BOSTON
Gov. Deval Patrick testified Tuesday that Massachusetts was on the verge of losing its grip on a key industry if lawmakers fail to act on his 10-year, $1 billion life sciences initiative.
Patrick, testifying before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, warned that other states and countries from California to China were eyeing Massachusetts’ “unrivaled concentration of biopharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device expertise.”
Unless Massachusetts works quickly to protect the industry, the state’s status as a worldwide leader could evaporate, along with thousands of jobs and a revitalized economy, he said.
“As we gather here today, our competitors are actively luring our state’s best and brightest researchers, doctors and entrepreneurs,” Patrick warned. “The threat is real and the stakes are high.”
Patrick had expressed frustration in recent weeks with what he’s described as the slow pace of lawmakers to act on his key initiatives, like the life sciences bill.
On Tuesday he sounded less confrontational, but still urged lawmakers to act quickly.
