WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that Manchester is one of 20 winners of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, earning the city a $44 million federal grant.
The grant will be used to invest in a biofabrication cluster in the Millyard, which U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves says will establish southern New Hampshire as a “global epicenter” for regenerative tissue and organs
“We’re absolutely thrilled that this funding will build on the progress that’s already being made by this specialized industry, whose growth benefits under served communities throughout the area,” said Graves.
The funding comes as part of $1 billion put into the American Rescue Plan for investment in what Graves defined as transformative industries.
“This award really recognizes and more than that solidifies Manchester and southern New Hampshire’s role in cutting edge bio-fabrication technology,” said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) “This is technology that will really revolutionize medicine. The medical techniques that are being developed in the Manchester region will really extend people’s lives by orders of magnitude and the economic benefits of this award will extend far beyond this sector and the Manchester region.”
“This is such just an exciting day for Manchester and our entire state,” said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). “When you travel across the Granite State, you see the promise of our innovation and technology sector and how these businesses support good paying jobs, grow local economies and develop technologies that are truly shaping our future. New Hampshire is a beacon for innovation and this competitive grant solidifies that fact.”
“The work that we’re seeing in Manchester already is cutting edge and the grant award will help this develop in the future,” said U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01). “By seeking out opportunities like this one, we’ll ensure that we’re supporting our businesses and manufacturers as they grow and we’ll see Manchester and our state thrive for the future.”
“It’s hard to know about where Manchester’s going to the future without thinking about where it’s come from,” Pappas added. “It’s always been a hub of innovation and technology all the way from the early days of the Industrial Revolution in our country. Manchester and our state has always played a vital role in that process and the mill buildings that line the Merrimack River in Manchester are a testament to that history and this is really an important way to mark a new era in that development. This is another revolution underway in manufacturing, Manchester is set to lead the way and I’m really proud of that fact.”
“We’re creating an infrastructure for new startups to grow, we’re constructing facilities for world-class companies to manufacture these cells, tissues and organs that will ultimately cure and treat chronic diseases and we’re piloting a distribution network so the lifesaving technology that’s being developed right here in our Millyard can get to patients and hospitals across the nation,” said Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. “This investment will change the way we look at healthcare and will positively impact the entire Manchester community.”
Manchester was named as one of the finalists for the grant in December out of hundreds of applications across the country.
According to Craig’s office, the funding builds on existing investment by ARMI BioFabUSA, a public-private partnership led by Dean Kamen that develops cell and tissue cultures with advances in biofabrication, automation, robotics, and analytical technologies.
The funding is expected to create approximately 7,000 jobs and over approximately 40,000 indirect jobs in the region.
Link here to the U.S. Department of Economic Development announcement.
Below: Manchester NH’s finalist showcase presentation.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCc_c9gF3h4]