BIC Sees $5.2M State Investment for Tech Hub

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
03:41PM / Saturday, November 08, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Innovation Center's plans for an optics tech hub have been boosted by $5.2 million from the state.

On Thursday, the Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Innovation Institute announced over $16.3 million in funding and designated 14 state regions as "TechHubs" through the Massachusetts (MA) TechHubs Program. The awards were announced at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

The BIC received a $5.2 million transformation grant — the largest allocation — for an Advanced Optics TechHub within the William Stanley Business Park. The innovation center, established in 2020, is looking to add a 7,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Tech Hub to its 23,500-square-foot floor plan.

Business Development Manager Michael Coakley said this is wonderful news for Pittsfield.

"The City has been working with Myrias Optics, an advanced optics manufacturer, and EMA [Electro Magnetic Applications] to be the anchor companies for the hub," he reported.

"The goal for the tech hub is to make Pittsfield the national leader in the testing and manufacturing of advanced optics."

Mayor Peter Marchetti has proposed $1 million in Pittsfield Economic Development Funds to assist the

BIC with this expansion and for Myrias Optics to establish a manufacturing laboratory at the

BIC as part of the TechHub, which is currently being considered by the Pittsfield City Council.

"The AMAO TechHub places Pittsfield at the forefront of advanced manufacturing," said the mayor in a statement. "The combination of state and local resources for the TechHub will create more job opportunities while we support entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses in this community. I continue to appreciate the investments made in Pittsfield by the Healey-Driscoll administration, Rep. [Tricia] Farley-Bouvier and Sen. [Paul] Mark."

The AMAO Tech Hub is poised to bring more than 60 new, high-quality manufacturing jobs to Pittsfield. The project would allow Myrias to relocate to Pittsfield, create over 50 new job opportunities, and invest $10 million into its work in the region. EMA would be able to continue expanding in Pittsfield, adding a dozen jobs over the next two years.

Through partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, this project is hoped to extend its reach beyond Pittsfield, creating bridges to other regions of the state and investing in the next generation of industry leaders.

The state's press release said this will also facilitate collaboration along the Boston-Rochester optics corridor, develop a pipeline of talent for advanced optics manufacturing, and facilitate the growth of startups, including Myrias Optics and Electro Magnetic Applications.

"Massachusetts has always led through innovation, not just in our labs and universities, but through the strength and creativity of our people," Gov. Maura Healey said in the press release.

"The TechHubs Program reflects our belief that every region should have the opportunity to shape the future of technology and to share in the prosperity it brings."

The BIC is seeking $500,000 to expand, and Myrias Optics Inc. is seeking $500,000 to establish the manufacturing laboratory at the BIC. Both requests were referred to the Community and Economic Development subcommittee, which will meet on Monday, Nov. 10.

Funds would go toward a specialized nanoimprint lithography (NIL) lab to support the Massachusetts-based photonics company that is currently reliant on space in Austria.

Myrias Optics was born out of the UMass Amherst, and this facility is expected to "dramatically" advance the company's commercialization goals. The manufacturing lab would be modeled after the Austria facility and house NIL tooling, process engineering, and metrology operations.

By 2028, the company plans to expand from 10 to 55 employees with an average annual salary between $112,000 $127,000, and the annual revenue growth from $1 million to $33 .7 million.

The BIC has more than 50 members and 14 academic partners. It has recruited and supported Pittsfield startups through the Stage 2 Accelerator Program tailored for hard tech ventures transitioning from prototype to commercialization. This program provides mentorship and facilities, as well as connections and funding pathways.

"As the BIC continues to drive this growth, it has observed a clear shift in regional needs— from basic capacity-building to advanced research, development, and commercialization," the funding ask reads.

"Today, the demand for lab space, prototyping tools, and startup support significantly exceeds available resources."

The BIC currently has an advanced optics lab in partnership with EMA and UMass Amherst. In 2019, Pittsfield gave EMA $140,000 in economic development funds towards the purchase of a space environment testing chamber and a tax agreement that will curb the taxes EMA pays to the city from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2026.

"This funding is a big step forward in enabling the Berkshire Innovation Center and the City of

Pittsfield to plant a mustard seed into soil that has been cultivated at the BIC allowing for the next

critical step in the community’s economic revitalization and into the future," said Farley-Bouvier.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute also received $5.2 million for a Bioindustrial Manufacturing TechHub. These grants are said to support regions ready to "execute large-scale projects that enhance innovation infrastructure, promote the development of local high-growth scaling companies, catalyze technology commercialization, and foster workforce development with up to $5 million in capital funds over a period of up to three years."

Tags: BIC, manufacturing, state grant, technology,

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BCC Sees Another $1M for New Trades Program

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:51AM / Wednesday, April 29, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College was allocated more than $1 million from the state for an HVAC and heat pump trades program.

This will help BCC renovate an existing space into a lab and classroom, with the hope of welcoming the program’s first students in early 2027. Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education Linda Clairmont said there is "clearly" an interest, a lot of momentum, and demand for the skilled trades.

"We are beyond excited about this opportunity, not only for the college, but for the region, to be able to create a skilled trades program for adults, and it's a complement to what is already happening at the college," she said.

The $1,188,635 award was announced on Tuesday as part of $13.4 million to 13 state community colleges through the Mass Clean Energy Center’s new Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network. Between state and federal funding, the college has recently been allocated more than $2 million to diversify its educational offerings.

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited the college to highlight the $995,000 he secured through congressionally directed spending for a Trades Academy.

The nearly $1.2 million in state funds will support a renovation on the first floor of the field administration building for an HVAC heat pump and lab classroom, along with two cohorts of ten students.

"We have made a lot of progress," Clairmont reported.

"We've identified a location, right on campus. We are working with architects and engineers right now to design the space, along with some expertise in what is state-of-the-art for HVAC training in real-world environments."

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