BioConnects New England and the City of Lynn recently hosted the inaugural Community Leadership Summit focused on raising awareness about the educational and career opportunities in biomanufacturing and biotech in the City of Lynn, specifically highlighting the City of Lynn’s biotech readiness and pathways to a career in biotech and biomanufacturing.
The Community Leadership Summit was led by Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and Jared Auclair, Ph.D., Northeastern University vice provost of research and economic development, director of bioinnovation, and co-lead of BioConnects New England.
The City of Lynn is working on a workforce development strategic plan in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and has identified the life sciences as one of the priority industries to support training and employment for Lynn residents.
In his welcoming remarks, Mayor Nicholson shared, “I’m excited to be talking about life science development in the City of Lynn and continuing our efforts to grow a biotech workforce here. We are an ambitious city and expanding workforce development will equip our residents with the skills necessary to enter and thrive in these growing industries.”
“We really appreciate this cross-sector collaboration which includes our educators, community organizations, laborers, and leaders in the life sciences industry,” he added.
“BioConnects New England is a coalition meant to tie regions throughout New England and drive life sciences, and Lynn is the place for the life sciences,” said Auclair. “This collaboration, and partnership with the city are diversifying our definition of life sciences throughout the region, helping us to stay competitive.”
The summit also featured presentations by Jim Cowdell, executive director of the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Lynn, who talked about the vision of Lynn through economic growth, and by Christine Bolzan, executive director of the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, who discussed 10-month academic programs that train students for high-paying jobs.
The summit ended with a panel discussion moderated by Auclair that included Raul Gonzalez of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council; Sarah MacDonald of Life Science Cares; Zach Stanley of MassBio; and Kenn Turner of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
The Summit took place on March 8 at Lynn Museum/LynnArts.
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.
For more information about BioConnects New England, please email team@bioconnectsne.com or visit https://bioconnectsne.com or @bioconnectsNE on Twitter or Instagram.
