Earlier in the day, Patrick shared a podium with US Senator John F. Kerry, state Senate President Therese Murray, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and other officials at a breakfast for 125 business leaders and visitors from several countries at a Legal Sea Foods restaurant in Washington’s Chinatown. Murray lauded Legal Sea Foods owner Roger Berkowitz, who flew down to host the event, for his scrambled eggs buffet. “We thought we were having fish for breakfast,’’ she said.
Kerry said the life sciences industry, a top focus of Massachusetts’ economic development efforts, could create the type of high-paying jobs that have eluded other parts of the state’s economy. “This is one of the great promising sec tors for job growth,’’ he said.
Stefan Winkler, a life sciences industry adviser for the British Embassy, said he brought a representative from a British company to the breakfast to meet with Patrick and other Massachusetts officials.
“For biomedical, Massachusetts is probably the top place,’’ Winkler said. “The other place is California. Massachusetts has the big advantage [in] that it’s six hours closer.’’
Patrick, Menino, and Murray kicked off two days of activities at the BIO convention’s 2,400-square-foot Massachusetts Pavilion on Tuesday at a reception for several hundred state business people and out-of-state guests who devoured 200 pounds of scallops donated by New Bedford’s American Pride Seafoods and drank Samuel Adams beer.
About 15 percent of the 15,000 people registered for the convention hail from Massachusetts, making up one of the largest state contingents. But Menino promised next year’s convention in Boston will be much bigger, surpassing the record 23,000 people who attended BIO in 2007, the last time it was held in Boston. City officials are viewing it as a chance to showcase the new South Boston “innovation district’’ — soon to be anchored by drug maker Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. — and attract even more companies.
