The High Tech Agenda

State Business Competitiveness, Government News, & Public Policy Updates

Massachusetts’ innovation economy remains a cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s economic strength and global competitiveness. Technology-driven industries continue to power job creation, drive groundbreaking research, and sustain a dynamic ecosystem of startups, established companies, and leading research institutions.

The Commonwealth also benefits from significant competitive advantages, including a world-class talent pipeline, globally recognized universities, and a deeply interconnected innovation ecosystem that enables collaboration across industry, academia, and government.

At the same time, Massachusetts must remain attentive to growing challenges. Competition from other states seeking to attract investment and talent continues to intensify; federal research funding priorities may shift, and the high cost of doing business in the Commonwealth remains a concern for employers.

Recognizing both the opportunities and the risks, state leaders have increasingly engaged industry partners—including the Council and its members—in efforts to strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in key innovation sectors and ensure the Commonwealth remains a premier destination for investment, talent, and technological advancement.

The Council will continue to play a leading role in this effort by advancing the perspectives and expertise of its members as the Commonwealth works to protect and expand its innovation leadership.

The Council’s engagement in these efforts is guided by several core priorities:

Several initiatives are currently underway across the Commonwealth to strengthen strategic innovation sectors. The Council and its members are actively participating in these efforts, contributing industry expertise and perspective as policymakers work to reinforce Massachusetts’ leadership in emerging and critical technologies.

The Council has supported the creation and funding of a public-private partnership designed to position Massachusetts as a national leader in artificial intelligence. Drawing on member expertise, the Council collaborated with Boston Consulting Group to produce two MassVision2050 research papers examining the challenges and opportunities facing the Commonwealth’s AI ecosystem, along with concrete recommendations for both policymakers and the private sector.

As other states compete aggressively for the investment and talent that will drive AI innovation, continued collaboration between industry and government will be essential to ensure Massachusetts remains at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.

Explore the MassVision2050 Papers

Massachusetts is also strengthening its leadership in microelectronics and semiconductor technologies through the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), a regional hub led by MITRE and Analog Devices.

The NEMC was designated by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2023 as one of eight national microelectronics hubs established through the CHIPS and Science Act. The Coalition now includes more than 300 organizations working together to advance semiconductor innovation, expand workforce training, and support job growth across the region.

The Council and several of its members are participating in the Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange, and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD) working group, launched by Governor Healey in the fall of 2025.

This initiative is focused on strengthening Massachusetts’ defense sector by developing a comprehensive playbook to support economic growth, job creation, talent retention, and the successful transition of emerging technologies from research to deployment.

In October 2025, Governor Healey announced the formation of a new Competitiveness Council to advise her administration on opportunities to improve the state’s business climate and competitive position. The High Tech Council applauded this focus on addressing the state’s cost, growth, and fiscal challenges while releasing our own recommendations for concrete goals and actions the Competitiveness Council should urgently address. The High Tech Council is engaging with this new Council as a member of its Tax and Business Climate subcommittee, sharing the perspective of our members on these critical topics.

MassVision2050 News & Updates

The MassVision2050 AI Leadership Initiative convenes CEOs and senior executives from Council member organizations for candid, peer-level dialogue on how artificial intelligence is shaping enterprise strategy and organizational leadership. The initiative serves as a member-only forum where leaders can share how their organizations are evaluating, deploying, and governing AI technologies while navigating rapidly evolving opportunities and risks.

Members have already received the formal invitation with the registration link. Members who are interested in attending may contact Jenny Enfield at je***@**tc.org to request the RSVP link or to obtain additional information about the program.

Cybersecurity is a foundational component of the modern innovation economy, and Massachusetts is home to a growing network of companies, research institutions, and government partners addressing increasingly complex digital threats.

The Council launched the MassVision2050 Cybersecurity Community in 2024 to convene leaders across the cybersecurity ecosystem and facilitate dialogue on emerging risks, industry trends, and opportunities to strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in this critical sector.

Members have already received the formal invitation with the registration link. Members who are interested in attending may contact Jenny Enfield to request the RSVP link or to obtain additional information about the program.

Talent remains one of the most important drivers of Massachusetts’ long-term economic competitiveness. Rapid advances in AI and other emerging technologies are reshaping workforce skill requirements at an unprecedented pace, while demographic pressures and interstate competition intensify the race for talent.

To help address these challenges, the Council—working in collaboration with MITRE—has launched the Massachusetts Skills & Talent Intelligence Capability, a MassVision2050 Engaged Workforce initiative designed to provide forward-looking workforce insights that support employers, educators, and policymakers.

The platform integrates advanced skills forecasting with talent-flow analysis to provide near real-time intelligence on emerging skill requirements, workforce disruption, and the Commonwealth’s ability to attract and retain top talent across key industries.

Now transitioning from prototype to a scaled capability housed at Bentley University, the initiative represents an important step toward building permanent competitiveness infrastructure for Massachusetts, helping ensure the Commonwealth remains a national leader in workforce readiness and innovation-driven economic growth.

Interested in getting involved? Contact Council President Chris Anderson at ch***@**tc.org for more information.

Last week, the Council held a briefing for members on the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. This is a dollar‑for‑dollar federal tax credit for individual contributions to scholarship‑granting organizations supporting K–12 tuition assistance in states that opt in. The credit could generate new private investment to support the participation of low-income students in public and private school programs such as career technical education, tutoring, and after-school programs. Featuring two education policy experts, last week’s briefing focused on how the federal scholarship tax credit would operate, the state opt‑in decision now underway, and the considerations facing Massachusetts as it evaluates participation.

The Massachusetts Educational Opportunities Coalition, a group that is advocating for Massachusetts to opt in to this federal tax credit, will be holding an event on Wednesday, April 15, at 4:30 PM to discuss what this tax credit could mean for students and families in Massachusetts. If you are interested in attending this event, you can RSVP here.

The Council’s 2026 Annual Meeting will offer senior executives, partners, and stakeholders an opportunity to gather on June 2 for a cocktail reception and exchange focused on competitiveness, MassVision2050 priorities, and engagement in the 2026 policy and election cycle.

Event details and formal invitations will be distributed soon.

Support the MassVision2050 Mission

Advancing Massachusetts’ long-term economic competitiveness, innovation capacity, and workforce strength requires sustained leadership—and meaningful investment. The Massachusetts High Technology Council’s work to advance the MassVision2050 agenda is made possible through the engagement and financial support of our members and partners.

Organizations can support the Council’s mission through several avenues, including charitable contributions to the MassVision Foundation, support for the Mass Opportunity Alliance, and sponsorship of MassVision2050 initiatives. These investments directly enable rigorous, data-driven policy analysis, cross-sector collaboration, and scalable initiatives that strengthen the Commonwealth’s innovation economy and expand opportunity statewide.

We are grateful for the continued leadership of our members and welcome conversations with organizations interested in deepening their partnership with the Council and advancing a shared vision for Massachusetts’ future.

To confirm your support or explore the funding approach that best aligns with your goals, please contact Council President Chris Anderson at ch***@**tc.org.