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星期六, 1月 30, 2016

“老鷹想飛”有意訪波 尋求支持者

一群住在波士頓的熱心人,有意把一部拍了23年,闡述環境保護,記錄高中生物老師梁振中了解到台灣老鷹只剩175隻後,辭去教職,全心守護的記錄片,帶到波士頓放映,並邀請導演梁皆得親自出席,刻正公開募集活動經費。
有意資助者,可洽康麗雪 lisatarheel@gmail.com

以下為有關“老鷹想飛”一片的概略資料。
「老鷹想飛」主角之一:老鷹(Black Kite 黑鳶 麻鷹) 雙翼展開長約150~160 cm,中大型猛禽
食性:動物屍體、魚類、小型兩生爬蟲類、人類垃圾等肉雜食性 棲息環境 :山地到平地、農田到都市區、漁港

全世界分布
台灣狀況:
(
1863 史溫侯)全台南北各地普遍可見 (1960年代)台灣 村仍可見成群飛翔
(
1980以後)族群 減 (1991中華鳥會普)僅基隆與屏東有分布,全台 175農委會公告「珍貴稀有野生動物」
台灣的老鷹去哪裡了?
「老鷹想飛」主角之二:沈振中 老師
1991年,高中生物老師 沈振中 因緣際會立誓為老鷹立傳。他辭掉教職,簡樸度日,於 1992~2012,3858,花費一生最精華的時光,自力守護台灣老鷹 20年。
影片紀錄工作者 梁皆得 導演默默陪伴,記錄了沈振中 20年行足跡。
「老鷹想飛」主角之三:受沈老師感動影響的人
香港,台灣面積的 3%,卻是全球老鷹密度最高的地區。超過 2000隻老鷹棲息,使香港又被稱為 麻鷹 之城(老鷹港名麻鷹)。
香港觀鳥會 受沈老師影響創立 「麻鷹研究小組」 ,持續研究保育香港老鷹。 並於2007年起每年舉辦「香港麻鷹節」 (連結)進行研究交流與保育教育推廣,至 20161月已是第 10届。(香港麻鷹報導連結)
追隨沈老師,台灣接棒的新生代,屏東科技大學 林惠珊 [就算只當工友,也要做老鷹研究]連結
「老鷹想飛」主角之四、五、六:來看電影的你 我 他
所以,台灣的老鷹去哪裡了?為什麼有人願意為老鷹畢生奉獻?
誠摯邀請您來看「老鷹想飛」找答案,透過 23年的拍攝鏡頭,會看到台灣土地風貌的變遷,看到台灣與國外老 鷹的差別待遇,看到台灣老鷹岌岌可危的生存奮鬥,更看到研究人員堅毅努力的行動付出。這部片,不是單一 種鳥或某一個人的記錄,它更訴 了土地與情感;是一個發始於渺小的鳥與人之間的誓言,進而成就大願,現 在要靠大家接力進行下去的動人故事。
一部拍了23年的電影 ~「老鷹想飛」
「老鷹想飛」
★「老鷹想飛」新聞稿 『這個地球上唯有生命可以感動生命』 (連結)
梁皆得 導演談拍片與後製過程『 這是我第一次拍「有人」的紀錄片 (連結)
★台灣最真情的歐吉桑 念真 無償旁白配音 ★2013年金馬獎最佳原創電影音樂奬得主 林強 演唱主題曲並配樂
★於全世界112國共1800部作品中穎而出, 獲得2015年第12届世界自然 野生生物影像祭 <<環境保護獎>>
★影評推薦:『二十年?那是一個怎樣的生命跨度呀!』 (連結)
★觀眾推薦: 『激動落淚 ...』『適合帶小孩一起去看 ...』 『思考我們該還給土地什麼 ...』『謝謝一群可愛又可敬的傻子與瘋子 ...(連結)


Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates School Choice Week in Massachusetts

Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates School Choice Week in Massachusetts

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker released the following statement in recognition of School Choice Week in Massachusetts and the importance of ensuring all children, regardless of their zip code, are able to access high-quality, affordable education.

“Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in education with schools and teachers that are preparing our children for a successful future,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “By continuing to expand access to high-quality education, we can provide our parents and students across the Commonwealth with excellent choices and opportunities regardless of their zip code.”

Proclaimed by the Governor, School Choice Week in Massachusetts coincides withNational School Choice Week, which spotlights educational opportunities for children, including public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, private schools, and homeschooling.

“National School Choice Week is an opportunity to recognize all our schools, whether traditional, charter, public, private, vocational-technical, parochial or otherwise, and the opportunities for success they provide our families,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “We are committed to ensuring, whatever a parents’ choice, the highest academic quality is available to all Massachusetts families.”

This week, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito proposed increasing Chapter 70 education funding by $72.1 million as part of the administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget legislation. In addition, the governor has proposed adding over $20 million for a revised charter school reimbursement formula.

Governor Baker and his Workforce Skills Cabinet recently announced a series of new initiatives to support career vocational technical education, including $83.5 million to be proposed between the FY 2017 budget recommendation and new capital grant funding which was filed this week in the governor’s “Opportunities for All” economic development legislation.

星期四, 1月 28, 2016

BTBA 1/31 談製藥發展

Dear Friends of BTBA,

We are pleased to invite Irene Lau, Strategy and Business Analysis Manager at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to share with us how businesses make strategic decisions along the drug development process. Please see details below.

Title: Drug Development - How it all comes together
Time: January 31 (Sun) 3:00-4:00pm
Location: MIT 56-154 (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=56)
Free. No registration needed.
Add to Google Calendar

生技產業與製藥的發展一定要有好的Science 來支撐,但只有技術在市場競爭上是絕對不夠的。好的生技公司在實驗室的背後一定要有最專業的團隊來進行精確的市場分析與決策,每一筆決策都攸關公司未來的發展。

這個月的workshop BTBA 邀請目前在Alnylam Pharmaceuticals 擔任Strategy and Business Analysis Manager的Irene Lau 給我們一個深入了解。有商業背景想要進入生技產業決策核心的朋友不能錯過;在第一線研究的Scientist更不能錯過這個機會了解你的心血是如何經由最專業的決策分析最終進入到市場喔! 

Speaker: Irene Lau 
Manager in Strategy and Business Analysis - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Irene joined Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in 2015 and supports the head of product development strategy. Most recently, Irene served at Goldman Sachs as an associate on the large-cap biotech research team. Prior to GS, Irene worked at boutique/mid market investment banks including Leerink, Oppenheimer and Thinkequity with an emphasis on the biotech sector. Irene graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in microbiology.

Hope to see you there!

Best,
BTBA

COCKTAIL NAPKIN INSIDER TIP LEADS TO FEDERAL CONVICTION

COCKTAIL NAPKIN INSIDER TIP LEADS TO FEDERAL CONVICTION
 
BOSTON – Following a three-day trial, a Boston-area real estate developer was convicted today of engaging in insider trading for buying – and later selling – shares of Wainwright Bank & Trust Company (“Wainwright”) based on a tip that Wainwright would be acquired.  Prior to the acquisition, shares of Wainwright traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
 
Robert H. Bray, 78, of Watertown, was convicted by a jury of one count of securities fraud.   He was acquitted of a separate count of conspiracy.  U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 4, 2016.
 
Bray is the owner of R&B Construction, a construction and real-estate development company that operates in the Cambridge and Watertown area.  As the government proved at trial, in June 2010, Bray was tipped by a friend who was an executive at Boston-based Eastern Bank Corp. (“Eastern Bank”) that Wainwright would be acquired.  The tip – more than two weeks before the acquisition was publicly announced – was passed on a napkin slipped to Bray over drinks at a country club bar in Watertown where both men are members.  On Monday, June 14, 2010, Bray called his broker to ask how he could buy 25,000 shares of Wainwright stock, which he acknowledged “kinda sounds crazy,” given how thinly the stock traded.  Bray ultimately purchased a total of 31,000 Wainwright shares over the next two weeks, at prices between $8.85 and $9.90 per share, single-handedly accounting for some 56 percent of the total trading volume in Wainwright shares during that period.  On June 29, 2010, Eastern Bank announced its agreement to acquire Wainwright for $19 per share in cash, a premium of nearly 100% over the stock’s prior closing price.  Bray ultimately sold his shares for a profit of approximately $300,000.
 
