Science Center 2025 Impact Report
Innovation without impact is unfinished work.
At the Science Center, progress doesn't stay contained. One breakthrough in medtech fuels another in diagnostics. A single new job becomes the spark for dozens more. Innovation here doesn't just happen—it moves purposefully toward impact.
That same sense of forward motion inspired the launch of the Science Center Translation Project™ in August—an operating system designed to accelerate the path from discovery to real-world application. It ensures that evidence-based innovations reach the health systems, clinicians, and partners best equipped to scale them and deliver measurable impact.
Because growth, by nature, is contagious. When one idea takes root, it creates the conditions for others to thrive. Our work multiplies impact—turning ideas into action, and action into momentum. In doing so, it attracts capital, talent, and opportunity; builds STEM career pathways; and expands equitable access so that the rewards of innovation reach more people, across more communities.
2025 underscored the power of alignment: when breakthroughs, expertise, and opportunity converge, the result is scalable impact that resonates far beyond a single company or discovery.
Here's to sustaining that momentum—together.
Science Center's operating system
The Translation Project™
The Translation Project isn’t just another program.
It's our full operating system for moving life science and health tech innovations into the market.
We map out evidence gaps, align the right stakeholders–clinicians, payors, regulators, investors–and connect founders to pilots and partners that accelerate adoption. By aligning capital, evidence, partnerships and impact from day one, we’re helping startups leap the translation gap before it derails their promise. In short: we turn breakthrough ideas into real world solutions that scale.
Learn more about the Translation Project
2025 Highlights
Impact by the Numbers
Our Activity
Translating Innovation
In 2025, we transformed innovation into impact by aligning founders, evidence, capital, and partners—moving breakthrough ideas toward real-world outcomes.
See our Translating Innovation impact→
Our Activity
STEM Pathways
This year, FirstHand™ translated curiosity into capability—connecting Philadelphia youth to real-world experiences, industry mentors, and emerging career pathways.
See our STEM Pathways impact→
Our Activity
Ecosystem
We turned collaboration into impact—curating the right connections, recognizing the region's innovators, and fostering a vibrant ecosystem.
See our Ecosystem impact→On deck for 2026
A Look Ahead...
An economic multiplier
We're turning breakthroughs into businesses, creating jobs, attracting capital, and sparking new ventures that drive regional growth and expand opportunity.
Reducing translation friction
We're smoothing the path from discovery to market, helping startups overcome regulatory, clinical, and commercialization hurdles so innovations reach patients faster.
Stakeholder alignment
We're uniting connections across startups, investors, health systems, and industry leaders, creating a network where innovation flows faster and more efficiently.
Power Progress With Us
Your support matters.
Our impact would not be possible without the support of our funders.
Your support enables us to close the gap between innovation and impact.