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ChemPartner and BioBay Open Arsenal Innovation Center in Watertown

Governor Healey presents Commonwealth citation recognizing ChemPartner’s contribution to Massachusetts life sciences during its first year in the Boston area.

WATERTOWN, Mass., September 25, 2026 — ChemPartner and BioBay today marked the grand opening of the Arsenal Innovation Center at ChemPartner’s Watertown facility. The center connects innovators from BioBay in Suzhou with Greater Boston’s life sciences community and gives U.S. partners a local point of contact with ChemPartner’s scientific team and wider discovery capabilities.

Representatives of the Commonwealth joined ChemPartner and BioBay at the opening, including Jeevan Ramapriya, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, and Jeanne LeClair, Chief Business Officer of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, representing its President and CEO, Kirk Taylor, M.D. The program included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from company and state representatives, and a tour of ChemPartner’s laboratory.

After the opening and laboratory tour, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey met with ChemPartner and BioBay leaders. During the meeting, she presented ChemPartner leadership with a citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognizing the ChemPartner Boston Center of Excellence and its contribution to the state’s life sciences community during its first year.

Referring to the center’s location in Watertown’s Arsenal district, Governor Healey said, “That’s perfect. There are a lot of companies there.” She observed that even over coffee or lunch, employees are “surrounded by other scientists and researchers.” Administration officials also spoke about attracting scientific talent and new partnerships to Massachusetts.

“Knowing that those innovators want to come here to the United States, want to be part of the Massachusetts ecosystem, I think it’s key,” Ramapriya said, referring to the innovation emerging from BioBay in Suzhou. He described ChemPartner USA as a pioneer in helping create that connection.

At 480 Arsenal Way, Suite 160, the center provides a U.S. connection point for the ChemPartner–BioBay partnership. ChemPartner offers space and onsite support, while BioBay connects innovators and technologies from Suzhou with Greater Boston’s research community.

The opening followed ChemPartner’s September 24 celebration of the first anniversary of its Boston Center of Excellence. During the anniversary, ChemPartner leaders met with Massachusetts State Representative John J. Lawn Jr., House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.