Let’s face it, 2009 certainly wasn’t anything for the business community to write home about.

For many, this was a year to simply hang in and hang on, a time when ‘flat’ translated into ‘pretty darned good.’ For businesses large and small, this was a time best forgotten — and soon.

But there were some rays of sunlight that somehow managed to break through the clouds, some stories that offer hope of better times for those who live, work, and own businesses in the Pioneer Valley. Here are five, listed in reverse order of importance, in our view, of course.

5. A Focus on Literacy

OK, we can toot out own horn a little. Actually, it’s not our horn. Yes, BusinessWest created a new recognition program called Difference Makers, so-named to honor those who are making a difference in our community, and its first class was honored last spring. That was a good story; the better story came about a few months later when one of this year’s Difference Makers, Bill Ward, director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, and that group’s project manager, Maura Geary, approached us with the idea of putting all of our winners to work.

That suggestion led to an ambitious project called ‘Creating a Culture of Literacy One Book at a Time.’ This past summer, the five Difference Makers helped collect hundreds of books donated to Hasbro Summer Learning Program, and agreed that all future winners of this award would continue to focus time, energy, and imagination on a matter of vital importance to the health and well-being of this region.

4. Qteros Lands in Chicopee

A little over a year ago, the news was that this region was going to lose Qteros, a company trying to revolutionize ethanol production by using not corn, by common switch grass, to the eastern part of the state. However, through the efforts of the company’s principals and some economic-development leaders in this region, the company has made good a commitment to maintain a noticeable presence in this area.

It will do so in a research and production facility that will be located in a new office facility at Westover in Chicopee. Having Qteros in this region will provide some jobs and some additional vibrancy in the Westover area, but perhaps more importantly, it will provide inspiration to fledgling ‘green’ businesses, while sending a message that they can do business in this area code.

3. UMass Comes to Downtown Springfield

It was announced recently that UMass Amherst will be locating one of the university’s programs — an urban design center — in one of the buildings in Springfield’s Court Square early next year. The move indicates a firm commitment on the part of the university to play a substantial role in economic-development efforts in the region’s largest city.

And the better news is that all those involved with this endeavor say it is merely the beginning of efforts designed to make UMass more of a force in the City of Homes.

2. More Signs of Progress Downtown

Springfield’s central business district still has a long way to go in terms of returning to the vibrancy evident decades ago. But there were a few big steps in the right direction taken in 2009. They include the arrival of the Springfield Armor basketball team, a Developmental League franchise that should bring more people downtown; the opening of a new restaurant, Hot Table, in Tower Square; and, especially, successful efforts to re-tenant the former federal building with Springfield School Department offices, some employees of Baystate Health, and other agencies.

Together, these developments represent real progress in the work to bring more downtown — to live, work, and play.

1. The High-performance Computing Center

Six months ago, hardly anyone in this region knew what a high-performance computing center was. In truth, many still don’t know today, but the picture is starting to come into focus. A center, which brings unprecedented amounts of computing power together in one place, is going to be built in Holyoke, thanks to an impressive partnership effort involving UMass, MIT, Boston University, Cisco, and a host of other players. Holyoke was chosen because of the vast amounts of inexpensive, ‘green’ energy produced by that city’s hydroelectric facilities.

The center will create only a few dozen jobs to start, but there is enormous potential for this facility to attract government agencies, businesses from several different sectors, and support services.

This was easily the biggest and best story in a year when there was little competition.

“The potential for job growth and advances in technology and research is unprecedented,” Gov. Patrick said in a statement. Announcement of the GHPCC in Holyoke comes ahead of the Governor’s Economic Summit scheduled October 27th where business, financial, education and public policy leaders will work to promote long-term economic recovery and job growth in the Commonwealth.

Holyoke Mayor Mike Sullivan said the public-private partnership is a working example of how to transform an industrial-based economy to one driven by green technology, clean energy and scientific development. “This collaborative effort to create a technology district in the heart of Holyoke will have significant benefits for the region, from new businesses to existing businesses, from community colleges to universities, from entry level job seekers to those with significant experience,” Mayor Sullivan said during the announcement.

