Massachusetts' population grew 5.6 per cent during the last decade, according to the 2000 census, exceeding forecasts. The Bay State's energetic business community helped, particularly the high-tech sector, which attracts scores of firms seeking to tap the huge pool of higher education resources.
     "These census figures reflect the vibrancy of our economy and our area," says Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin. The state grants generous tax credits for foreign and domestic companies engaged in research and development. According to the US Patent Office, Massachusetts leads the US in patents per capita, prompting further investment in scientific research and development.
     Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, an-nounced last year a $1 billion expansion to its microchip factory in Hudson, Mass. The company is refitting the plant to utilize the latest chip manufacturing machinery. In 2000, Intel hired 1,000 new employees and this year it plans to hire 600 more.
     The city of Boston is moving forward on a $1 billion plan to revitalize Boston harbor. The plan calls for 2.9 million sq. ft. (270,000 sq. m.) of mixed-use space at Fan Pier. The plan would rejuvenate Boston's waterfront area with a park at Fan Pier Cove and green spaces along the perimeter.
     Massachusetts is expected to survive the slowdown in the economy with no more than a few bumps. A recent survey by CRESA Partners of Boston suggests that commercial rents will fall in 2001 by as much as $5 per square foot, thus making affordable space available in a demanding market. Prof. Craig L. Moore, a political economist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, thinks the slowdown may be good for Massachusetts' economy, where businesses have suffered from a tight labor market.