About The Works

Pennovation Works is a 23-acre urban technology park with a distinctive blend of offices, labs, and production space. Developed by The University of Pennsylvania, this innovation hub links the region’s intellectual assets, industry partners, research trailblazers, and entrepreneurial and community leaders, all with the shared purpose of advancing knowledge and generating economic impact.

Our state-of-the-art facilities house more than 70 companies and a robust community of innovators, all solving real world problems and translating inventiveness into viable ventures. Whether there's an innovator working on proof-of-concept at a single bench in our incubator or a mature research and manufacturing operation with dozens of employees, Pennovation Works is truly the place WHERE IDEAS GO TO WORK.

The Pennovation Advantage

Framework

Connect

University
River/ River Trails
City/Neighborhoods
"Innovation District"

Catalyze

Mixed-use Innovation
Cultural Hub
Events-based Spaces

Collaborate

Industrial Character
Working Landscapes
Flex-Loft Workspaces

Development Principles

Entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation

University Research
Technology Transfer
Design/Arts Innovation

Foster collaborations and partnerships

Institutions
Corporations
Research Entities

Offer responsive and flexible spaces

University innovation and research needs/ambitions
Real estate market demand

Connect with Us

Leasing & Program Inquiries

Send a detailed email to: pennovationworks@upenn.edu

Getting Here

Pennovation Works is located at the intersection of the 34th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue.
(3401 Grays Ferry Avenue). View on Google Maps

Parking

Limited parking is available on the site.

Public Transportation

SEPTA bus routes 12, 49, and 64 service the site.

Penn Transit

Penn Transit Services offers an on-demand transport service to Pennovation Works for all Penn community members holding a valid PennCard or Pennovation ID. Two guests are invited.

Call 215.898.RIDE (7433). Use Option 3.

Visit the Penn Transportation and Parking website for more Penn transport information.

Groups of larger than 10 people should arrange for Charter Service.

Bike Share

Nearby Indego bike share stations are located at 3499 Civic Center Blvd., 246 S. 40th Street, and 598 S. 43rd Street.

Walking Escort Service

Penn offers a Walking Escort Service which can be requested by calling 215-898-WALK (9255).

A Strategic Site

The Pennovation Works is a highly visible site that is well connected to the region, Center City, and University City. Recent investments in open space trails have connected the site to the Schuylkill River with dedicated public access and riverside amenities. Penn, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), and the City, along with public agencies, are joining efforts to improve the pedestrian and traffic connections to the site, reposition properties in the surrounding areas, and create improved vehicular and pedestrian access to the neighborhood and University City.

The Pennovation Works framework plan aligns with the PIDC's vision to revitalize the 500-acre Lower Schuylkill River district into a regional Innovation District.

Early implementation efforts are underway to establish a distinctive Innovation District Gateway at 34th and Grays Ferry Avenue. New investment and PIDC master planning will drive the transformation into a mixed-use area featuring cutting-edge innovation, the next generation of entrepreneurs, and expanded university-based research commercialization.

Businesses that are located at Pennovation Works are eligible to receive significant state and local tax benefits including abatement of Business Privilege Tax, Net Profit Tax and Real Estate Tax.

Grays Ferry site, circa 1940

Pennovation Works site in relationship to Penn campus and Center City Philadelphia

Potential site parcelization

Site History

Pennovation Works, 1700 — 2017

The Pennovation Works is a 21st century hub for innovation and industry. Beginning with the creation of the Pennovation Center – a building redesigned and adapted from a 20th century paint factory – the Pennovation Works consists of facilities existing for the purpose of turning ideas into economic opportunities for the surrounding area and neighborhoods. Interestingly, when you take a look at the site’s colorful history, you see that it’s been an incubator for industry and innovation in the Philadelphia area for over 200 years.

Pennovation Works site aerial view, circa 1940. [photo credit: Library Company of Philadelphia]

Beginning in 1690, the current Pennovation Works site was host to the Lower Ferry crossing of the Schuylkill River, which served as the southern entrance to Philadelphia throughout the 18th century. In the mid-1700s, ferry operator George Gray began to develop the area surrounding the crossing, opening a tavern and designing a garden to attract patrons to the area, with waterfalls, grottoes, and greenhouses. On the west bank of the Schuylkill River, Gray’s Garden became important to the local horticultural movement, which included celebrated gardens at the Woodlands and Bartram’s Gardens on the west side of the Schuylkill (opposite the Pennovation Works site), and seed manufacturers on the east bank of the river, just a few blocks from the site.

