[JayCT]

There were questions raised by some here on the value of the addition of Jackson Labs at UConn's Medical Center in Farmington that only opened last fall. According to this article, 25 start up companies have come to the area on the heels of Jackson Labs opening. Just what the state wanted. It is still early but I think this is a decent number. Jay

UConn incubator adds three startups | HartfordBusiness.com

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by JayCT

There were questions raised by some here on the value of the addition of Jackson Labs at UConn's Medical Center in Farmington that only opened last fall. According to this article, 25 start up companies have come to the area on the heels of Jackson Labs opening. Just what the state wanted. It is still early but I think this is a decent number. Jay

UConn incubator adds three startups | HartfordBusiness.com

Most of these are spin-off labs from research being conducted at UCONN, the Health Center and in a few cases JAX-GM. Monetizing research labs with commercial applications is basically a new trendy thing schools are doing because of access to VC that didn't exist 2 decades ago (and owning the patents certainly helps motivate them too).

These start ups are based on research that's been going on here for a long time. It has little to do with Jackson Laboratories and everything to do with the fact that Bioteh, as an industry, has finally reached profitability and now venture firms are trying to get their piece of the pie.

This IS good news regardless. Silicon Valley made it's start with similar routes (Hewlett-Packard through collaboration with Stanford University and subsequent spin-offs) and essentially has the same model today but massively parallel. The idea that CT will become the next biotech hub is highly unlikely, however. This type of model is being replicated all over the country and it will be years to a decade, if ever before these companies will produce enough jobs to compensate for even one of these large employers leaving the state.

[BobNJ1960]

Seems like Lazy reporting..quantity of startups is not the ROI basis..quantity of NEW jobs created and sustained is. I didn't spot that in the article.

If 300 Jackson jobs are sustained, cost was $1 mill per job.

If its say 1,000 with suppliers, cost is 300k/job (300mill/1,000).

[JayCT]

Looks like Pratt & Whitney's good fortune will be spreading to a number of companies based here in Connecticut. Good news for everyone. Jay

Pratt inks $1.22B in deals with Greater Hartford firms | HartfordBusiness.com

[hipstermomdanbury]

To me CT is like Northern California in the 90's. There is a ton of activity involving health and wellness, children's enrichment, art and tech start-ups, foodie groups, like craft breweries, farm to table eating, and independents.


The amenities for families are fantastic and real estate here is SO much more affordable than the Golden State.


Also, there is an outdoorsy vibe, nature, hikes, parks, trails and the like that one can do with families in tow, that makes CT so great.


I predict that West Coasters will discover Connecticut as our state school system, UC CONN and State School and JC's get more and more press.


Already, you see a ton of internationals going to our high schools and colleges.


As states like California become more fringe and less safe, folks will find Connecticut and feel so pleased.


Also, families will continue to find CT from New York, Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey, Bergen County, Westchester County, the Bronx and Queens.


When you move here from these places, CT is paradise.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by hipstermomdanbury

To me CT is like Northern California in the 90's. There is a ton of activity involving health and wellness, children's enrichment, art and tech start-ups, foodie groups, like craft breweries, farm to table eating, and independents.


The amenities for families are fantastic and real estate here is SO much more affordable than the Golden State.


Also, there is an outdoorsy vibe, nature, hikes, parks, trails and the like that one can do with families in tow, that makes CT so great.


I predict that West Coasters will discover Connecticut as our state school system, UC CONN and State School and JC's get more and more press.


Already, you see a ton of internationals going to our high schools and colleges.


As states like California become more fringe and less safe, folks will find Connecticut and feel so pleased.


Also, families will continue to find CT from New York, Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey, Bergen County, Westchester County, the Bronx and Queens.


When you move here from these places, CT is paradise.

CT is nothing like early tech scene days of Cali. Additionally, there is no underlying driving force, such as the internet boom of the 90's to create the level of demand necessary to attract investors at such scale needed to recreate such a history. Lastly, if removing CT from that description it describes dozens of metros all over the country, and CT lags behind every one of them in tech and has the least sustainable policies to support the explosive growth, if and when the time is right.

With that said, west coasters are not moving to CT, they are moving to Colorado, Utah and Texas. So stick with NY.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by hipstermomdanbury

To me CT is like Northern California in the 90's. There is a ton of activity involving health and wellness, children's enrichment, art and tech start-ups, foodie groups, like craft breweries, farm to table eating, and independents.


