Improve connectivity among life sciences stakeholders. Development of the full potential for life sciences growth and expansion in the Commonwealth demands connectivity in the form of the very best communications and transportation infrastructure. This may include more frequent rail connections between Boston and Worcester and improved rapid transit between MIT, Harvard Square, Allston, Boston University, Longwood, the Boston Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts. The needs of the life sciences cluster must be a prominent consideration in the planning of and decision making for transportation and communications policy.

Improve and enhance clinical trials in Massachusetts. Clinical trials performed by our world- class academic health centers and hospitals can provide an invaluable service to our life sciences companies in securing prompt Federal approvals for their products, in improving the quality of the healthcare system by expediting the introduction of potentially breakthrough drugs and therapies to the community, and also in providing a source of additional revenue to the institutions themselves. We should undertake a thorough assessment of the issues and challenges and investigate means to increase Phase II clinical trials and translational research.

Focus on preparation of a skilled life sciences workforce. We must support and develop creative and engaging K-12 science and math programs, strengthen and expand life science curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels of higher education, and promote adult literacy and skills-training programs to sustain our premier position in life sciences innovation over time. We must pursue the development of a seamless system of education and training that addresses the competencies and skills required by companies in the new economy, and we must connect industry and academia in this process of workforce preparation.

Increase funding for innovation. The so-called “Valley of Death” in the financing of innovative ventures and technologies often stunts the development of potentially breakthrough products and companies. This “valley” typically occurs at the critical step in the research and development process between funding through public sources and academia and funding through private equity or venture capital. We must identify more specifically the multiple sources of capital and improve access for early-stage technologies and start-up companies. As part of this review, we must explore creative uses of state and federal funds to fill the gap, as well as ways to facilitate the connection of emerging businesses with private funding sources.

Address the availability and cost of housing. The issue of available and affordable housing influences many of the conditions fundamental to the health and vitality of the Massachusetts economy, especially the ability to grow a labor force with the scale and skills necessary to fill the needs of innovative businesses. Recent data reflect flat population growth, anemic growth in the size of the available workforce, and the decision of younger workers and graduates to leave the Commonwealth for less costly locations. While others in the private and non-profit sectors and state government are pursuing initiatives to address this issue, the Collaborative is committed to participating and supporting these efforts vigorously. Furthermore, the location of the Bristol Myers Squibb facility in Devens, the Avant Immunotherapeutics pilot manufacturing plant in Fall River, and the growth of the Worcester Biotechnology Park in Central Massachusetts all demonstrate the potential for encouraging the expansion of the life sciences industry to areas of the Commonwealth with more affordable housing.

Support programs that enables the capture of downstream manufacturing. Recent reports have shown a substantial potential for increasing employment in the life sciences through the capture and growth of downstream manufacturing in the Commonwealth. In addition, increased attention must be directed to infrastructure needs critical to bio-manufacturing such as water and energy access. Programs such as the Massachusetts Bio-Manufacturing Center (a consortia of the University of Massachusetts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and other institutions) deserve support to ensure industry access to process development, scale-up, research, education and training services all of which directly enhance the potential of bio-manufacturing in Massachusetts.

Consistent, predictable, and efficient tax, regulatory, licensing and permitting policies are essential to the creation of an environment that fosters and nurtures company growth. Whether our economic development strategy relies on attraction of companies from elsewhere or growth of indigenous companies, the certainty of the regulatory approval process for company decision-makers is critical for life sciences companies and institutions. Some advances have been made over the last few years in permitting, but more needs to be done in this and other tax and regulatory areas that affect life sciences.

Increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NIH funds have enabled our pre-eminent academic health centers to achieve successful breakthroughs in the treatment and cure of many of our nation’s most persistent diseases. They have also fueled innovations in drugs and medical devices that have led to the creation of many of the businesses that now constitute our life sciences “mega-cluster.” A diminution of NIH funding poses a threat to the system of innovation that drives both critical medical research and also life sciences growth in the Commonwealth. Similarly, inadequate funding of the FDA will delay the review and approval process for new drugs and devices and impede the ability of life sciences companies to bring new products to market in a timely fashion. These delays in an already protracted process of research, development and review not only affect the capacity of our companies to compete effectively in the global marketplace, but also deny patients and caregivers new tools with which to treat disease and injury.