Governor Maura Healey announced a major expansion of Massachusetts’ artificial intelligence (AI) efforts, unveiling a $31 million state grant to support sustainable high-performance computing and the hiring of the first executive director of the Massachusetts AI Hub. The announcement was made during IBM’s Think 2025 conference in Boston.
The funding will create the Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources (AICR) environment at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), providing critical infrastructure for AI innovation. AICR will offer access to computing power for public and private universities, startups, and businesses across the state.
“Together, we’re positioning Massachusetts as a global leader in applied AI,” said Governor Healey. “We’re promoting collaboration, investing in resources, and supporting entrepreneurs who will drive the next generation of innovation.”
The AICR initiative cements a long-term partnership between the state and MGHPCC’s six member universities—including MIT, Harvard, and UMass—and is expected to result in joint investments totaling $120 million over the next five years.
In addition to infrastructure development, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced plans to explore a new startup accelerator in collaboration with IBM and Red Hat. The proposed incubator would support AI entrepreneurs in building cutting-edge technologies and expanding Massachusetts’ AI business ecosystem.
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative also named Sabrina Mansur as the inaugural executive director of the AI Hub. A former executive at Torc Robotics, Mansur brings more than two decades of experience in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
“Sabrina brings the expertise needed to build on the momentum for artificial intelligence in our state,” said MassTech CEO Carolyn Kirk.
These developments follow earlier statewide AI investments, including the $3 million AI Models Innovation Challenge launched in February and a $1.9 million grant awarded in March to support biotech-related AI through LabCentral and C10 Labs.
The Massachusetts AI Hub, launched in December 2024, is a central initiative aimed at positioning the state as a national leader in responsible and inclusive AI development. Through partnerships across industry, academia, and government, the Hub seeks to tackle global challenges and unlock economic opportunity.
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