Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Gov. Patrick to give MIT commencement speech

By Mass High Tech staff

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will deliver the commencement address at MIT on June 5 -- a sign of his continued dedication to support technology in the commonwealth.

A member of the MIT Corp., Gov. Patrick is recognized for his efforts in promoting Massachusetts as a hub for biotechnology, alternative energy and education, according to Susan Hockfield, president of MIT.

Patrick’s tenure as governor has included highlights of fusing research and education with governmental operations.

On June 16, 2008, he signed into law the  Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a hodgepodge of grants, tax breaks, loans, and other incentives to bolster the state’s biotech sector over the next 10 years. The act promised $1 billion to the life sciences sector to be distributed in a variety of ways: $500 million is slated for capital improvements; $250 million is available in tax breaks, capped at $25 million a year; and some $250 million is part of an investment fund that will pay out $25 million a year, at the discretion of the newly established Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

Patrick has also signed into law the Clean Energy Biofuels Act of 2008. The bill gives preferential tax treatment to non-corn-based alternatives to ethanol, and mandates biofuel content (2 percent by 2010 and 5 percent by 2013) in all diesel and home heating fuel sold in the state. The initiative also proposes a new fuel standard for the region that will encourage a range of emissions-reducing technologies for cars and trucks, according to a statement from the State House.

Gov. Patrick was elected to the Massachusetts office in November 2006.