The amenities for families are fantastic and real estate here is SO much more affordable than the Golden State.


Also, there is an outdoorsy vibe, nature, hikes, parks, trails and the like that one can do with families in tow, that makes CT so great.


I predict that West Coasters will discover Connecticut as our state school system, UC CONN and State School and JC's get more and more press.


Already, you see a ton of internationals going to our high schools and colleges.


As states like California become more fringe and less safe, folks will find Connecticut and feel so pleased.


Also, families will continue to find CT from New York, Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey, Bergen County, Westchester County, the Bronx and Queens.


When you move here from these places, CT is paradise.

The numbers don't reflect what you're saying.

[Comp625]

Originally Posted by hipstermomdanbury

To me CT is like Northern California in the 90's. There is a ton of activity involving health and wellness, children's enrichment, art and tech start-ups, foodie groups, like craft breweries, farm to table eating, and independents.


The amenities for families are fantastic and real estate here is SO much more affordable than the Golden State.


Also, there is an outdoorsy vibe, nature, hikes, parks, trails and the like that one can do with families in tow, that makes CT so great.


I predict that West Coasters will discover Connecticut as our state school system, UC CONN and State School and JC's get more and more press.


Already, you see a ton of internationals going to our high schools and colleges.


As states like California become more fringe and less safe, folks will find Connecticut and feel so pleased.


Also, families will continue to find CT from New York, Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey, Bergen County, Westchester County, the Bronx and Queens.


When you move here from these places, CT is paradise.

Originally Posted by Stylo

The numbers don't reflect what you're saying.

Agreed with Stylo. The foundation to some of those mini-sectors is growing -- but they're growing elsewhere, too. Craft breweries and farm-to-table eating are New England trends. They're also not powerhouse industries that can shift the state's dire economic situation.

Our "big 3" are Aerospace Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Higher Education; two of those three industries are unmovable. i.e. you can't "relocate" Yale University, the Yale New Haven Hospital & Hartford Hospital systems that stretches across the state. As Jay pointed out, Pratt & Whitney is investing in local companies, so it's stable for now.

One tech-related industry that's often underappreciated is battery development. Duracell's domestic headquarters is in Bethel, but last year, they explored moving it to Chicago. While they're not as sexy as Tesla and they don't employ as many CT residents, it would still be another PR-hit to Connecticut if they were to move. Other than them, Datto Inc. (the data security company in Norwalk) and Priceline.com, our tech industry is a joke compared to Route 128 in Boston.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by hipstermomdanbury

To me CT is like Northern California in the 90's. There is a ton of activity involving health and wellness, children's enrichment, art and tech start-ups, foodie groups, like craft breweries, farm to table eating, and independents.


The amenities for families are fantastic and real estate here is SO much more affordable than the Golden State.


Also, there is an outdoorsy vibe, nature, hikes, parks, trails and the like that one can do with families in tow, that makes CT so great.


I predict that West Coasters will discover Connecticut as our state school system, UC CONN and State School and JC's get more and more press.


Already, you see a ton of internationals going to our high schools and colleges.


As states like California become more fringe and less safe, folks will find Connecticut and feel so pleased.


Also, families will continue to find CT from New York, Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey, Bergen County, Westchester County, the Bronx and Queens.


When you move here from these places, CT is paradise.

Thank You Hipstermom. It's nice to see the above from someone who is from out of state. You are near Candlewood Lake and it is so nice up there. A lot of people who were born here in CT are getting so down on our state but I am trying to keep a positive outlook. I am telling everyone my husband and I want to stay in CT for retirement and they think we are crazy. BTW, I am an old hipster.

[Comp625]

Originally Posted by CTartist

Thank You Hipstermom. It's nice to see the above from someone who is from out of state. You are near Candlewood Lake and it is so nice up there. A lot of people who were born here in CT are getting so down on our state but I am trying to keep a positive outlook. I am telling everyone my husband and I want to stay in CT for retirement and they think we are crazy. BTW, I am an old hipster.

Expensive cost of living aside, CT offers a great lifestyle for retirement if you're willing to bear the winters.

The dire economic situation has more impact, IMO, to those who aren't nearing retirement... where companies and jobs are exiting the state leading to lesser opportunities (both in quantity of jobs available and in wages).

I love CT but I often internally debate on whether the quality of life is worth it once taxes and wacky economic outlook are taken into account.