High performance computing has become an essential part of academia, and a catalyst for the innovation of new products and services. The project website, InnovateHolyoke.com says in describing the technology:

Considered the “third leg of science” along with theory and experimentation, high performance computing uses a large number of extremely powerful and fast computers to carry out advanced computing in key areas of research such as life sciences, clean energy, and climate change.

The public-private partnership bringing the High Performance Computing Center to Holyoke includes the University of Massachusetts, Boston University as well as private sector partners EMC, Cisco and Accenture. The coalition has not only set dates and energy efficiency targets for construction of the GHPCC, but they have also established an organizational and business model for current and future partners; created a shared research agenda and education outreach; developed an operating budget and raised well over half of the project’s costs.

“We applaud and appreciate the tremendous amount of work that has occurred over the last 120 days from the diverse and exceptional list of partners – both public and private – involved in this initiative,” Paul Bosco, VP/GM of Video & Broadband at Cisco, said. Once this project is completed, we have no doubt that our regional science, technology, and innovation leadership and vision will be greatly enhanced through the creation of this unique smart and connected ‘innovation district’ built upon green and cost competitive energy, strong local talent, and exceptional fiber connectivity.”

The newly finished planning process will keep the project, first announced in June, on target for a completion in late 2011. Officials have said the project could total an investment of $100 million or more.

“[T]he bell has sounded today for all of us to make it happen and it will,” Holyoke Mayor Sullivan said.

HOLYOKE, Mass. Oct. 21 — Governor Deval Patrick today joined University of Massachusetts President Dr. Jack Wilson, Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, leaders from MIT, Boston University, and senior executives from EMC, Cisco, and Accenture to announce initial construction on Holyoke’s High Performance Computing Center (HPCC) is on track to begin next fall, with a target completion date set for late 2011. The public-private collaboration, which recently completed a successful 120-day planning process, will establish Massachusetts as a global leader in the development and application of the next generation of computing technologies.

“This center will serve as an anchor of a highly competitive and vibrant innovation district in the Pioneer Valley,” said Governor Patrick. “The potential for job growth and advances in technology and research is unprecedented, and both the center and this collaboration will serve to create long term prosperity for Holyoke and regional economies throughout Western Massachusetts.”

Additional opportunities for collaboration between government and the business community will be a key focus of the Governor’s Economic Summit set to convene on October 27th at the Boston Federal Reserve Bank. He is assembling a cross-section of statewide business, financial, education, and public policy leaders to identify ways to promote long-term economic recovery and job growth throughout the Commonwealth.

“This break out initiative is another indication of Governor Patrick’s keen understand that as a Gateway City, Holyoke deserves to be rewarded and has taken steps to situate itself appropriately to be a working example of how urban core communities can be transformed,” said Mike Sullivan, Mayor of Holyoke. “This collaborative effort to create a technology district in the heart of Holyoke will have significant benefit for the region, from new businesses to existing businesses, from community colleges to universities, from entry level job seekers to those with significant experience, the bell has sounded today for all of us make it happen and it will.”

Announced by the Governor and the collaborative partners on June 11, 2009, the project will create a world-class, green high performance computing center in Holyoke that will provide an infrastructure for research computing and a collaborative research agenda in advanced computing and applications such as life sciences, clean energy, and green computing. The center will catalyze the development of an innovation district in downtown Holyoke, powered by green and cost-competitive energy.

“We are delighted to be working with the Commonwealth’s universities, businesses, and government on an exciting plan to bring state-of-the-art computing capability to the region. The development of the Holyoke High Performance Computing Center will capitalize on local sources of green power as it inspires productive new partnerships that will foster the Commonwealth’s innovation economy,” said MIT President Susan Hockfield.

“We have created an unprecedented partnership that is determined to convert an audacious idea into a tangible and enduring reality. While we have important work to complete, I am more hopeful than ever that we will achieve our goal and will create a green High Performance Computing Center that will power the state’s innovation economy and be a driving force for economic renewal and growth in the Pioneer Valley. I thank Governor Patrick for his steadfast leadership on this issue and for advancing an economic vision that so clearly has research, discovery, and innovation at its core,” said University of Massachusetts President Jack M. Wilson.

