After participating in a summit on Smart Manufacturing Resiliency earlier this month, Haverhill City Councilor John A. Michitson said he is convinced the integration of digital and traditional manufacturing is the wave of the future and Haverhill is well poised to become a regional smart manufacturing hub.
Addressing his fellow councilors on Tuesday, Michitson said a number of business and legislative leaders endorsed the idea of a smart manufacturing tech hub and training center in the city. Among them were state Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, UMass Lowell Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation Anne Maglia and Kendalle Burlin O’Connell.
“She’s the CEO of MassBio which represents the premier global life-sciences and healthcare hub. That’s the largest such industry organization in the world and she’s a Haverhill resident and she wants to help us. Here’s what she said ‘We’re well positioned for life-sciences growth in bio-manufacturing and workforce training.’ She thinks that such a training center would fit well in Haverhill,” Michitson explained.
Michitson, who served with fellow members of the Smart Manufacturing Tech Hub Initiative, including Haverhill’s state Rep. Andy X. Vargas, Michitson, said the life-science industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the state and an eight-12 week workforce training program would provide high-school graduates with well-paying, entry-level jobs in the industry.
The councilor said three sites have been discussed for such a hub, the Ward Hill Business Park, a new advanced business park at the former Dutton Airport and the property to be developed by Salvatore N. Lupoli around the site of the existing Herbert H. Goecke Memorial Parking Deck in downtown Haverhill.
Regarding the latter location, Lupoli told WHAV, “Lupoli Companies is happy to support MassBio and looks forward to partnering with them on a potential location in Haverhill. This is a long way off and we haven’t broken ground on the project but we will certainly be speaking to Kendalle Burlin-O’Connel further about how we can partner with her to bring MassBio to our new development in downtown Haverhill”.
Michitson concluded his presentation by telling the Council all the work is in front of them now, specifically finding the means to finance the project.