Healey tells business leaders she's focused on driving down costs in Mass.

Gov. Maura Healey said Massachusetts will continue to invest in the state's most lucrative industries while looking after its most vulnerable residents.

Speaking to a room full of business owners Thursday, she said her administration remains focused on lowering costs despite a loss of federal funding.

" How do we drive down housing costs? How do we drive down energy costs? How do we drive down healthcare costs?" Healey asked. "These are things we're trying to drive every single day. I know they're important to you as employers, as businesses, and to your employees."

Her administration has cut 25% of business regulations to date, she said during the Associated Industries of Massachusetts event, adding that her new budget includes no new taxes for individuals and businesses. She also touted recently announced investments into early college and apprenticeship programs, setting goals of registering 100,000 people in each program by 2036.

From defense to quantum industries, Healey highlighted the state's "innovation based economy" and the goal of her budget to support it. She celebrated the most recent decision by TransMedics, a medical technology company, to move its headquarters to Somerville despite attempts by New Hampshire and North Carolina to lure the business to their states.

" Our greatest strength really is our talent and our people. And I think that's why you continue to see, even in these hard times, companies come," Healey said.

Asked about the lack of available affordable housing across the state, Healey encouraged people in the room to attend their local planning meetings, even on cold and rainy weekday nights, to get homes built across the state so people can live where they work.

"That stuff matters," she said. "The vibrancy and the economic growth and development of our state ... and the quality of life for our residents depends on us building housing as quickly as we can."