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The University of Massachusetts has joined with Harvard University, the Boston Foundation and the John Adams Innovation Institute in providing initial financial support for this effort. Additional collaborating organizations now include MassMEDIC, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, New England Healthcare Institute, MIT's Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, the Monitor Group has agreed to conduct a survey of more than 1,000 stakeholders to create an assessment of the cluster’s strengths and gaps in its competitiveness.

“The important first steps of this cross-sector effort are to engage with key stakeholders, to listen to and capture their concerns, and to identify critical issues that impede or enhance opportunities for economic growth and industry competitiveness for the Life Sciences,” said MTC Executive Director Mitchell Adams, a member of the John Adams Innovation Institute Governing Board.

“By investing in an integrated, comprehensive initiative and focusing our resources, we can develop a roadmap to success, drawing upon our remarkable concentration of world-class hospitals, research institutions, and biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical companies,” said Tom Finneran, President of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council and a member of the John Adams Innovation Institute Governing Board.

The initiative will work with the executives of Massachusetts’ biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies and the leadership of our universities, academic health centers, and research institutions, along with the state’s premier industry councils, and other collaborating organizations.  Ongoing, long-term staff support will be provided by the Innovation Institute. The multi-year effort is privately motivated and driven, but will have the active participation of government representatives. A timeline with clear milestones has been established to steer the process forward.

“There is a strong interest in fostering cross-sector collaboration among the life sciences industries in Massachusetts. Our work together on this initiative will be critical to our ability to seize future opportunities in the life sciences,” said Tom Sommer, President of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council.