Nearly 300 people gathered Tuesday to mark the ceremonial groundbreaking for Biogen's new state-of-the-art facility in Kendall Square. The project is the first building to be constructed at MIT's Kendall Common on the former Volpe federal site, and will serve as a consolidated headquarters for the pioneering biotechnology company which has called Cambridge home for more than 40 years.
In marking the start of construction, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey addressed the enthusiastic crowd, saying, "Massachusetts science saves lives - saves lives here, saves lives around the world. We celebrate that in Biogen today, we celebrate that in Kendall Common, and we celebrate that in this incredible ecosystem that extends all across our great state. Today, Biogen is not just building a new facility, they are building the future of medicine and innovation."
Emceed by Kirk Taylor, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the event featured a specially created Lego model of the new building and a historic timeline of Biogen's origin story overlaid on Kendall Square's transformation. The program's theme - "Making breakthroughs happen in Kendall Square" - seemed to elicit a palpable sense of pride among the Biogen and MIT employees, business leaders, and public officials in attendance.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth reflected on the vibrancy of the local innovation ecosystem: "I sometimes say that Kendall Square's motto might as well be 'talent in proximity.' By following that essential recipe, Biogen's latest decision to intensify its presence here promises great things for the whole region." Kornbluth described Biogen's move as "a very important signal to the world right now."
Biogen's March 2025 announcement that it will centralize operations at 75 Broadway was lauded as a show of strength for the historic company and the life sciences sector. The 580,000-square-foot research and development headquarters, designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, will optimize Biogen's scientific discovery and clinical processes. The new facility is scheduled to open in 2028.
CEO Chris Veihbacher shared his thoughts on Biogen's decision: "I am proud to stand here with so many individuals who have shaped our past and who are dedicated to our future in Kendall Square. … We decided to invest in the next chapter of Kendall Square because of what this community represents: talent, energy, ingenuity, and collaboration." Biogen was founded in 1978 by Nobel laureates Phillip Sharp (an MIT Institute Professor and professor of biology emeritus) and Wally Gilbert, both of whom were not only present, but received an impromptu standing ovation, led by Viehbacher.
Kendall Common is being developed by MIT's Investment Management Company (MITIMCo) and will ultimately include four commercial buildings, four residential buildings (including affordable housing), open space, retail, entertainment, and a community center. MITIMCo's joint venture partner for the Biogen project is BioMed Realty, a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company.
Senior Vice President Patrick Rowe, who oversees MITIMCo's real estate group, says, "Biogen is such a critical anchor for the area. I'm excited for the impact that this project will have on Kendall Square, and for the way that the Kendall Common development can help to further advance our innovation ecosystem."
