Greater Lowell Launches New Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

“Greater Lowell Stronger Together” prioritizes government and private sector actions to enhance the region’s resilience, competitiveness, and prosperity.

Lowell, MA– The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG), working with municipalities, economic leaders, and community organizations, has released Greater Lowell Stronger Together, a bold five-year Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to guide regional growth. The CEDS not only qualifies municipalities in the region for certain grants, but also provides a workplan to increase municipal capacity to take full advantage of developments such as the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC) and Lowell’s recent Frontrunner City Status.

To create the plan, NMCOG partnered with the United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), and a consultant, Fourth Economy Consulting, to interview nearly 70 business leaders, public officials, and nonprofit experts to understand the region’s economic strengths, opportunities, and aspirations. The team also held the first Greater Lowell Economic Summit last March at UKG in Lowell.

The process strengthened the existing collaboration between NMCOG, Middlesex 3, the Greater Lowell MassHire Workforce Board, and other economic leaders in the region. To implement the plan, these economic entities will formalize a partnership agreement to reinforce and expand the organizations’ business support, workforce development, and regional marketing programs.

“By working together, we can ensure Greater Lowell is a place where businesses thrive, residents prosper, and communities remain vibrant,” said Jennifer Raitt, Executive Director of NMCOG. “We already have the collaborative spirit and the expertise; Greater Lowell Stronger Together provides the roadmap.”

“The Greater Lowell Stronger Together plan reflects exactly the kind of collaborative, action-oriented strategy our region needs,” said Stephanie Cronin, Executive Director of Middlesex 3. “By supporting each community’s unique strengths within a regional framework, we can better position our businesses and workforce for long-term success. We’re proud to be part of this partnership and look forward to building a more resilient and competitive regional economy together.”

“This is an essential roadmap for our region’s economic future, and we are proud to be a key partner in its implementation,” said Kevin Coughlin, Executive Director of the MassHire Greater Lowell Workforce Board. “Our collaboration strengthens our ability to build and sustain a vital workforce that supports the incoming economic development needs of the Greater Lowell region”.

In addition to the partnership agreement, critical next steps were identified in four strategic pillars:

• Creating Economic Development Capacity – Expanding tools, partnerships, and resources to support municipalities of all sizes.

• Developing Strong Places and Towns – Investing in vibrant downtowns, cultural assets, and Main Streets across the region.

• Leveraging Signature Opportunities – Driving growth through transformative projects such as LINC and the Hamilton Canal Innovation District.

• Building Infrastructure to Support Workers and Residents – Addressing critical needs in housing, transportation, utilities, and digital access.

The plan highlights opportunities such as the $3.7 billion projected impact of LINC, the region’s industry strengths in life sciences, defense, and advanced manufacturing, and the unprecedented state funding provided through the 2024 Mass Leads Act. At the same time, the plan emphasizes the urgency of tackling barriers such as housing shortages, infrastructure gaps, and uneven municipal capacity. The plan is available at https://nmcog.org/ceds

About the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
NMCOG is one of thirteen regional planning agencies within Massachusetts. Formed under Chapter 40B of the Massachusetts General Laws, NMCOG serves the municipalities of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford to support and enhance a wide range of planning objectives related to land use, environmental protection, climate resiliency, economic development, housing, municipal service delivery, and transportation.

NMCOG’s professional staff assist member communities in designing, facilitating, and implementing programs and planning initiatives which further the interests of the overall region. NMCOG staff also serve as staff to the Northern Middlesex MPO, to which they provide comprehensive transportation planning services for the region under contract with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

About Middlesex 3
Middlesex 3 Coalition is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, founded in 2012 to support and champion economic development in the Route 3 region in Middlesex County. The Coalition receives support from the Mass Office of Business Development (MOBD) and is recognized by the Commonwealth as a Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO). For more information, visit https://www.middlesex3.com/.

About the MassHire Greater Lowell Workforce Board
The MassHire Greater Lowell Workforce Board is one of 16 Workforce Boards throughout Massachusetts, servicing the communities of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Dunstable and Westford. We act as a catalyst to build relationships between employers, job-seekers, training providers, funding resources and general or specifically targeted workforce development programs that promote a skilled and educated workforce, meets the workforce needs of employers, and supports and sustains economic development, business competitiveness, and job creation in Greater Lowell. We do this through collaboration and alignment with partner resources to create and sustain career pathways ensuring our efforts are demand-driven and designed to meet the changing needs of business. For more information, visit https://masshiregreaterlowell.com/about/.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Raitt
Executive Director, NMCOG
(978) 454-8021 x 120
jraitt@nmcog.org.
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