Beginning a New Revolution: WPI's Bioengineering Institute and Gateway Park

by William W. Durgin,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering

[ Ed. note: This is the first article of a two-part series on the creation and growth of Worcester's Gateway Park. The second article will appear in the February issue of Vantage.]

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, Worcester has enjoyed a robust manufacturing industry. Concerned that new companies were not forming quickly enough to sustain that prosperity in light of recent net losses of manufacturers, WPI and the Central Massachusetts Manufacturing Partnership (CMMP) organized in 1997 the first regional economic summit to explore opportunities where clustering could restore competitive advantage. WPI inventoried its strengths and resources and identified bioengineering as an area where both strength and opportunity existed.

THE BIOENGINEERING CONCEPT

The focus on engineering as the innovative process of creating new products and solving important problems is central to the concept of bioengineering. It was the conjunction of engineering and physical science that fueled industrial growth and prosperity during the 20th century. The engineering of new devices, products, and processes, fueled by the explosive growth in understanding of the life sciences, will offer the means to solve many of the world's current problems, including aging, disease, malnutrition, the environment and depletion of natural resources.

RESOURCES

With WPI and Worcester's storied manufacturing history, Central Massachusetts possesses resources ideally suited to the establishment of a vibrant cluster based on the interface of expertise in the engineering, manufacturing and the life sciences. This three-part construct is designed to create and produce new products. Responsive government, effective elected officials, and a collaborative atmosphere help tie everything together.

MISSION

The purpose of the Bioengineering Institute is to promote job creation and economic vitality by facilitating the conversion of research discoveries into new products and new companies. Economically, the initial goal for the Institute was to directly generate about $5 million per year, primarily in applied research and product development. The multiplier effect would produce about $10-12 million per year to the regional economy.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The Bioengineering Institute, now four years old, was formed around four Centers that were designed to take advantage of both existing strengths and societal needs:

• The Center for Untethered Healthcare – physiological monitoring, medical devices
• The Center for Comparative Neuroimaging – high resolution MRI
• The Center for Molecular Engineering – micro-implantable sensors
• The Center for Bioprocessing and Tissue Engineering – replacement tissue

Congressional appropriations along with funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) have totaled some $9 million for the past four years and have resulted in prototype systems for heart rate, oxygen saturation and blood chemistry monitoring as well as portable ultrasound. In addition, systems for battlefield wireless networking and geolocation are well underway. An OFDM modem for medical data is undergoing field trials. Funding of more than $1.2 million from the NIH has enabled the development of MRI sensing coils that have been demonstrated to be superior to any existing method of detecting breast cancer.

OUTCOMES

There are two important outcomes resulting from the Bioengineering Institute concept. First are the development of prototype products, licensing and the formation of a company.

Second is the formation of the Gateway Research Park near the WPI campus, a joint venture between WPI and the Worcester Business De velopment Corporation (WBDC). The first building consists of 100,000 square feet of new laboratory facilities together with refurbished office space. Construction has recently begun with a planned opening of January 2007.

For the first time, the presence of the Bioengineering Institute establishes a mechanism to capture research discoveries, engineer new products, and transfer those technologies to the private sector. In addition, W PI and the WBDC have created a thematically appropriate technology park. The first building, one that will support the Institute itself, is growing brick by brick and will fulfill incubator functions.