Study: Mass. Can't Rest on Life-Science Laurels

Providence Business News
June 12, 2008

BOSTON - The life science "Super Cluster" in Massachusetts "continues to change the face of medicine by driving research innovation, but it faces increasing competition for talent and funding from other states and countries," a public-private coalition said in releasing the 2008 Massachusetts Life Sciences Supre Clusters report.

The report - released in advance of the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego, slated for June 17 to 20 -- is based on a confidential Web-based survey of 147 industry executives working at biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers across the state.  Their responses "raised some concerns about whether Massachusetts companies will be able to continue to mine its strengths in research and commercialize the ideas coming out of the state's laboratories," the groups said.

"Talent attracts talent, and success breeds success," Dr. Wendy Everett, president of the New England Health Care Institute, said in a statement today.  This Clustering brings enormous benefits to the organizations and communities involved such as ease of collaboration.  That is why it is so important to maintain the momentum." 

 ..."A key takeaway from the report," said James Connolly, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the firm's New England life sciences assurance practice leader, "is that, while Massachusetts has world renowned scientists and researchers and is positioned to thrive in an environment that places a premium on innovation, making the jump from pure research to marketable products will require strengthening the partnerships among universities, teaching hospitals, life science companies, and venture capitalists."

The study was conducted this spring by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Boston news and technology company Xconomy on behalf of the nonprofit New England Healthcare Institute, the quasi-public Mass. Life Sciences Center and the Mass. Technology Collaborative, a state development agency for the renewable energy and innovation sectors. 

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