After nearly a decade of robust economic growth, the Boston metropolitan area began in 2001 to feel the effects of the national recession. While the recession may be relatively mild by historic standards, by the end of 2002, a real recovery had not yet materialized. A return to the vibrant growth that characterized the Boston area economy in the late 1990s thus cannot be taken for granted. Those with a stake in the region’s economic future need to identify clearly the Boston area’s strengths, and consider carefully how the region can most effectively build on those strengths. Among these strengths is one that no other region in the U.S. can match. The Boston area is home to eight research universities: Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. Just as they helped the Boston metropolitan area recover from a severe regional recession in the 1990s, these eight universities are today providing a foundation for renewed economic growth in the years ahead. More
