Lynn, Massachusetts (2/14/2022) – BioConnects New England (BCNE) and the City of Lynn are excited to announce a partnership to create a robust biomanufacturing industry cluster in the New England region.
With this partnership, BioConnects New England and the City of Lynn aim to pair the City’s strong and diverse workforce with accessible biotechnology training opportunities, increase access to strategic programming in the life sciences at North Shore Community College, and attract the life sciences industry to available commercial spaces throughout the City. The City of Lynn will commit resources to community-level engagement activities with its workforce to ensure that those seeking onramp opportunities into the biotechnology industry are aware of BCNE’s existing platform of training and career pathways.
“The City of Lynn has all of the ingredients to attract the life sciences industry, including prime commercial space, a growing workforce, and solid infrastructure. The BioConnects New England coalition aims to serve as a platform to showcase Lynn’s assets to the broader life sciences community throughout New England and we look forward to working with the City’s strong leadership and planning teams to ensure this partnership’s success,” said Professor Jared Auclair, PhD, Executive Director of BCNE, Director, Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab at Northeastern University.
“We are excited to announce this partnership between the City, North Shore Community College and BioConnects New England. This partnership will be a catalyst for future inclusive economic development in the City of Lynn,” said Mayor Jared C. Nicholson. “These efforts will also continue to demonstrate that there is great potential to plug Lynn into the innovation ecosystem of the broader region by activating readily available commercial space for biomanufacturing and workforce development opportunities that create career pathways to good jobs in the growing life sciences industry.
Through its grant challenge sponsored by the Economic Development Administration, BioConnects New England is leveraging its resources in the region to create a robust biomanufacturing industry. Massachusetts-based Northeastern University leads the coalition, which includes The Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory at Northeastern University, The Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, Maine, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the I-195 Design & Innovation District in Providence, Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island, and FocusMaine. The coalition will lead K-12 education and engagement activities, jumpstart prototyping and incubation facilities throughout the region, and invest in accessible start-up entrepreneurship programming.
ABOUT BIOCONNECTS NEW ENGLAND
BioConnects New England is a multi-state coalition and finalist of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge—a $1 billion program sponsored by the Economic Development Administration. Through this initiative, BioConnects New England will create a biomanufacturing cluster in the region of Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island that have been historically excluded from the biotechnology industry, one of the fastest-growing sectors in New England with national importance. This coalition will connect hubs throughout New England to support existing—and establish new—biomanufacturing infrastructure as a pathway to increase employment and educational opportunities for underserved regions and populations.
ABOUT THE CITY OF LYNN
The City of Lynn is a community of more than 100,000 residents, located just ten miles north of Boston. It is the largest city in Essex County and one of the largest cities in Massachusetts. Lynn is home to an increasingly diverse community with more than 62% of residents identifying as BIPOC. Designated a Gateway City by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Lynn has a longstanding history as a major manufacturing center and a welcoming place for immigrants. The City benefits from its close proximity to Boston, as well as access to the MBTA Commuter Rail and major corridors throughout the region, and its location along the Atlantic Ocean coastline.