George Washington crossing at Gray’s Ferry, circa 1789. [photo credit: Library of Congress]

Chemical Plant storage yard (near Pennovation site), circa 1902. [photo credit: Kislak University of Pennsylvania Libraries Special Collection]

In 1778, George Gray replaced the ferry crossing with a floating bridge that could be pushed aside to accommodate barges and ships navigating the river. Sixty years later, in 1838, the Philadelphia Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad replaced the heavily used Gray’s Ferry bridge with a permanent railroad bridge, the Newkirk viaduct. With Baltimore and Philadelphia connected via railroad for the first time, industry began to thrive along the riverbank on what is now the Pennovation Works site. Factories sprung up in the location due to its access to the railroad as well as to the river. The site was also far enough from the city center that industry like chemical production and slaughterhouses could operate safely.

From 1865 to 1917, Harrison Brothers operated an industrial chemicals and paint manufacturing company on the site, relocating their headquarters from their original hub in Kensington. Harrison Brothers were leaders in the development of the chemical processes, and with contemporary innovations in the production of the tin cans, the company could make and distribute ready-mixed paint for the first time to average citizens. (Before these innovations, individual batches of paint needed to be mixed with new pigments each time, without the option to package or sell in large batches.) By the late 19th century, the company was one of the top color manufacturers in the United States, employing over 400 workers at its 30-acre Grays Ferry site. Harrison Brothers expanded the site to include facilities for their employees like a restaurant and athletic field, as well as their own power plant and the first private telegraph line in the country.

Gray’s Ferry site map, circa 1802. [photo credit: David Ramsey Online]

In 1917 the prominent E.I. DuPont & Nemours company purchased Harrison Brothers and Co., and the Grays Ferry site became home to DuPont’s new paint and finishes department. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the site - and in particular the current Pennovation Center structure - was a facility for both production and chemical research, and was responsible for many innovations in the field. Successful products developed on the site include Duco lacquer, a quick-drying automotive paint that was durable and revolutionized auto production by dramatically reducing the paint’s drying time. While manufacturing ceased there in the 1980s, DuPont continued with research there until 2009. During the Harrison Brothers and DuPont Company eras, at least 11 patents are believed to originate from research conducted at this site.

In 2010, the University of Pennsylvania purchased the site and worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Protection in order to clean up and protect the site and its surrounding areas. As the Schuylkill River has its revival with the Bartram’s Mile and extension of the Trail, this industrial riverfront is again establishing itself as a place of connection and progress, where ideas go to work.

Map

Pennovation Works

pennovation background shapes

Tours

Interested in visiting Pennovation Works? We’d love to show you around.

Pennovation Works is a 23-acre site, where you can explore space in the Pennovation Center, the Office Building, Lab Building, or other spaces open for development.

Lab Building

The Pennovation Lab Building is a scientifically advanced, multi-tenant laboratory and office building. Ideal tenants are early-stage companies requiring 2,000-7,000 SF. Request a tour of the Lab Building.

Pennovation Center

The Pennovation Center is the business incubator and laboratory where co-working desks, inventor garages, small offices and shared lab spaces can be leased. In the Pennovation Center, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs work towards the commercialization of research discoveries in scientifically advanced facilities.

Interested in becoming a member of the Pennovation Center? To schedule a discovery call or tour of the Pennovation Center, please email kirsten king at: kirsten@pennovation.org. Tours must be scheduled two weeks in advance to best prepare for and accommodate the group’s needs at the Pennovation Center.

Inventor Office Building

The Inventor Office Building is a 3-story facility offering office/flex space designed for start-up companies and entrepreneurs whose needs have expanded beyond the incubator model. The Inventor Office Building accommodates a wide range of tenants, from robotics to life science.

To schedule a tour or discovery call for the Pennovation Inventor Office Building, please email Pennovation Works.