Cambridge Innovation Center plans to spend more than $11 million to double its lab space at 3675 Market St. in uCity Square, creating what it says will be one of the largest shared laboratory hubs in the country.

The expansion will result in the addition of more than 200 lab benches, up from the 200 already at the site that is home to nearly two dozen life sciences companies and about 50 co-working tenants.

“We are doubling down, literally, on our lab infrastructure in Philly in response to enormous demand there,” said Tim Rowe, CEO of the Massachusetts-based Cambridge Innovation Center, which is known as CIC. “Philadelphia is emerging as a stronger and stronger place to build a life sciences company. … We saw Philadelphia was our strongest facility during the pandemic. You can imagine the demand will be even higher when things return to pre-pandemic life.”

Sarah Morin, interim general manager of CIC Philadelphia and vice president of CIC’s North American centers, said the labs at its Philadelphia building — where tenants include Carisma Therapeutics, Century Therapeutics, CSL Behring, Aro Biotherapeutics, Cabaletta Bio and Spirovant Sciences — have remained at 100% occupancy through the Covid-19 outbreak.

“The need for additional benches to serve scientists at every level is undeniable,” Morin said. “Three-quarters of our existing lab clients are on our waiting list for additional space.”

Full article available at Philadelphia Business Journal.