Bedford, NH – New Hampshire Life Sciences (NHLS), through its newly established Economic Development Committee, is bringing together industry leaders, developers, and state officials to attract new biotech, medtech, and advanced manufacturing investment and build the infrastructure needed to support long-term growth in New Hampshire. The committee met for the first time in May.
“This is an exciting and quickly moving time for the life-sciences sector in New Hampshire,” said NHLS president, Andrea Hechavarria, who is co-chair of the committee. “The opportunity in front of us is real — world-class innovation is growing right here, and we have the assets, talent, and momentum to capture it. Now is the time to act.”
Joining Hechavarria as co-chair is Devin Gleeson, vice president of life sciences at Timberline Construction, a founding member of NHLS. He says the committee will define what a bio-ready town looks like so communities know exactly what the infrastructure needs are for Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facilities that meet federal standards for biomedical products, and a roadmap for how to meet those needs. It will encourage investment in ready-to-work lab and manufacturing space.
NHLS saw a need for a more coordinated, state-wide strategy to show companies that New Hampshire is open for business and offers competitive advantages over other life sciences regions. The committee has an infrastructure and marketing focus. It combines public- and private-sector leaders from government and industry, including the newly appointed commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, Lucy Lange, and Dr. Jennifer MacDonald, chief operating officer at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) in Manchester’s Millyard. Other members include James Key-Wallace of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority, Rob Prunier of Harvey Construction Corp., Kevin Smith of Smith Horizon, Dan Dewing of JLL and Paul Brean of the Pease Development Authority, all whom carry significant expertise in real estate and economic development across the state and region.
“Our life sciences sector is booming, and the state sees immense value in its growth. By bringing public and private leaders to the table together, we can actively build the workforce, housing, and infrastructure required to keep New Hampshire a premier global hub for innovation,” said Lange.
“Our manufacturing capabilities are among the best in the nation,” said Hechavarria. “When you pair that with our proximity to the world-leading Boston life sciences cluster, companies’ increasing focus on domestic manufacturing, and the business advantages New Hampshire provides, you have a compelling value proposition that is difficult to replicate anywhere else.”
