December 11, 2007
Worcester: Be More Like Boston
By Cory Hopkins
The Worcester region and its burgeoning life sciences industry has spent much of the past several years trying to crawl out of Boston's shadow. Now, at least one local biotechnology executive is advocating embracing the Hub and calling for a wider definition of "greater Boston" in order to sustain life sciences growth in the area for years to come.
Peter Isakson, divisional vice president for immunology research at Abbott Bioresearch Center in Worcester, said regional planners should work harder to fold Worcester and Central Massachusetts into a so-called "greater Boston" area in the mold of the San Francisco Bay "area" that includes the communities of San Jose and Oakland.
Doing so, Isakson said, would make it easier for local startups and entrepreneurs to attract the kind of venture capital that has so far been lacking in the area.
Venture capitalists focus their attention primarily on three national geographic areas, San Francisco, San Diego and Boston. Identifying Worcester more closely with Boston can't help but attract more VC attention, Isakson said.
He also said that identifying more closely with Boston would help attract young professionals from other areas of the country.
Isakson made his remarks this morning at a discussion sponsored by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau at Gateway Park on the future of the area's life sciences community. He was joined by Ronnie Farquhar, divisional vice president of Charles River Laboratories in Shrewsbury; Eric Overstrom, director of life sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and John Sullivan, vice chancellor for research at UMass Medical School in Worcester.
Other means of sustaining life sciences growth in the region included making sure there is adequate and affordable housing for young professionals in and around the city and making sure local schools get students hooked on science, technology and mathematics at an early age.
Peter Isakson, divisional vice president for immunology research at Abbott Bioresearch Center in Worcester, said regional planners should work harder to fold Worcester and Central Massachusetts into a so-called "greater Boston" area in the mold of the San Francisco Bay "area" that includes the communities of San Jose and Oakland.
Doing so, Isakson said, would make it easier for local startups and entrepreneurs to attract the kind of venture capital that has so far been lacking in the area.
Venture capitalists focus their attention primarily on three national geographic areas, San Francisco, San Diego and Boston. Identifying Worcester more closely with Boston can't help but attract more VC attention, Isakson said.
He also said that identifying more closely with Boston would help attract young professionals from other areas of the country.
Isakson made his remarks this morning at a discussion sponsored by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau at Gateway Park on the future of the area's life sciences community. He was joined by Ronnie Farquhar, divisional vice president of Charles River Laboratories in Shrewsbury; Eric Overstrom, director of life sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and John Sullivan, vice chancellor for research at UMass Medical School in Worcester.
Other means of sustaining life sciences growth in the region included making sure there is adequate and affordable housing for young professionals in and around the city and making sure local schools get students hooked on science, technology and mathematics at an early age.
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