Part 8/12:
Harvard and MIT are the cornerstone of Boston’s academic ecosystem, with Harvard alone contributing around $9 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy and employing 20,000 people. These institutions are interconnected with Boston's biotech, R&D, or venture capital sectors—80% of Boston's biotech and life sciences industry are anchored by Harvard and MIT. Similarly, AI and robotics companies are often spin-offs from research at these universities.
This university-driven ecosystem sustains not only academic research but also sectors such as professional services, legal, medical, and tourism industries—about half of tourism in Boston is linked to academic events like graduations or conferences.