Reporting for WBUR, Karen Weintraub examines the biotech boom in Kendall Square. President Emerita Susan Hockfield notes that, “Every year there's a new wave of young people who arrive on our campuses and get inspired by what we do and then inspire us about what they'd like to do. I think that's part of the magic mix here.”
The Boston Globe’s Scott Kirsner discusses the impact of Cambridge biotech company Biogen, cofounded by Prof. Phil Sharp, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “The company has become the biggest oak tree of the Massachusetts biotech sector,” writes Kirsner, “not only because it is still standing after four decades, but because it has dropped a lot of acorns.”
Boston Globe reporter Tim Logan writes that Roche Bros. Supermarkets will open a Brothers Market in MIT’s One Broadway Building. Steve Marsh, managing director of MIT’s Real Estate Group, explained that a grocery store was, “so important to those who live and work in Kendall that we worked to incorporate it in the earliest possible phase of our development.”
CBS Boston’s Paula Ebben reports on MIT’s Innovation Playground, a space created for HUBweek to showcase the science, art and technological breakthroughs happening in Kendall Square. “We want people to go away and say, yup, that’s what’s going on in Kendall Square,” says Sarah Gallop of MIT’s Office of Government and Community Relations.
The Engine has raised $200 million and financed its first seven companies “in fields such as aerospace, advanced materials, genetic engineering and renewable energy,” reports Michael McDonald of Bloomberg.
Asma Khalid of WBUR reports that The Engine has raised $200 million and funded its first seven “tough tech” companies. "We have to believe it's a breakthrough [idea] that can have big impact in the world," says Katie Rae, president and CEO of The Engine, of the selected companies.
Boston Globe reporter Andy Rosen writes that The Engine has raised $200 million to invest in “tough tech” companies. “The interest from private investors reflects a recognition that the venture capital world must find better ways to evaluate the technical promise of emerging technologies, and give them time to succeed,” notes Katie Rae, CEO of The Engine.
The Engine has announced its initial investments in seven startups ranging from alternative energy to space communications, reports Alex Konrad of Forbes. “By helping research teams productize their ideas early, at the pre-seed and seed stages of investment,” The Engine hopes to keep talented students and professors in the Boston area, explains Konrad.
Writing for The Boston Globe, Tim Logan writes that MIT filed a mixed-use zoning petition for the 14-acre Volpe site in Kendall Square. Logan notes that the Volpe redevelopment is part of a broader push by MIT to make Kendall Square, “feel more like a fully-fledged neighborhood.”
Prof. Phillip Sharp speaks with WBUR’s Asma Khalid about how the Greater Boston area became a hub for the biotech industry. "I think one of the transformative parts of what the next 20 years will hold is engineering with medicine and biotech," Sharp explains, adding that he thinks the Greater Boston area is “ahead of that story."
In an article for The Epoch Times, Emel Akpan highlights how The Engine is focused on supporting startups in fields that require time and patient capital. “We have a focus on tough tech,” explains Katie Rae, CEO and president of The Engine. “We think that’s where the resources are limited. But the opportunities can have a lot of impact.”
Xconomy reporter Ben Fidler writes about the life and legacy of Henri Termeer, a life member of the MIT Corporation who died at age 71. Institute Prof. Phillip Sharp explains that Termeer was, “a transformational leader in biotechnology of orphan diseases. Many children now have hope of a healthy life because of his vision and 40 years of creative business leadership.”
Henri Termeer, a life member of the MIT Corporation who was known as one of the founding fathers of the biotech industry, died at age 71, write Robert Weisman and Bryan Marquard for The Boston Globe. Termeer was, “a key leader in the biotech revolution that placed Massachusetts at the nexus of cutting-edge research and development.”
Sacha Pfeiffer highlights how MIT began providing employees free MBTA passes for local bus and subway services as part of The Boston Globe’s 2017 “Game Changers” section. Pfeiffer notes that MIT, “true to its high-tech reputation, took a pair of innovative steps last year to dissuade its employees from driving to work.”
In an article for The Boston Globe’s 2017 “Game Changers” section - which highlights ideas, inventions, people and places making waves in Boston - Robert Weisman spotlights The Engine. “We hope to create world-changing companies that will grow in the Boston region,” explains Katie Rae, The Engine’s President and CEO.