At its new center in Billerica, Mass., Festo technologists are developing fluid handling systems for increasing the speed and accuracy of automated screening and sequencing laboratory equipment.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 6, 2019 - Governor Charlie Baker recently recognized 13 companies, including Festo, for locating or growing businesses in Massachusetts at the 11th annual MassEcon Corporate Welcome Reception.

The companies recognized created 500-plus new jobs, expanded business space by more than 130,000 square feet located in multiple regions of the state, and are involved in life sciences, manufacturing, technology, beverage, printing, and health care. Among the 13 were such well-recognized names as Aetna, Gelato, Humana, and Servier Pharmaceuticals. This was the fifth year that Baker welcomed companies at MassEcon's event, which has been held for past 11 years. MassEcon champions Massachusetts as one of the world's best places to start, grow, and locate a business.
Festo dedicated a Technology Engineering Center (TEC) in Billerica in 2018. This TEC is the company's first engineering center in the United States devoted to the life sciences. Being located in greater Boston gives personnel proximity to such research institutions as MIT, Harvard, and Brown. The region also hosts many laboratory equipment manufacturers. The team at TEC pioneers the development of new high speed, high accuracy fluid handling products based on pneumatic principles. The center works with individual customers on automated motion and fluid handling solutions that bring laboratory equipment to market faster and with less cost.
"Establishing this center for LifeTech research and development in greater Boston was the right thing to do in terms of talent pool, proximity to customers, and being a great place to live and work," said Craig Correia, Director, Process Industries, NAFTA. "It was an honor to be recognized by the governor at the annual MassEcon welcome reception."
"As I listened to the companies that were being welcomed, I could tell many of them are here because of the rich and diverse community … that we have," said Baker. "Our success as a Commonwealth has been this ability to retain the … vitality of local communities while we continue to attract these terrific businesses."
For more information on the services of TEC Boston, email lab.automation.us@festo.com and visit Festo Life Sciences on the web.
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Photo caption

At the 11th annual MassEcon Corporate Welcome Reception (left to right) Nicole Menzenbach, Consul General, Boston German Consulate, Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts, and representing the Festo Technology Engineering Center Petros Apostolopoulos and Chris Ducesneau.

About Festo
Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment.
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