Governor Patrick Celebrates Groundbreaking Of Novartis Expansion And 300 New Jobs

Posted by jcashman

Governor Deval Patrick today joined local officials and workers at Novartis for the groundbreaking of the company’s growing research facility, highlighting the continued success and expansion of the Massachusetts life sciences industry. The expansion is part of a $600 million investment by Novartis that will lead to 300 new jobs over the next five years. The company currently employs more than 2,000 people in Cambridge, making it the largest corporate employer in the city.

“This project reinforces our commitment to keeping the life sciences industry here the best in the world,” said Governor Patrick. “I’m happy to celebrate this groundbreaking and I look forward to watching Novartis grow and thrive here in Massachusetts.”

The expansion project will add more than 400,000 square feet of lab, office and retail space near the company’s existing research headquarters on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.

“Today marks an important milestone for Novartis in Massachusetts,” said Mark Fishman, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. “Ten years ago we were the first large pharmaceutical company to set up a global research headquarters in the heart of the vibrant life sciences cluster that is here and we are thrilled to be reaffirming our commitment to research and Massachusetts with our expansion in Cambridge.”

“This project represents a significant investment by Novartis in their Massachusetts operations, part of a very positive trend of major global life sciences companies choosing Massachusetts as a strategic location to invest,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, president & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “This groundbreaking is a great day for Novartis and an important step in the ongoing growth of the Massachusetts life sciences supercluster.”

The life sciences sector in Massachusetts has become one of the foremost research and innovation industries in the world, fueled by Governor Patrick’s 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative. The support of large and small companies in their research, development and commercialization efforts has strengthened Massachusetts’ position as a global leader.

This morning, Governor Patrick addressed the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) 2012 annual meeting in Boston, discussing the Administration’s investments and growth strategies that will continue to make Massachusetts a world leader in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

Since the Initiative started in 2008, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center has invested more than $265 million in state resources, generating more than $800 million in outside investment and creating thousands of jobs. The center has created more than one million square feet of new laboratory and biomanufacturing space. Recently, Boston was ranked the top life sciences cluster in the country by global real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle and the best in biotech-related construction by Richards, Barry, Joyce & Partners real estate.

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Posted by jcashman on Apr 12 2012. Filed under Featured - For home page featured article, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry