The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) has approved a $9.7 million capital grant to the city of Pittsfield to build a life sciences innovation center.

The 20,000-square-foot center, which will be located in the William Stanley Business Park, will enable shared research, early-stage production and commercialization and work force training for life science companies and related businesses.

The MLSC award includes $7.7 million for building design and construction and $2 million for equipment, including state of the art tools for precise measurement, precision analysis and microscopy and rapid 3D prototype printing.

To secure the grant, Westborough-based New England Expansion Strategies (NEES) conducted an extensive industry and stakeholder feasibility study. It included outreach to more than 85 external organizations primarily based within Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts. Along with 30 private sector companies, 26 of them in the Berkshires, study contributors included industry trade groups, higher education institutions, hospitals and venture capital firms.

The innovation center will be a self-sustaining entity with private sector support. Primary participants will be small to medium sized manufacturers in life sciences and the field’s supply chain. The operating budget will be funded through membership, usage fees and rental income from labs, clean rooms and offices.

The Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, which helped spearhead the creation of the center, has secured signed membership commitments from 19 private sector companies and five institutions. Construction is expected to begin by summer 2015.