
