Massachusetts initiatives will aid manufacturers

BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick announced more than $1.4 million in federal funding intended to help manufacturers and other companies impacted by sequestration and defense-budget cuts to diversify their markets.
The grant will help the defense industry, which employs more than 130,000 Massachusetts residents, identify and pursue other markets to sell their products and services.
The federal funding was awarded to MassDevelopment by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment. MassDevelopment applied for this funding as part of their defense-sector initiatives with the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force. The task force supports the mission and people connected to the state’s military installations.
Patrick also announced another initiative to support the state’s manufacturing industry through life sciences training. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the initiative will provide free training for manufacturers who are not yet in the industry, but would like to pursue diversifying their products in this growing sector. This two-day course will introduce Massachusetts’ advanced manufacturing companies to the life sciences industry and will outline a pathway for them to become vendors to the medical-device sector. The free courses will begin in June, and will be held in central, northeast, Pioneer Valley and southeast regions of the state. •

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