Kansas City’s newest chapter in a long tradition of world-changing science: bringing life-saving medicines closer to the patients who need them.
KANSAS CITY, MO (July 27, 2026) — The Economic Development Administration has announced an intention to fund the KC BioHub consortium through the U.S. Tech Hubs Program.
The intended award would support the establishment of the SCALE Center (Systems for Commercial Advancement of Large-molecule Engineering), a first-of-its-kind technology maturation center that will be developed and operated by MRIGlobal at its North Kansas City pharmaceutical facility.
The SCALE Center will help address one of modern medicine’s most significant challenges: efficiently manufacturing the next generation of biologic therapies. These medicines—including cancer treatments, gene therapies, and treatments for rare diseases—represent some of the most promising advances in healthcare, but production remains complex, costly, and increasingly constrained by limited global capacity.
Many promising therapies face delays because of manufacturing bottlenecks, supply chain vulnerabilities, and limited domestic capacity. The SCALE Center will help biotechnology companies, research institutions, and government partners accelerate commercialization by providing advanced manufacturing expertise, technology maturation services, and scalable production capabilities.
“This intended award represents more than an investment in infrastructure. It will be an investment in America’s ability to develop and manufacture the next generation of biologic medicines,” said Ian M. Colrain, Ph.D., President and CEO of MRIGlobal. “Through the SCALE Center and our collaboration with partners across the KC BioHub consortium, we will help accelerate innovation, strengthen domestic supply chains, and bring life-changing therapies to patients faster. Together, we are building capabilities that will enhance national competitiveness, improve health outcomes, and support economic growth for decades to come.”
The SCALE Center will establish modular current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) biomanufacturing suites, analytical laboratories, and supporting infrastructure equipped with advanced technologies. These capabilities will help organizations validate, scale, and optimize new biologic manufacturing approaches while reducing delays and improving efficiency.
The initiative also supports a broader national objective: strengthening domestic biomanufacturing and reducing reliance on foreign capacity for critical medicines. Expanded U.S.-based production will contribute to supply chain resilience, public health preparedness, and long-term economic security.
“Our mission has always been to help developers move science forward responsibly—from early-stage innovation through the complex regulatory and manufacturing requirements that follow,” said Jonathan White, Ph.D., Senior Director of Integrated Pharmaceutical Solutions at MRIGlobal. “The SCALE Center would expand our ability to help organizations develop more efficient manufacturing approaches while accelerating patient access to critical therapies.”
The award is part of the broader KC BioHub initiative, a regional coalition of more than 120 organizations across industry, academia, healthcare, government, workforce development, and economic development. Consortium members are working to establish Kansas City as a globally recognized center for biologics innovation and advanced biomanufacturing.
By creating new opportunities for collaboration and advancing innovative manufacturing approaches, the SCALE Center will further position the Kansas City region as a nationally recognized hub for biologics development and advanced biomanufacturing.
ABOUT MRIGLOBAL
MRIGlobal is an independent, nonprofit research institute that delivers scientific and engineering solutions to improve lives, protect national security, and advance global health. Since 1944, MRIGlobal has performed customized research and development for government and commercial partners, including advanced diagnostics, pharmaceutical development, biologics manufacturing, chemical and biological threat detection and mitigation, engineering services, and mobile laboratory and transport solutions. Visit https://www.mriglobal.org to learn more.