Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 22, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 45 Worcester needs space for artists V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L M uch can be said of Worcester's economic trajectory over the last decade, its highest-in-New-England population growth, and its ability to finally attract outside investors and developers who are accelerating new growth in the city. While there have been a number of factors leading to the record growth, there is no question that a big part of that special sauce has been the contribution of a vital arts scene. which has reached an inflection point amidst a larger cultural shi in the city. e organization formerly known as POW! WOW! Worcester has added immeasurably to the city's culture through five street art festivals over the past six years. ose festivals have resulted in a collection of about 200 large public murals painted on buildings throughout Worcester, which have reshaped the urban landscape. Prior to the first festival, Worcester could still fall into the stereotype of a rundown industrial city still trying to find its footing. ese oversized world-class murals, appearing in every neighborhood, sent the message Worcester is a place where innovation and creativity can thrive, that creativity can happen everywhere, and where a community of people can work together to achieve something awe-inspiring. Aer five festivals and 200 murals, the organization, which has rebranded as Worcester Walls, is taking a break, as its all-volunteer committee is taking the time to regroup, sorting out how to maintain the creations already been installed, while finding new ways to infuse the city with creative displays of public art. is pause coincides with Worcester's own changes in its arts and culture industry, where the hot development market has led to a reduction of the spaces available for up-and- coming artists to do their work. Rising property values and rents throughout Worcester, along with a growing need for other types of land use, further tightens the market for affordable artist space. e Bridge arts and community center on Southbridge Street in Worcester has closed, as the property was sold to two Boston developers eying a housing project for the site. e Sprinkler Factory Art Gallery on Harlow Street had to shut down due to building code issues, and and the couple who ran that gallery are now seeking to reestablish themselves in e White Room events space in the Canal District. Luckily, organizations like ArtsWorcester, El Salón, the Jean McDonough Arts Center, and the Creative Hub Worcester and festivals like stART on the Street still feed the city's creative juices, so support systems remain in place. Still, for Worcester to thrive as an economic and cultural center, the arts need to be supported with both financing and adequate space to grow. In the effort to fulfill basic needs such as housing and jobs, let's not lose sight of the special sauce delivered by the creative community that makes Worcester such an attractive place to live and work. I n late July, aer nearly two years and multiple iterations, Congress passed a sweeping piece of bipartisan legislation aimed at bolstering domestic semiconductor manufacturing, as well as making key investments in research and development. e New England Council was proud to support the CHIPS and Science Act, and its passage is a huge win for the New England innovation economy. is new law makes more than $50 billion in investments to bolster the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry. Over the past several years, our nation has experienced a critical shortage of semiconductor chips. e short- age is the result of a perfect storm of circumstances, including a va- riety of supply chain constraints, combined with an increased demand for electronics to support remote work and schooling amid the pandem- ic. Semiconductors enable the key technologies driving the future economy and our national security, includ- ing artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cloud services, and more. New England is home to a number of semiconductor manufacturers, as well as a wide array of technology businesses. e percentage of modern semiconductor manufac- turing capacity located in the U.S. has declined signifi- cantly from 37% in 1990 to just 12% today, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. is is due in large part to the fact that other countries – such as China, India, and Korea – have invested in chip man- ufacturing incentives, while the U.S. has not. Federal investment in chip research has remained stagnant, BY JAMES T. BRETT Special to 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 CHIPS bill is a win for New England James T. Brett while other nations have ramped up. e CHIPS and Science Act will make significant strides to address the shortage and increase domestic capacity by providing $52 billion in subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production, as well as an investment tax credit for chip plants, estimated to be worth $24 billion. e new law authorizes more than $170 bil- lion over five years to boost U.S. scientific research to better compete with China. is legislation makes several other important investments to support growth in the New England innovation economy. e bill authorizes $81 billion in funding over five years for the National Science Foun- dation to support STEM education, establish regional technology hubs, and support a new technology di- rectorate aiming to turn basic research breakthroughs into real-world applications. New England is home to some of the world's leading research institutions and received nearly $800 million in NSF funds in 2021, including $560 million in Massachusetts alone. Our region will undoubtedly benefit from this additional infusion of NSF funding. e bill provides research funding for the De- partment of Commerce, the Department of Energy, NASA, and National Institutes of Standards and Technology to increase investments in research and development. e investments in this bill will breathe new life into domestic semiconductor manufacturing, make our nation more competitive on the global stage, and spur new research and scientific breakthroughs that will no doubt have a lasting impact for years to come. James T. Brett is president & CEO of e New England Council, a regional alliance of businesses, nonprofits, and health and educational institutions dedicated to economic growth. W W

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