PHOTO: Governor Healey Visits MBI, Worcester-based Life Sciences Companies

Visit part of the Administration’s tour to promote Mass Leads Act

Worcester, MA (March 11, 2024) – Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Yvonne Howe visited Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) on Thursday as part of the Administration’s tour to promote its Mass Leads Act. The legislation includes $1 billion and a 10-year reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative, and supports the burgeoning bioindustrual manufacturing industry in Central Massachusetts.

“The Mass Leads Act will strengthen Massachusetts’ global leadership and expand opportunity in our state now and for a generation to come. One key way we’ll do this is by reauthorizing the Life Sciences Initiative for another decade,” said Governor Healey. “Mass Biomedical Initiatives and RoslinCT are excellent examples of what happens when we invest in the world-class talent and innovation happening right here in Massachusetts. We want to build on their success and welcome more companies to move, start and grow here in our state.”

During her visit, Governor Healey toured MBI and met MBI-company founders, including Lina Gonzalez, Ph.D., founder of SpadXTech which makes biomanufactured leathers and plastics, reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Healey referenced the technology in her remarks, stating “I just saw something incredible: using the combination of biology and manufacturing to create products that are going to be made in a way that they’re going to reduce emissions by getting the plastics out of the mix and are more sustainable because they’ll be compostable. That technology…that’s where life sciences meets climate tech. That’s what I’m talking about here in Worcester, the heart of the Commonwealth and the home to global innovation.”

“Massachusetts has fought hard to establish itself as the global hub of the biotechnology industry and a new competition is underway to define the next global biomanufacturing hub,” said Jon Weaver, President and CEO of MBI, in his remarks. “MBI and Central Massachusetts are proud to be in that fight with the Healey-Driscoll Administration.”

A report from CBRE titled Life Sciences Research Talent 2022 ranked Worcester the 15th best market in the US for life sciences research talent. In addition, MassBio predicts that 40,000 new Life Science jobs will be created by 2024.

Governor Maura Healey visits Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) in Worcester as part of tour to promote Mass Leads Act, which includes $1 billion and a 10-year reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative, and supports the burgeoning bioindustrual manufacturing industry in Central Massachusetts.

Full remarks from the event available here.

About Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives

MBI is the longest running life sciences incubator in the Commonwealth. MBI’s mission is to be a partner for fostering innovation in the life sciences by helping companies bring lifesaving products to patients, create jobs, and promote economic development in Central MA and throughout the Commonwealth. It is estimated that since 2000, MBI has assisted over 188 companies that have created over 1,800 jobs and raised over $1,900,000,000.