By Ben Sosne
Photo by Ben Garver
This month marks five years for me as Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center. Time certainly does fly. I vividly recall my first introduction to the project and the visionaries who led the way, as well as my first tour of the new facility, at that time it was merely a skeletal construction site rising from the earth. What struck me was the breadth of partners involved, the passion of the founding board members, and the flexibility of both the building and the organization. I saw a project with massive support and potential. I also saw a team that would allow me to put my thumbprint on what we were going to build together. I was filled with excitement; the future seemed bright for this place.
When I accepted the new role, my wife and I had a six month old baby that was still settling into our household. That baby – Henry – is headed to Kindergarten next year and the BIC, like Henry, has grown and flourished despite some unforeseen challenges, including being forced to navigate a global pandemic. Both Henry and the BIC are now in growth-mode.
Attending a recent preschool graduation prompted some added reflecting on my youngest son Henry’s first five years of life. Now, I'll use this column to reflect a bit on the BIC after 5 years+ and note where we have come and share where we see opportunities both for the organization and Berkshire County.
When we talk about the BIC, we talk about three key pillars that drive the work we do: Learning, Technology, and Community.
Learning
Learning is core to everything we do at the BIC. As a team, we have a deep passion for learning and stress in our own principles the need to always be learning and iterating to improve. In the work we do with both area students and the employees of our regional firms, we talk about “learning in the fringe” – standing up educational programs that exist in the space between what we see in traditional academic classrooms and what we see with on-the-job training programs.
During COVID, we started an experiential learning program for high school students that is rooted in project-based learning coupled with tours and mentoring from industry professionals in our local community. To hit a younger audience, we opened our doors to school trips and created unique hands-on experiences that inspire students through topics such as renewable energy and 3D printing. We focus on making learning practical and fun and aim to leave students itching for more.
In service to our regional firms, we have partnered with MIT to create the BIC Manufacturing Academy, which features a core program focused on developing the next generation of leaders. This program, led by our Chief Learning Officer, Dr. Dennis Rebelo, is having a flywheel effect – its success is breeding new and related programming and is influencing all of our learning efforts.
Flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration remain key to how we work to serve the County. As an independent non-profit, we can move quickly based on what we hear from our partners in industry and academia. We can also iterate quickly to continue to improve and be responsive to the voice of the customer – be it student or adult learner. We can collaborate without restriction with a variety of educational partners, from regional elementary schools to world-class research universities. Operating from the fringe allows us to pilot programs and fill gaps where we see them.
When I look ahead, the most exciting part is the new collaborations on the horizon. This includes strengthening existing programs with existing partners, building new programs with new partners, and, perhaps most importantly, engaging the alumni who have gone through our programs and who are now eager to give back to future learners.
Technology
When we talk about technology, we are focused on how regional firms, students, and educators can leverage technology for good – to drive our economy forward to and address the world's most pressing challenges, from combating climate change to curing diseases.
The BIC houses some pretty amazing technology that our members and students can access. Far more important, however, are the people in our network who understand how to deploy technology we may have at the BIC, but also the technology that is available through other ecosystem partners or that is in development at labs across the Commonwealth and beyond.
The global pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives, but the science that was developed to produce the vaccines was groundbreaking and over the next several years we will see it revolutionize the way we treat all types of diseases. The climate crisis is perhaps our generation’s greatest challenge, but it is also proving to be a catalytic driver of innovation in terms of how we create, store, and transmit energy. These are just two examples, but many researchers and entrepreneurs in Massachusetts are leading the charge as new technology is developed and deployed. When we talk about the BIC as a hub for technology, we aren’t just talking about equipment we may have on site, we are talking about serving as a connection point into the larger ecosystem in the Commonwealth.
Community
Without question, our people are our greatest asset and our greatest natural resource. When we talk about community, we talk about building connections, creating opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another, and offering opportunities for a “return on collision”. The vision is for the BIC to be a constant hive of activity for innovators, entrepreneurs, technologists, and those interested in technology-focused career opportunities.
Over the last five years, we’ve seen that “hive” come alive – there is now an active center of gravity that is pulling people in. People are coming to events, trainings, or open houses, or are being referred by friends and colleagues. Some of these people are new to the region, but the vast majority have been here long before the BIC was constructed. The line of creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs runs deep. The BIC is a center of gravity to give them a place to congregate and connect.
Five years in, I feel the center of gravity getting exponentially stronger every year. More and more people and firms are engaging and as they do, more opportunities open up. As a team and as a community, we need to be very adept at turning this energy and opportunity into meaningful actions that drive real economic growth in the region.
Looking Ahead
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and proud of the foundation we’ve laid. The founders of the BIC had a bold vision to create an economic engine that could transform the county, and I’m very fortunate to hold and share the reins in the organization’s early days. But these are still early days; the vision remains bold and there is still so much work ahead of us. I thank all those in the community who have helped us to this point and look forward to continuing to dig in with all of you as the next five years tips off.