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. 
 
“Today’s conviction underscores our commitment to making sure that there is a level playing field for all securities investors – and that those who would pass on confidential corporate information on napkins at bars, in whispered conversations on golf courses or in any other way, are held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz.
 
“Mr. Bray thought he could engage in a back-door deal to get rich quick.  By capitalizing on insider information, he cheated the system established to protect hard-working investors.  Financial fraud is not a victimless crime and the FBI will do everything it can to identify those individuals who are trying to undermine the integrity of the financial market,” said Special Agent in Charge Shaw. 
 
The maximum sentence under the statute is 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to five million dollars.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
 
The United States Attorney’s Office received valuable assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the course of investigating this case.  The case was prosecuted by Stephen E. Frank and Eric P. Christofferson of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.

RHODE ISLAND WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO $800,000 IMMIGRATION SCAM

RHODE ISLAND WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO $800,000 IMMIGRATION SCAM
 
BOSTON – A Woonsocket woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Worcester to federal wire fraud charges in connection with a scheme to defraud immigrants that netted over $800,000.
 
Patria Zuniga, 53, of Woonsocket, R.I., pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2016. 
 
From 2009 through 2012, Zuniga targeted immigrant victims telling them that she worked for US immigration authorities and could assist them in lawfully obtaining permanent resident immigration status.  The victims typically had no lawful status or temporary legal status in the United States.  Zuniga’s services were initially offered for $8,000 to $14,000; however, after the victims made the payments, Zuniga extorted additional funds by, among other things, threatening to have them deported if they refused to pay. 
 
Victim payments were initially made in cash, but later in the scheme Zuniga accepted money via cash deposits made directly into designated bank accounts (including accounts owned by her daughters), money orders, and bank and Western Union wire transfers.  In total, victims paid more $800,000 over the course of the fraud.
 
In furtherance of her scheme, Zuniga employed a variety of tools to create the appearance of legitimacy in front of the victims.  For example, in order to prove that she could in fact deliver the promised immigration benefits, Zuniga showed her victims photocopies of immigration documents with their names and photographs on them, which she had forged.  Zuniga also routinely arranged for victims to travel to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Offices in Boston purportedly to take receipt of the  of the immigration documents.  Upon arrival, victims waited for hours only to have Zuniga contact and cancel the non-existent appointment. 
 
Zuniga’s daughters, Alba Peña and Indranis Rocheford, have also been charged in connection with the fraud.  They are scheduled for trial in April 2016. 
 
Zuniga faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 per count of wire fraud.   Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
 
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Jordi de Llano of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

Boston State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz Endorses Diana Hwang for State Senate

Boston State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz Endorses
Diana Hwang for State Senate

Boston, MA - Boston Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz today endorsed Democrat Diana Hwang for State Senate.  Hwang, a local non-profit founder and former State House staffer, is a candidate to replace Anthony Petruccelli in the Democratic primary special election for Massachusetts’ First Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate District.

I’m excited to strongly endorse Diana Hwang for State Senate. I have worked with Diana at the State House and seen, firsthand, the work she has done to mentor young women -- she has the experience at the State House, in City Hall and as a nonprofit leader to hit the ground running.  She will work tirelessly on behalf of each and every family across the First Suffolk and Middlesex district” Chang-Diaz said.  “Diana’s story is one that so many share, including myself. She grew up in a family of immigrants who struggled to stay in the middle class, and she can relate to families all across this diverse district, whether their families came to our communities a century ago or in the past decade. Diana has spent her career mentoring young, mostly low-income women and helping to make government accessible for everyone, even those who are often marginalized. We can trust Diana to be a real advocate for women, for immigrants, and for everyone as a State Senator.” 

