In a recent conversation between MIT President Sally Kornbluth, Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development Yvonne Hao and others, participants talked about the ongoing movement to drive cutting-edge research at MIT, and throughout the state of Massachusetts.
And Massachusetts, they agreed, has a lot of assets and resources in this area. Noting that Massachusetts was the first state to enact universal healthcare, among other achievements, Hao came out with thoughts on new economic development legislation that helps set out some of the top-level goals for Massachusetts state government.
The state, as a customer, she noted, also has purchasing power, which is another tool in the government’s arsenal in helping business to get a better position with new technology. “We don't choose to do things in Massachusetts because they're easy. We choose them because they’re hard. We choose hard problems that are not solved because they're really, really difficult, and that requires patience, it requires capital …”