FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Juan Martinez
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Kim Haberlin
Heather Johnson
Caitlin Coyle
617-725-4025
Discuss area job growth under state's ten-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative. 64% of dollars invested thus far have been in Central Massachusetts
WORCESTER – Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - Governor Deval Patrick and Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, visited Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Gateway Park today for a discussion of life sciences job growth in the park and the region. WPI recently received approval for a $6.6 million grant from the Center for Phase II construction at Gateway Park. The Governor met with leaders from WPI, the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Sciences, and Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI), all of whom have benefitted from the Center's investment. The Governor also met employees of the companies and organizations located in the park, including employees of RXi Pharmaceuticals, a company that is participating in a cooperative research project with UMass Medical School (UMMS) that is funded through the Center's Cooperative Research Matching Grant Program. Both grants were made under the Patrick-Murray Administration's 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative.
The Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) business incubator enables very early stage companies to survive the infamous valley of death that often plagues start – ups. M2D2 is part of a greater initiative to strengthen the Massachusetts Innovation Economy and life sciences cluster.
The Lowell based incubator has a network of integral partners that primarily function as multiple units in a collective apparatus to speed commercialization of medical devices. The cooperation of many organizations working together form a system designed to bring discoveries from the lab to market as they occur.
Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) was formed in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1985 as a private non-profit to accompany the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park. MBI now manages three bioscience incubators in Worcester.
Visit MBI online www.massbiomed.org
The three MBI Incubators are:
MBI Incubator at Barber Avenue
The Barber Avenue location provides space accommodations of all sizes to life science companies. The incubator currently has a number of client tenants.
MBI Incubator at Biotech Three
Located in the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park this incubator provides space to life science companies close to the University of Massachusetts Medical School as well as the Massachusetts Stem Cell Bank and International Stem Cell Registry which were recently established with the support of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
MBI Incubator at Gateway Park
The Gateway Park incubator is associated with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The incubator is ideally positioned to spur the commercialization of WPI technology and allow incubated companies to expand into Gateway Park.
Visit Worcester Polytechnic Institute online www.wpi.edu
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park is cited by BioSpace.com as providing "nearly a million square feet of space." and includes a close proximity to local amenities. Gateway park is a recent redevelopment project headed by the Worcester Business Development Corporation.
Redstone Center is a newly renovated office building with lab space located in downtown Worcester, MA. According to a November 10, 2008 article in the Worcester Business Journal the building was previously The Charles River Laboratory Building but was sold to TDG Union Street LLC in 2008. Jones Lang LaSalle is the leasing agent for the 160,000 sq ft building. Redstone Center's website www.redstonecenterma.com says the building has 28,000 sqft of lab space ready for leasing. In addition to that the building has office space and an additional 35,000 sqft of vivarium facilities.
