During Philly Tech Week’s Introduced Conference, PCI’s Executive Director John Swartley and Associate Director of Ventures Bhavana Mohanraj discussed the future of remote work for research-based innovation hubs. While working remotely during the pandemic did allow more access to investors and partners, Mohanraj explained, it also made it more difficult to execute the in-person collaboration and brainstorming sessions that life sciences research thrives off of.
Mohanraj and Swartley agreed that despite changes in the tech industry, research clusters will endure, as seen in the Philadelphia area. Penn’s community consists of a large pool of local talent, who are eager to contribute to the growth and innovation in Philadelphia. Many companies that spin out of Penn choose to stay in the city so they can share resources and collaborate with the rich network within Penn’s innovation ecosystem. Read the full article here or watch the recorded discussion on YouTube here.