Is Worcester New England’s New Tech Hub?
Monday, April 14, 2014
Technologies such as the largest fleet of zero-emission electronic transit buses in North America; a spike in growth to the professional, scientific, and technical job markets; as well as technical schools and programs dedicated to serving Worcester’s youth, are all exciting and innovative ways helping to push Worcester to the forefront of the technology world.
“The [Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce] just recently looked at the economy and found that technology sectors grew by almost 33-percent from 2000 to 2010 in the area,” said Tim Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We have a lot of creativity in the area. There are very few areas that have a wealth of colleges and students as well as the shear amount of world-class research and technology. There is no doubt that Worcester is becoming a hub for technology.”
Businesses Implementing New Technology
Part of the reason as to why Worcester is becoming such a technology savvy locale is due to the implementation of technology for its residents.
Last week, it was announced that Verizon Wireless would be expanding their 4G LTE coverage in the vicinity of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute which is a growth of the initial coverage that occurred in August of 2011. This coverage better allows for smart phone users to access the internet, social media, and other online applications wirelessly at speeds 10 times faster than the previous 3G network.
This announcement joins previously announced technologies entering Worcester like the Worcester Regional Transit Authority’s announcement that they had bought six electronic zero-emission buses for the public transit program and the Worcester Police Department’s announcement that they would start to use ShotSpotter technology which aids in determining the location of a gunshot in the city.
Other companies in the area like National Grid are also making their mark on technology in Worcester. With the announcement of the Smart Energy Solutions Program last year, National Grid made a commitment to increasing both the technology and sustainability of energy in Worcester by setting forth a plan to install a smart grid program in the city.
Out of all of the cities in National Grid’s coverage zone, Worcester was chosen as the pilot city. Deborah Drew, spokesperson for National Grid, pointed to a variety of reasons to have Worcester host the program, including a wealth of creative energy and knowledge among those involved and the city’s economic viability.
“Worcester was chosen for the Smart Energy Solutions Program for many reasons,” said Drew. “The City of Worcester is the largest city National Grid serves; it is and always has been a hub of technology advancement and is home to several world-class universities and culturally diverse communities. Electrically, the system configuration in the area of the city where the program is running provides a diverse pool of equipment from which we can upgrade and study.”
“We think Worcester is among the most progressive cities in the Commonwealth when it comes to emerging and green technologies,” said Drew. “With it as host to one of the largest, most comprehensive smart grid programs in the Northeast, along with all else it has to offer, it could well be considered a technology hub and a city leading in engineering and science.”
Education = Jobs
Technology has certainly been making its way into the Worcester community on a consumer level, but jobs and education opportunities are also on the rise.
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce released a report last month called the Worcester Regional Competitiveness Outlook, in which they examined the growth of the economy from 2000 to 2010.
One of the key findings of the report is that technology jobs in the Worcester area are growing. From 2000 to 2010, the professional, scientific, and technical sector grew by almost 3,500 employees which is almost 33-percent. Two particular subsets within the sector, scientific research and development and computer systems design and related services, grew by 37.7-percent and 46.3-percent over the 10 year period respectively.
Murray believes that there are a few things that can be attributed to the growth including the city’s bandwidth, the many technology schools in the area and a mix of old and new ideas.
“Schools like WPI with their robotics program, Becker College with their video game design program, and Clark University with their energy sustainability program offer a real unique mix and concentration of technology related degrees in Worcester,” said Murray. “I think that robotics degree specifically is interesting because it is a mix of manufacturing, something Worcester has had a long history with, and modern day engineering.”
The Competitiveness Outlook report also pointed to a potential growth in Worcester County’s workforce which could help further expand the increase of jobs in the technology field. In 2010, 25-percent of Worcester’s workforce was ages 15-24. Also, 84-percent of the workforce had at least a high school diploma and 30-percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
With Worcester currently having a greater concentration of children ages 0-14 than Boston or Massachusetts, Worcester has the potential for a vast and powerful workforce. Although there is some concern in keeping students in the Worcester community when they graduate, Murray believes that these children will help Worcester continue to grow.
“I think that the colleges and universities certainly have a lot to do with [the growth],” said Murray. “We have a lot of unique and innovative programs but we also need to do a better job in retaining our students. I think that a lot of that has to do with transportation and finding more entertainment options for students to keep them interested in staying.”
Medical Field Innovation
“What we do is incubate and innovate small startup companies and provide them with a lab space so that they can grow,” said Kevin O’Sullivan, President and CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives. “I think that all of the colleges and medical schools in the area are definitely helping the life sciences, biology, and healthcare fields. It really is a tremendous change from the past where we were losing all kinds of manufacturing jobs in Worcester.”
One of the goals of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives is to continue the growth of the medical field, something that O’Sullivan has seen grow vastly over the past 15 years. Although he feels that Worcester is certainly becoming more technologically advanced, O’Sullivan says that it is partnerships with cities like Cambridge and Boston that have helped the growth of Worcester’s medical field.
O’Sullivan is another who points to future generations for support in continuing Worcester’s technological growth. And while many assume that technology breakthroughs are made by the nation’s elite, O’Sullivan stresses that all experience levels are welcome to contribute in the medical field.
“This isn’t a field for just the smart PhD types,” said O’Sullivan. “A lot of young people are fueling this industry right now. You need a lot of support people all the way up and down the economic ladder. The biomedical industry is growing exponentially and creating a lot of jobs; I would like to think that we are a part of it.”
Related Slideshow: Worcester’s Tech Startups
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