Members of the General Dynamics Mission Systems leadership team present the $50,000 Platinum Sponsorship check to the Berkshire Innovation Center. From left, Jill Dore, Wayne Marzott, Beth Mitchell, Ken McInerney, Rod Jane, Brenda Burdick and Phil Dore
General Dynamics Mission Systems has become the first Platinum Sponsor of the Berkshire Innovation Center, a non-profit institution whose mission is to accelerate innovation and economic growth in the Berkshire Region of Massachusetts. On March 11, 2015, General Dynamics presented a $50,000 check to Rod Jan, Project Director for the Berkshire Innovation Center, during a Berkshire Chamber of Commerce event.
Excerpts from the Berkshire Innovation Center’s Press Release
The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) will bring advanced capabilities to its member companies including shared access to cutting edge R&D equipment, customized training programs, student internship programs, and collaborative research opportunities with the BICs research partners including UMass-Amherst, RPI, SUNY College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, and UMass-Lowell. The innovation center will be housed in a new approximately 24,000 sq. ft. building to be constructed at William Stanley Business Park. The facility will include clean rooms, wet lab space, and state-of-the-art training classrooms including videoconferencing equipment. In essence, BIC will become the R & D and Training facility for many small and medium sized manufacturers in the Berkshires, addressing a critical need that will spur economic growth, jobs creation, and further investment in the region.
General Dynamics Mission Systems supports the Berkshire Innovation Center and has been involved in the Center since its inception. Investing in the Berkshire Innovation Center is an investment in future jobs, job training as well as engineering and manufacturing excellence, stated Brenda Burdick, Senior Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at General Dynamics Mission Systems and Advisory Board Member of the Berkshire Innovation Center.
General Dynamics Mission Systems has once again displayed its leadership in the Berkshire Region by stepping to the forefront in a very big way to support one of the most important economic projects to happen in the Berkshires during this generation. We are extremely appreciative of their generous contribution and support, stated Stephen Boyd, Chairman of the Berkshire Innovation Center and CEO of Boyd Technologies (Lee, MA).
About the Berkshire Innovation Center
The Berkshire Innovation Center is an independent non-profit 501c3 corporation established in August, 2014 as a result of a $9.7 million capital grant awarded to the City of Pittsfield by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for the design, construction and equipping of a 20,000 plus sq. ft. innovation center facility at William Stanley Business Park in Pittsfield, MA. The Berkshire Innovation Centers mission is to provide a catalyst to enable and accelerate innovation and the growth of existing companies in the Berkshire Region primarily small to medium sized manufacturing companies in life sciences, the life sciences supply chain, advanced manufacturing and technology with the ultimate objective of spurring economic growth, jobs, and investment in the region.