“Senator Chang-Diaz’s work reflects the values I have advanced in my career – especially by effecting change of the system by working within it.  I’m so honored to have her endorsement” Hwang remarked. “Earning the support and confidence of both Boston Senators, Sonia Chang-Diaz and Linda Dorcena Forry means so much to me because they have two of the strongest records when it comes to improving the lives of all working families. These endorsements reflect the type of Senator I will be – one who works each and every day to improve the lives of the people I hope to represent at the State House.”

Chang-Diaz, first elected in 2008, has been a champion for women, girls, and immigrants as a State Senator representing Boston from the South End through Jamaica Plain and Mattapan.  Prior to redistricting in 2010, she also represented Chinatown, Bay Village, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay which are now part of the First Suffolk and Middlesex District. As chair of the Joint Committee on Education, Chang-Diaz has been a leader in improving public education for all students and working to close the achievement gap.  The endorsement is Diana’s second high-profile endorsement from a sitting state senator.  Senator Chang-Diaz joins Boston State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, who endorsed Hwang’s candidacy last week.  Notably, Senators Chang-Diaz and Forry, both of Boston, are the only women of color in the Massachusetts State Senate. Diana Hwang would be the third.  Hwang’s campaign continues to pick up momentum heading into an April 12th special election primary.

The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Diana Hwang is the founder of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative – the country’s first political leadership organization for young Asian-American women.  She previously served as a legislative aide in the State House and a Chief of Staff in the Boston City Council.  Diana serves as Board member of the UMass Center for Women in Politics, served as co-chair of the Boston Women’s Fund and is a founding member of Mayor Walsh’s Women’s Commission.  Diana currently lives in East Boston and previously lived in Revere.

先聲藥業進劍橋設辦公室 將抵波士頓辦國際生命科學創新創業賽

China-based BioSciKin and Simcere Pharmaceuticals announcing the launch of a life sciences start-up competition that will include a preliminary round in the Boston area.  Winners in each preliminary will receive $30,000 in non-dilutive financing, with the top two companies from each region receiving a paid trip to Shanghai to present in front of Chinese investors.  The East-coast preliminary will take place on April 5th at MassBio.

Also note that Simcere (as a second part of this release) is announcing the opening of an office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and MassBio have been working with Simcere on their U.S. location options for the past year.

Chinese Investors Looking for Future Unicorns- startup competition in life science 

Cambridge, MA (Jan. 28th, 2016) Nanjing BioSciKin Co., Ltd (“BioSciKin” or “BSK” or the “Company”), an open investment and incubation platform in China for life science innovation, announced today that the Company is sponsoring an international startup contest in life science, especially in precision medicine and e-health. The co-sponsors include influential Chinese industrial investors, pharmaceutical companies and Chinese media with the support of a powerful alliance of strategic investors. The event runs from January to May 2016. It will take place in 8 cities in both China and the US, with the US preliminaries held in San Francisco and Boston.
Sponsors are:
● Simcere Pharmaceutical Group
● BioSciKin
● Simcere State Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug R&D
● HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE Magazine
● Firestone Investing


Who should apply?
The event welcomes both companies and entrepreneurial teams in Life science, especially in precision medicine or e-health related areas, including but not limited to: companion diagnostic coupled medicine, Gene Therapy, Cell Therapy, Stem Cell, Bio-bank, Biomarker discovery, NGS, Molecular Diagnostics, POCT, e-Health, 3D Printing, Big Data, etc.

Rewards for winners:
l  For each preliminary in the US: $30,000 for first prize (1 winner), and the prize money is non-dilutive.
l  Trip to Shanghai to attend final competition in May 2016 for the top two finalists from each preliminary
l  For final contestants: potential strategic investments from attending investors
l  Option to leverage support from Simcere & BioSciKin: Collaboration opportunities in R&D, marketing, distribution etc.

