Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 4, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 29 BioConnects aims to accelerate regional biotech V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L I clearly remember my first visit to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute campus in 2007 for my faculty interview. I was handed a hard hat and led on a tour of the Life Science and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park, where new lab and office space was taking shape. I have spent my career working in research buildings, but this space felt different. ere were no walls between laboratories, no boundaries between academic disciplines, and a ground floor biotech incubator run by Massa- chusetts Biomedical Initiatives. It was a building designed for collaboration, and I couldn't wait to move in. Today, 15 years later, regional biotech growth is on a strong trajectory. Worcester is home to dozens of biotech companies and new biomanufacturing facilities are under construction at e Reactory in Worcester. Investments in research infrastructure and incubator spaces are hatching new ventures, creating cutting-edge cell and gene thera- pies to treat cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease. To further accelerate biotech innovation and education, WPI joined BioConnects New England, a multi-insti- tutional coalition spanning three states and founded to create a robust biotech industry by connecting resources and talent. BioConnects New England was inspired by the U.S. Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which aims to identify regional economic strengths for a post-pandemic future. e program aims to enhance job growth by closing gaps. Concurrently, new and scaled capacity in training programs will serve as on-ramps to prepare and connect job seekers to the growing number of biotech jobs. Fueled by regional biotech innovation hubs, and the need to on- shore biomanufacturing of vaccines and medicines, these employment sectors are poised to have a strong future. BioConnects New England is one of 60 organizations selected from more than 500 applicants to compete for Phase 2 of the Build Back Better Challenge. e final- ists will be narrowed to between 20 and 30, who will be awarded between $25 million and $100 million. BioConnects New England will move forward regard- less of whether it receives a Phase 2 award. However, EDA funding would accelerate and expand its outreach exponentially. e coalition's success will depend on engagement within urban and rural communities that have not traditionally had access to high-tech jobs and training. Collectively, we will harness the deep and diverse talent pool that is one of Worcester's greatest strengths. With its geographic and industrial positioning, Worces- ter is ready for this moment. As a proud member of the Worcester community, WPI is excited to take its place as a leading regional member of this coalition. Marsha Rolle, Ph.D., is a professor of biomedical engi- neering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. BY MARSHA ROLLE Special to the WBJ The above Editorial is the opinion of the WBJ Editorial Board. The Viewpoint column, the A Thousand Words cartoon, and the Word from the Web commentary represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WBJ or its staff. WBJ welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Send them to bkane@wbjournal.com. A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y R A M Ó N L . S A N D O V A L Manufacturing's steady excellence Marsha Rolle, Ph.D. C ompanies across many industries have had a tumultuous two years, facing shutdowns, labor shortages, and adjust- ing to remote work. Two industries that are pillars of the Central Massachusetts economy have largely bucked that trend, having their teams showing up at work day in and day out: the healthcare and manufacturing sectors. Most manufacturers never got the slow down memo and have maintained a steady, or in many cases, increased output during the pandemic. While several manufacturers received attention for jumping into support the personal protective equipment pipe- line, most have kept their heads down, adjusting and innovating fresh approaches to keep the trains, and our local economy, running steady. Our region has been a manufacturing stronghold for two centuries, and the industry's resilience continues to shine. is issue includes profiles of our annual Manu- facturing Excellence Award winners, who are great examples of the spirit that fills the industry. Take for example, Catania Oils, the family-run Ayer company profiled on page 15. Over the course of 122 years, generations of the Basile family have taken Giuseppe Basile's business selling olive oil door to door to become a $375-million business selling edible oils for many of New England's best-known brands, such as Cape Cod potato chips and Ocean Spray cranberry products. e Basile family even baptizes new babies in the company's special oils. For decades, federal and state governments have tried to get Americans to drive more electric cars, with minimal success. Now, with the true price of carbon emissions coming to light, gasoline prices spiking, and automakers pushing hard to make the price of electric vehicles close to their gasoline-pow- ered counterparts, mass EV adaptation doesn't seem that far off. Enter Ascend Elements, the Westborough company profiled on page 18, which has found a way to effectively recycle electric vehicle batteries, further increasing their environmental appeal. e current labor shortage has hit nearly every sector, and manufacturing is no exception, although the industry struggled for workers long before the pandemic reared its ugly head. Bristol Myers Squibb and Waters Corp. – international companies with significant presences in Central Mass., profiled on pages 17 and 19 – have innovated new ways to get new recruits into the workforce pipeline, by part- nering with local agencies and schools. And they're making it a point to reach students from disadvan- taged backgrounds who might not have otherwise been exposed to a robust STEM curriculum. ousands of manufacturing companies dot the Central Mass. landscape, quietly and steadily gen- erating $7 billion in collective output. e industry may be rooted in centuries-old tradition, but manu- facturers are breaking new ground and adapting to the needs of the time. e vast majority do not have a marketing department extolling their contributions to society, but that does not mean their steady excel- lence isn't a great strength to the region's economy. W W

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