UMass Centre for Clinical and Translational Science (UMCCTS)
Nathaniel Hafer, Director of Operations, UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science;
Peter Dunn, Assistant Chief Development Officer, Business & Community Development Division, Executive Office of Economic Development at City of Worcester
UMass Centre for Clinical and Translational Science (UMCCTS) functions across the five UMass campuses with the aim to improve healthcare in Massachusetts. It promotes research, collaborations, and entrepreneurship across the UMass communities. UMCCTS provides mentoring and resources such as bench space and equipment at different stages of entrepreneurship. They also provide bio-repository, tissue bank services, information about clinical trials and informatics data portal. In addition, UMCCTS helps to support grant writing and hosts grant competitions for pilot funding. UMCCTS also has a specialized program to promote the development of medical devices (M2D2).
The Executive Office of the city of Worcester has a broad scope and provides facilities for a variety of business ideas. They operate with the primary objective of developing the city infrastructure for businesses and residential purposes and obtaining required permits. Mr. Peter Dunn discussed the strategic advantages of establishing a start-up in Worcester. Lower place rentals and relative proximity to Kendall Square, Cambridge (Hub of biotechnology start-ups and pharmaceutical companies) make it an attractive and dynamic alternative.
In a nutshell, these agencies are committed to making Worcester more appealing for new businesses by providing guidance and infrastructure at various stages.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.umassmed.edu/ccts/
http://www.worcesterma.gov/development