When & Where:
East Coast Preliminary
Date: April 05, 2016
Time: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: MassBio, 300 Technology Square, 8th Floor, MassBio Collaboration Room, Cambridge, MA 02139
Co-organized by:
Harvard Medical School Chinese Scholars and Scientists Association (HMS-CSSA), SAPA-NE, MIT-CHIEF, NECINACABA , 128 CUTE, ACMA
Supporting organization MassBio
Publicity partner:  Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

West Coast Preliminary
Date: April 07, 2016
Time: 6:30-10:30 p.m. Western Time
Location: Room130, Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305
Co-organized by:
Chinese American Biopharmaceutical Society (CABS)
Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Stanford (ACSSS)
Supporting organization: California Life Sciences Association (CLSA)

How to participate
1. Application Deadline is March 15, 2016: please send an executive summary or no more than 10 slides in either PowerPoint or as a PDF along with your contact information to pitching@bioscikin.com (Boston) or http://www.cabsweb.org/cabs-business-plan-contest/ (SFO).
2.    About 10 startups will be selected to showcase their projects at preliminaries.  You will receive a formal invitation to the preliminaries.  Two teams with the highest ratings from the judging panel will advance to the final.

For more information, please email BSK’s US contacts and ask for a full description of this event.
East Coast liqiangtou@gmail.com or call 617-319-8265 or West Coast: cabs_icc@cabs.org or call 626-272-6619.

About Simcere
Simcere is an emerging leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing of innovative medicines and branded generics in China. Simcere was the first Chinese chemical and biological drug company to list on the NYSE in 2007. In 2013, the company went private for strategic considerations. In 2015, Simcere’s translational medicine and innovative drug R&D platform was recognized as a State Key Laboratory by the National Ministry of Science and Technology. The company has been actively pursuing cross-border partnerships to bring global innovation to China. In Boston and New Jersey, Simcere now has two offices in the US for accelerating international business development.

About BioSciKin
BioSciKin (BSK) is an open platform in China for life science entrepreneurs and innovators. BSK focuses on three major healthcare areas: novel therapeutics, medical devices and mobile healthcare services, BSK is looking for partnership from all over the world for co-development of innovative approaches in precision medicine. In Nanjing, Shanghai and Tianjin, BSK has established 3 R&D-oriented incubation parks with advanced R&D facilities to provide entrepreneurs with customized service and support packages. For more information, please go to BSK’s official website: www.bioscikin.com
You can also email to Ms. Ray Zhang, Senior BD director, BioSciKin (zhangruikun@bioscikin.com )

About HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE Magazine
HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE is an influential magazine in the Chinese healthcare industry. 

About Firestone
Firestone focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship services in the healthcare industry. 

波士頓推出繳停車罰款新軟體 Paytix


MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF BOSTON PAYTIX, A NEW PARKING TICKET PAYMENT APP

BOSTON - Thursday, January 28, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City of Boston is launching Boston PayTix, a new app that allows for quick, convenient and secure parking ticket payments by smartphone.  The app also provides parking ticket payment reminders and alerts to help motor vehicle owners avoid late fees, a feature for users to maintain an online list of their personal parking ticket history and an option to look up their unpaid parking tickets.  The free Boston PayTix app is being introduced as a joint collaboration between the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, the Department of Innovation and Technology and the Boston Transportation Department in partnership with Xerox.

"The new PayTix app is another example of how we're using technology to make city government more efficient and effective for the people of Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "We've seen through other city initiatives, such as ParkBoston and 311, that mobile apps are a great tool and we look forward to continue finding new ways to utilize technology to improve basic city services."

"Like the new smart meters being installed on local streets to replace our inventory of outdated parking meters, PayTix is a good example of how current technology is being used to improve customer service and enhance our parking management system in Boston," said Gina Fiandaca, Commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department.

Over the past year, through another partnership with TicketZen, the City saw a steady increase of parking violations being paid with the mobile app. The proof-of-concept project for mobile parking ticket payment with TicketZen showed the demand from users to continue this service, with over 2,100 ticket payment transactions a month through the app. TicketZen made a business decision to focus on other products at the conclusion of the pilot with the City in November.

"While it's never fun to pay a parking ticket, we want to make sure that every digital interaction with the City of Boston is friendly, convenient, and fast," said Chief Information Officer Jascha Franklin-Hodge. "PayTix joins BOS:311, Trash Day, and ParkBoston as essential mobile apps for people who live or work in Boston."

"We were thankful to work with a local start-up in TicketZen over the past year, and learned a great deal about the demand for these types of services available on mobile devices," said Kris Carter of the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics. "We are excited to launch the next generation of this service in the Boston PayTix app, just one of the digital tools making life easier for both visitors and residents."

