Everybody who read the New York Times this morning probably skipped over the usually dull Square Feet real estate column. But the careful reader discovered in the column that Manchester, New Hampshire is the scene of a new technology cluster being born. In old textile mills built in the 19th century, a center of regenerative medicine is being born. It’s a classic mix of university research and a grant from the Defense Department for an institute to study the biofabrication of human tissue and organs. Some 30 tech companies are located in the old mills.
This is a perfect example of how America creates jobs. Are those textile jobs ever coming back to New England? Never. So rather than talking about “bringing jobs back,” the Trump Administration should be focused on creating new industries that require new skills. That seems to be the political sticking point. No worker who has been displaced wants to hear that they need new skills. That’s not politically popular.
But it is the way the global economy works. And this is yet another example of America doing what it does best–coming up with breakthrough new ideas and commercializing them. Bravo to Manchester!