“Boston University strongly and enthusiastically supports the partnership and its objectives,” said Boston University President Robert A. Brown. “This project symbolizes a new level of collaboration among academic institutions, public industry, and government, and will likely serve as a hallmark of the innovation landscape of the future.”

“As a company headquartered in Massachusetts for 30 years, EMC values the state’s rich technology-driven heritage and innovative spirit, its world-class educational institutions, and its vibrant, skilled technical workforce,” said Chris Goode, EMC’s Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs & Public Policy. “We’re looking forward to working together to bring the HPCC to Western Massachusetts.”

“We applaud and appreciate the tremendous amount of work that has occurred over the last 120 days from the diverse and exceptional list of partners – both public and private — involved in this initiative which has enabled us to be at a point where we can now announce the taking of this next tangible and important step. Once this project is completed, we have no doubt that our regional science, technology, and innovation leadership and vision will be greatly enhanced through the creation of this unique smart and connected “innovation district” built upon green and cost competitive energy, strong local talent, and exceptional fiber connectivity,” said Paul Bosco, VP/GM & Site Executive, New England Development Center, Cisco.

Over the next 120 days, the project partners will work to move forward to the next stage of development. Steps will include the design and site acquisition activities and securing the state, federal, industry, and university resources required to commence development. They will also continue to proceed with on gathering the necessary capital for the project. The partners’ common objective is to begin construction in the fall for occupancy late in 2011.

At the time of the original announcement, the project partners signed a Letter of Intent to create within 120 days a working plan with the ultimate goal of building and opening the new facility and forming a statewide research agenda. Since that time, considerable progress has been made, including:

• The establishment of an organizational model and business structure for current and future partners.
• The creation of preliminary building designs, energy efficiency targets, and a schedule for design and construction.
• Through collaboration with industry and local community college leaders, the development of a shared research agenda and education and outreach.
• The creation of an operating budget for developing the facility with capital costs identified.
• The partners have also succeeded in raising well over half the project’s costs and have pledged to continue to work together to secure the remaining funds.

Congressman John Olver said, “This is a cutting edge concept, and its impact on the city will be significant. The Computing Center will dovetail nicely with other big projects underway in Holyoke like the Multimodal Center and the Canalwalk. This is a very exciting time for the city.”

“The prospect of this major initiative has provided renewed optimism in the City of Holyoke,” said Senator Michael R. Knapik. “The City is proud of its industrial heritage and prepared to move forward as a leader in a new economy. Many people locally have worked hard to bring this project to the table and I am pleased their efforts and Holyoke’s strengths have been recognized in Boston.”

“I am excited for Holyoke, the region, and the Commonwealth,” said Representative Michael F. Kane. “I applaud the Governor, the Mayor, and their economic development teams for putting this together in a short period of time. I look forward to assisting with any legislative help that is needed.”

In addition, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and City of Holyoke have worked with the John Adams Innovation Institute and Ten Minute Media to develop a project Web site, InnovateHolyoke.com. The site, which was launched today, is the official destination for the latest information related to the center and is part of a wider effort to involve Holyoke residents and surrounding communities through outreach forums and the launch of the Innovation District Design and Development Program. This program will bring together residents, businesses, and civic leaders to put in place the programs and investments that will lead to job growth and employment opportunities spurred by the presence of the high performance computing center.

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Source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts

HOLYOKE – The bright future of the Massachusetts innovation economy was on display on Wednesday, October 21, not in Cambridge, or Boston, but in Holyoke, a historic industrial city in western Massachusetts.

More than 150 people—including residents, local business owners, city officials and students—crowded into the room at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College to witness Governor Deval Patrick announce the go-ahead for the planned construction of the region’s first high performance computing center in a new “innovation district”. Partners in the $100 million undertaking include Cisco, EMC, MIT, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts. Governor Patrick was greeted with a heartfelt, two-minute standing ovation.

