The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, created by the Massachusetts legislature in June 2006. The MLSC is closely affiliated with the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development but is not subject to its direct supervision or control.
The MLSC was established to promote the life sciences within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is tasked with investing in life sciences research and economic development. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions growing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties between sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community.
On May 8, 2007, during a speech at the BIO 2007 conference, Governor Deval Patrick announced a new Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative. The Initiative includes a $1 billion investment package (over ten years) to enhance and strengthen the state’s internationally recognized leadership in the life sciences. The Patrick Administration’s strategy brings together industry, academic research hospitals and public and private colleges and universities to coordinate this effort, spur new research, strengthen investments, create new jobs and produce new therapies for a better quality of life. The Governor’s initiative is focused on five points of the development cycle to ensure a comprehensive statewide strategy: funding, planning, research, development and commercialization.
The MLSC is a key component and the primary agency tasked with realizing the vision of Governor Patrick’s Life Sciences Initiative, intended to focus on scientific and economic development, strategic investments at critical stages of the development cycle and collaboration with the private sector to create innovation infrastructure critical to both researchers and companies. This initiative is intended to strengthen Massachusetts as a global leader in life sciences research, innovation and employment.