the berkshire Innovation Center and it's something we've worked
for the last couple years to
I secure funding from the state and
week specifically from the life science center which is a a corporation
hot ways a governmental organization that as
charged with investing billion dollars
in life sciences across the the camelot Massachusetts
the bursars a long history into the manufacturing practices and innovative
agricultural practices
you name it our traditional industries were not always traditional
they were innovative now 1 and we absolutely can and should you use only
in the years I don't bring the solution
to market so for many years we've been talking about
manufacturing and this is a former GE town
and
and a lot of people had an expectation for many years that
there's a hope that GE year another large manufacturer would come back
but the reality is that type Manufacturing's
simply going to go away and has been so
over the last few years we've actually seen growth in the area
advanced manufacturing this really specialized area
so this is a way to tap into a market that actually exists
we secured about a ten million dollar grant that includes not just up putting
up a twenty thousand-square-foot building but also
investing in cutting-edge technology that will allow are applied materials
companies are plastic companies
who are in the life science industry allow them to grow in the next level
instead of making a two million dollar bass Penn
that a lot of businesses don't have to provide for
up-front capital they're able said access
to that that sort of technology that the Innovation Center will have
we have had a number of pop culture which said that they want to be involved
in the
on the board but also want to be involved its members
and they include research institutions from the Albany area
the N&O Technology Center RPI is interested
we have both you may ask rolled mash Amherst is involved virtual community
college
mask collagen liberal arts but then a main number
I love a small and medium-sized applied materials companies
we're delighted to be partnering with them in providing any kind
what we can all be opportunities for education
for clean technology to developing curriculum with the businesses in the
area
to help prepare their workforces when innovation comes along and
as they're trying to ramp up and meet new needs and me i world economy
it means that when we're a talking about
creating jobs in the 21st century that we actually have
a in outcome for for young people
in other words yes they can get jobs in engineering field the new jobs
in in biotech but unless you actually have those jobs available
in the Berkshires their rings hollow this is just one more opportunity for
them
to have career opportunities and to remain here in Berkshire County
I'm supporting not only the county but the Commonwealth with with their good
work
supporting their families it will be located
or I G plant site I
which is now called the Williams family business park and it's at a partial
land and East Street Pittsfield we'll start our planning
hoping that break ground and if this year
the beginning at next year would like to think that by the end of 2015 the
the center will be up and running
not been to what it's been the purchase for about 35 years it's the most hopeful
like Ben
about where our future outlay and
it was so exciting to see the possibilities and to see
the opportunity to bring on the ski manufactures together and they may not
have necessarily collaborated or seen ways it could collaborate
and suddenly this will bring them together around the R&D and
and figuring out what each other does and how to paxil everybody get a
competitive bid on projects they may not applied independently that person