10/1/2009

Massachusetts’ ability to maintain its leadership role in life sciences will depend largely on education and money going forward, industry leaders said at a University forum sponsored by the Sawyer Business School’s Institute for Executive Education.

A report from the Milken Institute released in May ranked the Boston area as the nation’s top cluster in the life sciences sector. But other regions are catching up.

Panelists participating in the “Leading the Business of Life Sciences” forum yesterday outlined what’s needed to keep the state’s “super-cluster” on top.

The panel was moderated by Susan R. Windham-Bannister, chief executive of the quasi-public Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, an economic development group. Panelists included:

• Steven C. Gilman, chief scientific officer with Cubist Pharmaceuticals of Lexington
• Peter Wirth, executive vice president with Cambridge-based Genzyme Corp.
• State Sen. Karen E. Spilka, chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies
• Stefan Winkler, life sciences sector specialist with the British Consulate General

Ensuring that academic institutions produce skilled workers will be critical to the region’s leadership role in life sciences, panelists said. While area universities are world leaders in producing PhDs and scientists, the education system also needs to focus on readying junior-level life sciences workers, they said.

Finding sources of money to fund biotech and other life sciences research also will be essential to the state’s success. Funding that once flowed into young life sciences companies from the public markets has largely dried up in recent years.  Panelists said they’ve seen a similar reduction of funding of biotechnology companies by large pharmaceutical companies, raising questions about where critical investments will come from in the future.

Panelists also pointed out the importance of providing a business climate that will attract companies. Reducing the cost of living and continuing to improve the state’s permitting process will help, they said.

Windham-Bannister outlined the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s priorities, including:

• Training and retaining a top-notch work force
• Making sure the region’s academic institutions remain competitive and able to compete for federal dollars
• Investing in young scientists and companies across the commonwealth

These fresh faces in the life sciences field “could become the Genzymes, Cubists, or Vertex Pharmaceuticals of the world,” she said.

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