Boston PayTix is available to smartphone users at the App Store and Google Play. When a City of Boston parking ticket is received, users should use their phone to scan the barcode, enter their payment information and press the submit button. Parking ticket numbers may also be entered manually. If your ticket has not yet been entered into the City of Boston's parking management system, Boston PayTix will forward you an automatic reminder to check the ticket availability at a later time. Personal credit card information is not stored using Boston PayTix and security safeguards are in place.

For technical support or feedback, residents and visitors should contact paytixsupport@xerox.com. Residents and visitors with questions or comments regarding City of Boston parking tickets should contact the City of Boston Office of the Parking Clerk at 617-635-4410 or visit cityofboston.gov/DoIT/apps/paytix to learn more about the app.

Baker-Polito Administration Files Economic Development Legislation Providing “Opportunities for All”

Baker-Polito Administration Files Economic Development Legislation Providing “Opportunities for All”
Community support, workforce development and emerging technology focus of $918 million investment

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito today filed legislation to advance job creation and economic growth by empowering communities and regions to reach their potential, expanding workforce development efforts to close the skills gap and connect residents with economic opportunities, and investing in emerging technologies to set the stage for future job growth across the Commonwealth.

“We are committed to creating a platform for growth and prosperity across the Commonwealth, and this legislation will make key investments in the economic potential of our communities and residents,” said Governor Baker. “Strong communities, a highly-trained workforce, and our commitment to welcoming emerging technologies will ensure Massachusetts’ continues to have a pro-growth business environment providing economic opportunities for all.”

The legislation, “An Act to Provide Opportunities for All,” reflects and begins to implement several aspects of the Baker-Polito Administration’s comprehensive economic development plan, including investments of up to $918 million in capital funding for local infrastructure, Brownfields site cleanup, Gateway Cities development, development site assembly and site readiness, smart growth housing, workforce development, emerging technologies, and community-based innovation.

“Community development and revitalization have been priorities of ours since day one, and this bill will provide new investments and tools to enable and leverage private development toward that goal,” said Lieutenant Governor Polito.“Opportunities to expand the successful MassWorks infrastructure program, spur industrial and commercial development outside Route 128 and reform housing production incentives will help build strong, vibrant communities and drive growth across the Commonwealth.”

The legislation also makes several reforms relative to smart growth housing, streamlines the state’s Economic Development Incentive Program, and refocuses the work of regional economic development nonprofits.

“Massachusetts’ greatest asset is its brainpower, and this legislation provides the state’s innovators with the tools they need to create the next generation of jobs in technology and in advanced manufacturing,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash. “By supporting public-private partnerships in applied research, and community-based innovation spaces, this economic development bill will deepen our innovation ecosystem, cement Massachusetts’ position as the nation’s most innovative state, and harness emerging technologies to create long-term job growth in every region of the Commonwealth.”

“One of the things we are focused on in the Baker administration is creating opportunities for all residents. With this economic development plan we will ensure more people get skills, education and training to fill the jobs employers have open now and in the future,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald L. Walker, II. “The $75 million in Workforce Skills Capital grants will enable career and technical training programs to give students the skills they need to compete for jobs in today’s high-tech environment.”

“This economic development plan will not only help replicate what works, but will also offer critical tools to allow municipalities, higher education institutions, and the private sector to leverage partnerships in more areas of the Commonwealth than ever before,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “It will also significantly expand the administration’s commitment to growing a stronger pipeline of students who will be ready to meet current and future workforce needs, especially in emerging STEM fields.”  

“Housing development is a fundamental aspect of economic development,” said Undersecretary for Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay. “The bill we filed today creates new tools for building smart growth housing in a variety of communities, from Gateway Cities, to town centers and suburban communities. It creates new tools for engaging with communities, building local capacity, and creating incentives for communities to help move statewide housing production forward.”

An Act to Provide Opportunities for All is organized around four foundational themes: preparing communities for success, a new Massachusetts Innovation Initiative, workforce development, and economic competitiveness.

