Secretary Greg Bialecki on Mass Innovation

What would you say to entrepreneurs and investors who don’t believe Massachusetts has what it takes to commercialize on the cutting edge of innovation?

The Governor and I haven’t heard anyone question that we have all the basic elements that we need for a strong innovation economy: great ideas, experienced entrepreneurs, access to capital and a talented and educated workforce. What we have heard is that we need to do a better job of “connecting the dots”, especially in two areas. First, we need to improve the pathway between great ideas and commercial products, which involves our doing a better job of identifying when and how our research discoveries have near-term commercial applications. Second, we need to improve the support structure for start-ups in the state, both with respect to funding and with respect to getting good advice from experienced entrepreneurs and business people. We think that we can make the most progress on both of these issues if business, academia and government are all working together on them. And we see Mass Challenge as a tremendous opportunity to address both areas. 

Secretary Greg Bialecki oversees the Commonwealth’s business development, housing & community development, and consumer affairs & business regulations undersecretariats. As Governor Patrick’s chief housing and economic development advisor and cabinet member, Secretary Bialecki has oversight of fourteen state agencies. He has been the architect of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Growth Districts Initiative, oversaw the implementation of the Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation & Expansion (MORE) Jobs capital program, and created an “Industry of the Month” series to strengthen relationships with key economic drivers in the state. Learn more at the Mass Innovation Blog and the official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.