There is no doubting the fastest growing sector in the Maryland economy. More than 300 bioscience companies and federal institutions employ a cluster of knowledge workers not found anywhere else in the country.
      One of those companies is MedImmune. CEO Booth says it is no accident that his company chose Gaithersburg for its corporate headquarters expansion. "There is a very good base of technical talent here, with the proximity to the NIH, FDA and the universities," says Booth. "But it also made sense from a corporate real estate standpoint. The price of land, government incentives, public infrastructure and government relationships all were pivotal to this deal."
      MedImmune selected a 25-acre (10-hectare) site that, upon buildout, will have 750,000 sq. ft. (69,750 sq. m.) of buildings and 2,250 workers. The site's proximity to the federal agencies is a huge plus, says Booth. "Being able to get in your vehicle and drive to the FDA and meet with someone is critical," he notes. "This means that we can communicate with them so that they better understand the needs of the industry. Also, because of our location we have been able to hire a number of people who have been trained at the National Institutes of Health."
      MedImmune is not alone in the booming world of biotech in Maryland. On June 20, Human Genome Sciences Inc. broke ground in Rockville on the $250 million first phase of the company's new research and development facility and corporate campus. When completed, the new 55-acre (22-hectare) campus will hold several inter-connected buildings totaling up to 1.03 million sq. ft. (95,790 sq. m.) and an 853-space parking garage.
      Plans include a central building to house Human Genome Sciences' corporate staff and two R&D buildings, which will be used for protein development and clinical production/fill-finish, respectively. Future phases will allow for four additional buildings and one additional parking garage.
      HGS occupies about 430,000 sq. ft. (39,990 sq. m.) of manufacturing, laboratory and office space in eight buildings in Montgomery County. The company intends to finance the expansion through a synthetic lease with financial support from the Maryland Economic Development Corp.
      On May 3, Gaithersburg-based TherImmune Research Corp. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the company's 26,000-sq.-ft. (2,418-sq.-m.) expansion. TherImmune employs 115 people and plans to hire an additional 50 scientific and technical staff within the year. The company provides drug development services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.