Preparing Communities for Success

·       MassWorks ($500 million proposed capital authorization): Reauthorizes a capital grant program that provides municipalities and other public entities with public infrastructure grants to support economic development and job creation.

·       Transformative Development Initiative ($50 million proposed capital authorization): Supports the revitalization of Gateway Cities, by enabling MassDevelopment to make long-term patient equity investments in key properties in Transformative Development Initiative districts, with the goal of accelerating the maturation of private real estate markets.

·       Brownfields Redevelopment Fund ($75 million proposed capital authorization):Moves funding for the state’s Brownfields Redevelopment Fund to the capital program, providing a reliable long-term funding stream for a fund that is the Commonwealth’s primary tool for facilitating the redevelopment of contaminated properties.

·       Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund ($25 million proposed capital authorization): Moves funding for the state’s Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund to the capital program, providing a reliable long-term funding stream for a fund that is the Commonwealth’s primary tool for facilitating smart growth housing development.

·       Site Readiness Fund ($25 million proposed capital authorization): Advances regional job creation by creating a new fund for site assembly and pre-development activities that support regionally significant commercial or industrial development opportunities.

·       Housing-Related Tax Increment Financing: Supports housing production in town centers by reforming a seldom-used local-only smart growth tax incentive program, removing onerous regulations, and allowing communities to set their own affordability requirements.

·       Starter Home Zoning: Incentivizes the creation of smaller, denser, and more affordable single-family homes by creating a new starter home option under the Chapter 40R smart growth housing program.

·       Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) Reform: Supports the development of market-rate housing in Gateway Cities by allowing credits to support new construction, and by raising the formula that sets housing development incentives.

·       I-Cubed Reform: Reforms the I-Cubed infrastructure program by removing unnecessary program requirements, building flexibility into the program, and aligning program requirements with the demonstrated project pipeline.

·       Parking Management Districts: Aligns local parking policies with broader economic development priorities by enabling municipalities to opt into creating demand-based parking fees, and allowing parking fees to support capital improvements in designated districts, like downtowns.

The Massachusetts Innovation Initiative

·       Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) ($118 million proposed capital authorization): Provides matching grants to establish public-private applied research institutes around emerging manufacturing technologies. The state’s capital funds will be matched with federal and private industry funds.

·       Scientific and Technology Research and Development Matching Grant Fund ($25 million proposed capital authorization): Reauthorizes a capital grant program that funds nonprofit, university-led research collaboratives working to commercialize emerging technologies, thereby supporting the development of emerging industry clusters.

·       Innovation Infrastructure Fund ($25 million proposed capital authorization):Creates a new fund for making capital grants that support community-based innovation efforts, including co-working spaces, venture centers, maker spaces and artist spaces.

·       Digital Health Care Cluster Development: Broadens the statutory charge of the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) to include digital health cluster development.

Workforce Development 

·       Workforce Skills Capital Grants ($75 million proposed capital authorization):Establishes a new grant program for workforce development training equipment, to strengthen workforce skills, and create strong employment pipelines.

Economic Competitiveness

·       Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) Reforms: Builds accountability in the state’s primary job-creation incentive program by strengthening the link between the issuance of tax credits, and job creation that would not otherwise occur; adds flexibility to the incentive program by eliminating obsolete formula-driven incentive categories, and by creating a new Extraordinary Development Opportunity designation.

·       Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) Modifications: Shifts the focus of nonprofit regional economic development nonprofits toward systems-based efforts to stimulate economic growth, including strengthening the regional skills pipeline, and executing regional cluster development strategies.

·       Liquor Law Reforms: Supports consumer choice and access to markets by allowing retailers who sell alcohol to also serve alcohol in in-house restaurants; by allowing local farmer-brewers and farmer-distillers to sell their products at farmers markets; by reducing barriers to retail sales at local breweries; and by creating a transparent licensing process for tenant-brewers.

·       Blue Laws Clarification: Clarifies existing exemptions to Sunday operations blue laws for fulfillment centers operated by e-retailers.

·       Export Loan Guarantees: Doubles the limit on loan guarantees from the Massachusetts Export Development Fund, to $1,000,000.