BioConnects New England, Kassner to Drive Life Sciences Development

BioConnects New England (BCNE) is collaborating with State Representative Kristin Kassner in an effort to encourage increased life sciences development within the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Over the course of the next several months, Rep. Kassner and members of the BCNE leadership team will meet with local elected officials, business owners, educational institutions, community organizations and workforce development leaders throughout the North Shore to build understanding among community leaders by clarifying the biotech sector, its many job pathways, and the benefits it brings to local workers and economies.

Tours of Boston area biotech laboratories are planned and a North Shore Community Leadership Summit will convene in late spring to explore strategies for regional sustainable biotech growth.

“The biotech sector and its affiliated industries have strong roots in the Commonwealth, provides many area jobs and has helped to stabilize local economies. There is tremendous economic opportunity on the North Shore due to the strength of our existing companies, institutions and talented workforce,” said Representative Kassner. “We also know that one size doesn’t fit all and need the communities at the table. These conversations, tours, and convening will help ensure that any biotech development on the North Shore is thoughtful, transparent, and aligned with the long-term needs of our towns.”

According to MassBioEd, the Massachusetts life sciences sector is projected to add nearly 17,000 new jobs by 2029, signaling strong demand for talent and space beyond the current biotech hub of Boston and Cambridge. The North Shore offers more affordable commercial real estate, larger parcels suitable for manufacturing, and less restrictive permitting and development pathways than the Boston/Cambridge core.

Biotech expansion into the North Shore would bring a mix of research and development, manufacturing, quality control, regulatory, and technical operations opportunities, offering higher than average wages and stable long-term career paths.

“Building the North Shore’s biotech future begins with engaging the communities it will serve,” said Jared Auclair, co-lead of BCNE and Dean of Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. “True biotech progress depends on trust, transparency, and collaboration with the people who call the North Shore home; only then can we unlock the region’s true economic potential within the burgeoning life sciences industry.”

Rep. Kassner is the State Representative for the 2nd Essex district, which includes Ipswich, Hamilton, Rowley, Newbury, Georgetown, and Topsfield precinct 1. She currently sits on several House committees, including the Joint Committees on Environment and Natural Resources, Municipalities and Regional Government, Revenue and Ways and Means. She is also a member of the biotechnology caucus.

About BioConnects New England

BioConnects New England (BCNE) is a multi-state coalition committed to expanding access, education, and opportunity across the biotechnology sector in Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. With a mission to transform New England into a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient biomanufacturing hub, BCNE is bridging regional gaps and cultivating a future-ready workforce to empower and drive the next generation of biotech innovation.

Launched through a Phase 1 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2021, BCNE is focused on strengthening existing biomanufacturing infrastructure and establishing new pathways to increase employment and educational opportunities. These efforts are aimed at underserved regions and populations that have historically been excluded from the biotechnology industry – one of New England’s fastest-growing sectors with national significance.

Now in its fifth year, BioConnects New England continues to expand its reach and impact, with more than 40 partnerships across the Northeast helping to fuel its vision for a more connected and inclusive biotech ecosystem.