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Kendall Square: Greater Boston’s Biotech In 2004, MIT and Harvard University jointly established the Broad
Policy recommendations for the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen
Industrial Cluster Institute, a biotech mega research institute with the objective of
enhancing in-depth, cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional and
Encompassing Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Greater multinational research to find solutions for complex, contemporary
Boston is a top cluster for health sciences in the US, where 19 out biomedical conundrums. The Institute’s advanced research further
of the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies locate their offices. fosters industrial, academic and research collaboration; promotes
With Kendall Square as its centre and strategic proximity to the the commercialisation of research outcomes; and nurtures the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard rapid development of a biotech industrial cluster in Kendall Square.
University, the area is frequently named “the most innovative
square mile on the planet” (see Figure 12). Attracted by top Kendall Square sets a good example for the development of a
universities, a top-notch talent pool and policy incentives, large biotech industrial cluster in the Loop. By drawing in star and
pharmaceutical corporates (marked in pink in the figure), including leading enterprises within a short period of time, the Loop can
Novartis, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, etc., have set up their regional quickly create a favourable environment for local start-ups and
headquarters or R&D centres in the area. Many start-ups with industrial development. At the same time, nurturing local potential
great potentials (marked in orange in the figure) can also be found start-ups into unicorns will advance the overall industrial growth in
there. Among them, many are spin-off companies of universities, the area. Building a biotech mega research institute is, in the long
such as Moderna, a spin-off of Harvard University that developed run, beneficial to industrial, academic and research collaboration
a COVID-19 vaccine. These start-ups have gradually grown into building upon strong basic research and to encourage the
unicorns. They also stand a good chance of going public or being industrialisation of advanced technology in the area.
acquired by conventional large pharmaceutical enterprises.

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