About Us

Our vision

A thriving bioindustrial and non-therapeutic biomanufacturing ecosystem in Central Massachusetts — one that fuels inclusive economic growth, drives sustainable innovation, and positions the region as a national leader in next-generation manufacturing.

Why now

The United States has named biomanufacturing one of its six Critical Technology Areas. McKinsey Global Institute estimates that advances in biology could create $200–300 billion in new global market growth in materials, chemicals, and energy over the next 10–20 years. The infrastructure that will scale this industry is being built right now — and the regions that build it first will lead it.

Where we sit

The BioHub is anchored at WPI’s Gateway Park in Worcester — the heart of the Commonwealth and one of New England’s fastest-growing cities. Worcester County is home to a deep, diverse talent base and one of the country’s densest concentrations of biological technicians. The region’s industrial heritage along the Blackstone River — birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution — has given way to a modern innovation economy led by healthcare, education, and the biosciences.

We build on top of WPI’s Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC), which has trained over 3,000 biomanufacturing professionals since 2013, and WPI’s Cell Engineering Research Equipment Suite (CERES), an established research facility serving a multi-year base of WPI faculty and partner companies.

The BioHub closes three gaps that have held back bioindustrial manufacturing in this region — gaps first defined in MBI’s Regional Biomanufacturing Strategy: shared pilot-scale capacity, data-driven process optimization, and trained workforce for non-therapeutic biomanufacturing. New pilot and process-development infrastructure is coming online over the next three years.

How we’re funded

The BioHub launched with a $5 million investment from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, with cost-share from WPI, MBI, and corporate partners. WPI is also one of five NSF-funded Biofoundries in the country, providing complementary federal support for strain-engineering infrastructure at the BioHub.

Who we serve

We serve organizations and innovators across the regional bioindustrial ecosystem — startups, scaling companies, equipment developers, academic labs, nonprofits, and the workforce that powers them all.