The role of research institutions in the formation of the biotech cluster in Massachusetts: The MIT experience

Abstract

Based on the MIT experience and that of other US universities, the formation and sustained existence of biotechnology company clusters are discussed. A cluster's origin and continued health are dependent upon government funding of state-of-the-art science in universities and institutions. Effective technology transfer is also necessary with a formal legal infrastructure for university participation and sufficient funds to file patents. The formation of new companies requires a business infrastructure in the community and talented people: researchers; technology transfer professionals; entrepreneurial company founders; scientists and managers to staff the companies; and knowledgeable investors. Finding people gets easier as clusters grow. It takes a whole community to build a biotechnology cluster – but once built, the cluster can achieve a sustaining life that strengthens itself.