“I know where western Massachusetts is, I know where you are, and what your character is,” Governor Patrick said. “And I have confidence in Holyoke.”

This project, Governor Patrick emphasized, was not about trying to do something to, or for Holyoke. “It is ofHolyoke,” he said. “This is about building our better tomorrows.”

Governor Patrick expressed his continued support and enthusiasm for the project, which could break ground in a newly-designated innovation district in the center of Holyoke within the next year.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent a city,” said Tim Brennan, the Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. “It’s a game-changer.” “Holyoke,” Brennan continued, “was the first planned industrial city in America 160 years ago. It is now coming full circle.”

One of the key messengers is Brendan Ciecko, a 21-year-old born and bred Holyoke entrepreneur who created InnovateHolyoke.com to be the project’s portal on the web. “I’ve always believed in the revitalization of this great city,” he said, adding, “This is not your typical government website.”

Ciecko is the founder and CEO of Ten Minute Media, a Holyoke-based new media, marketing, and web design company, which is a shining example of the innovation economy in the region. Ten Minute Media now boasts clients including some of the top names in the recording industry, such as Capitol, Atlantic, RCA, and Columbia featuring world-renowned artists like Mick Jagger, Katy Perry, and Van Morrison, among others.

Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, whose 10-year stint has made him very familiar with the difficulties of economic development in his gateway city, voiced cautious optimism: “This is our chance to grab the brass ring.”

Holyoke’s Rebirth
What makes Holyoke an attractive site for the new high performance computer center is, in computer parlance, ping, power and pipe: a high-speed network, electrical power, and cooling infrastructure. Holyoke’s location on the banks of the Connecticut River offers access to low-cost hydroelectric power, while the river and the city’s many canals offer potential cooling resources. Existing fiber optic/network connections running along Interstate 91 readily allow access to major research universities around the state.

Since the signing of a letter of intent on June 11 at the Holyoke Public Library by the partners, the project has been the focus of an intense, 120-day planning effort, asking and answering key details about what the project would look like.

In that time, teams from the project partners developed an organizational model, a business structure for current and future partners, preliminary building designs, energy efficiency targets, a schedule for design and construction, a shared research agenda, and identified the operating budget and capital costs for developing the facility.

Some 80 different properties in Holyoke’s canal district reportedly have been reviewed as potential sites for the high performance computer center. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki indicated that working to execute a purchase and sales agreement is an important step for the project in the coming months.

This hard work, which is often not as visible or as sexy, say, as a YouTube video of the demolition of an industrial smokestack, is absolutely critical to the success of the project, one economic development consultant noted.

A key member of the team, Andrei Ruckenstein, is the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research at Boston University. He has worked closely in designing the research protocols for the new center with Jim Kurose, the Interim Dean of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Victor Zue, the Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

“Collaboration is very hard work,” said Ruckenstein, who was attending the celebration as Boston University’s representative. He said he is excited about the project’s potential, citing the growing need for computing power in virtually all large science and engineering projects.

Kurose, in turn, called the new computing center “a great opportunity” in a recent interview. “It will allow us to investigate simulation on a massive scale, in marine sciences, in life sciences,” he said.

The local perspective
Many in the audience attending the event were committed to being active participants in the rebirth of Holyoke. City resident Daphne Board said of the new computing center that it will anchor the new “Innovation District” in downtown Holyoke and is a perfect fit for the city. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she and her husband chose to live in downtown Holyoke six years ago, because of its affordability, its architecture, and its potential. Together, the couple renovates properties as a business. “It’s a great place to live,” she said.

Equally optimistic about the new high performance computing center was Kathy McKean, whose roots in Holyoke go back some 40 years, and is involved with the restoration of the Victory Theater.

“It’s a new day for Holyoke,” said Deborah Boronski-Burack, the President of the Western Massachusetts Chamber of Business & Industry. She recalled the days of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Holyoke, when she had, working on a float, once tossed kielbasas into the crowd, promoting Chicopee’s Kielbasa Days. At this meeting, she agreed that wearing a green button promoting Holyoke had an entirely different meaning.