News
Massachusetts Wins $3.2M DoD Grant to Develop National Model for Manufacturing Technician Training
BOSTON – During a meeting of the Commonwealth’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) on Wednesday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts has been awarded a new $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Technology Program (DoD ManTech) to develop a manufacturing technician training program that will serve as a national model. During the meeting, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, a co-chair of the AMC, announced the award, known as “MassBridge,” which will develop and test a state-based training and career pathway model for manufacturing technicians that meets the talent needs of the national Manufacturing USA Institutes and their members.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Awards $2.5 Million for New Advanced Manufacturing Center
CHICOPEE — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new grant totaling approximately $2,581,109 from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) to support the development of a new advanced manufacturing center at Convergent Photonics in Chicopee, which is partnering with Western New England University (WNE) on the new facility. Called a ‘Lab for Education and Application Prototyping, or LEAP, the lab will focus on product development, training, and research in the field of integrated photonics, and will be the fourth lab of its kind in the state.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Announces $6.5 Million in New Manufacturing Emergency Response Team Grants
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration has awarded over $6.5 Million to 13 Massachusetts organizations to develop new products to assist in the response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The new grants from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (MERT) will expand the Commonwealth’s work to drive in-state manufacturing of critical products, an effort which has produced more than 11 million pieces of personal protective equipment and other critical pieces as of September.
Read MoreMassachusetts Awarded ‘Future of Manufacturing’ Grant from National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new ‘Future of Manufacturing’ grant of $499,955 awarded to a collaboration of Massachusetts organizations, which will help the region’s manufacturers pivot their operations to address emerging crises.
Read MoreCareAline Products Wins Second ‘Intrapreneur Challenge’ In Support of COVID-19 Response
WESTBOROUGH – On Friday, August 21, a panel of expert judges declared CareAline Products of Danvers the winner of the second COVID-19 Intrapreneur Challenge, a competition focused on companies developing innovations that will help Massachusetts in its reopening processes. The Challenge featured pitches from nine established Massachusetts companies, who pitched their designs and business plans aimed at addressing the ongoing public health challenge.
Read MoreFinalists Selected for Second COVID-19 Response Challenge
WESTBOROUGH, MA — Nine intrapreneurs from companies across Massachusetts have been selected as finalists for Lever’s second COVID-19 Intrapreneur Challenge, which focuses on helping Massachusetts companies pivot operations to produce innovations that support the state’s reopening.
Read MoreNew Accelerator Aims to Boost ‘Made in Mass.’ Products that Support Re-opening
WESTBOROUGH, MA – The Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and Lever have announced the second COVID-19 Intrapreneur Challenge to identify and mentor innovative Massachusetts companies interested in developing a product or service to support Phase 2 of the state’s re-opening. The Intrapreneur Challenge is a five-part business accelerator program that aims to activate, connect, and focus Massachusetts companies as they pivot production capabilities to meet the emerging needs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Announces Grants to Boost Production of Personal Protective Equipment, Critical Supplies in Massachusetts to Support COVID-19 Response
BOSTON - May 21, 2020 —Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced more than $9.5 million in grants to boost production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical materials needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Reopening Massachusetts plan. The new awards were made through the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (M-ERT) to 15 grantees, including Massachusetts manufacturers, that are producing needed items such as masks, gowns, ventilators, swabs, and testing materials, and the capacity to test them.
Read MoreNew Balance to Open “Factory of the Future” In Methuen
Apparel and footwear maker New Balance is building its first new factory in two decades in Methuen. The new 80,000 square foot facility will create at least 60 new jobs focused on advanced manufacturing techniques and research and development. According to The Boston Globe, the new factory will not be fully built out when it opens sometime this spring, leaving room for the company to grow into the space experiment while experimenting new technologies like sole injection molding, hot melt bonding technology and 3D manufacturing. The Salem News reported that permitting for the new project was completed in 2019.
Read MoreCard Maker LovePop Uses 3D Printers To Make Faceshields
By: Rowan Walrath
Greeting card manufacturer LovePop is ramping up production of plastic face shields for front line health care workers. Once their face shield production ramps up to capacity they plan to add hospital gowns to mix.
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