Boston's competitive advantage is all about access. Access to industry-leading R&D. Access to a broad, skilled workforce. Access to principle investigators at institutions such as Mass General and Harvard Medical School. And, of course, access to capital -- traditional financing, federal grants, and VC funding.
      In Boston, ideas, products, and people move quickly between labs, production facilities, suppliers, and vendors. Exceptional transportation assets, including a far-reaching public transit system and $14 billion of new highway infrastructure, extend the labor pool and create supply chain and distribution efficiencies.
      The Boston Marine Industrial Park (MIP) offers manufacturing space starting at $5 a square foot. Sitting at the mouth of Boston's new Ted Williams Tunnel, it is a mere five-minute drive from Logan Airport. Five minutes in the opposite direction are Interstates 90 and 93, as well as regional Amtrak and Commuter Rail service.
      Starting this fall, public transit will carry employees right into the MIP, with the opening of Boston's new Silver Line rapid transit.
      Located in Boston's federal Empowerment Zone, MIP tenants take advantage of substantial federal tax credits, incentives, and financing mechanisms. Mayor Thomas M. Menino established Boston's Back Streets program (www.BostonBackStreets.com) to advocate for manufacturers and provide assistance with site selection and financing. The Lifetech Boston program (www.LifetechBoston.com) provides similar resources for biotech and medical device companies. Together, these programs have created a low-interest build-out loan fund to help manufacturers defray the costs of expensive tenant improvements.
      Immunetics, Inc., which develops and manufactures diagnostic test kits, has a MIP facility that combines manufacturing and R&D space with harbor and skyline views. CEO Andrew Levin had this to say about the company's site: "Our new Boston facility is affordable and accessible, and the City helped finance our build-out."
      With Boston's many life sciences companies moving toward FDA trials, pilot manufacturers should look closely at Boston. Executives at these firms are very vocal about the appeal of contracting with manufacturing facilities proximate to their R&D facilities.
      Visit www.cityofboston.gov/bra/mip to see a 3-minute video of current MIP tenants talking about how this site gives their companies critical competitive advantages.
     

Top of Page | Cover | Letter to Editor | Site Selection Online | SiteNet |