Massachusetts’ Healy-Driscoll gubernatorial administration has introduced over $3 million in grants for 17 tasks, as a part of the Heart for Superior Manufacturing’s (CAM’s) Massachusetts Manufacturing Speed up Program (MMAP). The commonwealth created MMAP in the summertime of 2021 to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) incorporate cutting-edge applied sciences, together with additive manufacturing (AM), into their workflows.
In annual funding rounds, MMAP supplies grants in a 1:1 minimal value share association with the awardees. MMAP targets its funding primarily based on standards together with the potential of proposals to reinforce equitable workforce improvement in Massachusetts, the collaboration between candidates and non-profits throughout the Massachusetts superior manufacturing ecosystem, and strategic alignment with an inventory of key industries launched every year.
MMAP solicitations for FY ‘23 referred to as for manufacturing tasks able to bolstering the “semiconductor, protection and aerospace, battery applied sciences and [AM]” industries. Typical non-profit companions for SMEs embrace quasi-state organizations just like the consultancy Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP), the profession improvement community MassHire, and the superior manufacturing consortium Berkshire Innovation Heart (BIC).
For instance, one among this spherical’s winners, Busek Co. Inc. of Natick, MA, develops and manufactures a wide range of elements and methods for area and aerospace, together with solar-electric rockets. Buseck partnered with MassMEP to assist execute its plan of upskilling 1-3 staff, and plans to dedicate its $200,000 grant in direction of new tools corresponding to a steel 3D printer for fast prototyping and tooling.
In a press launch concerning the newest spherical of MMAP awardees, CAM Director Christine Nolan mentioned, “On the Heart for Superior Manufacturing, we’re always working to construct a stronger, extra environment friendly manufacturing sector by investing in capital tools and workforce improvement alternatives. “We acquired an enormous response from producers statewide, choosing firms which are well-positioned as suppliers to fulfill the calls for of important industries corresponding to semiconductors, textiles, battery applied sciences, protection, and robotics. We’re excited to trace their progress over the approaching years, to see how every of those grantees make the most of new applied sciences to assist them scale, add jobs, and contribute to a neighborhood provide chain that continues to excel. This can assist us construct a stronger, extra modern ‘Made in Mass.’ manufacturing sector!”
Picture courtesy of Busek Co. Inc.
MMAP is presently in search of purposes for CAM Spherical 5, with the purposes due by April 3, 2024. Grants might be for as much as $200,000, and goal SMEs in alignment with goals associated to microelectronics, protection and aerospace, and electrification. Firms concerned with making use of can discover extra info right here.
Massachusetts has developed some of the subtle state-level innovation ecosystems within the US, establishing a mannequin that different states may take the lead from in coming years, because the federal authorities continues to sharpen its give attention to increase superior manufacturing clusters. CAM is a part of the Massachusetts Know-how Collaborative, the identical group that homes the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub, which acquired about $20 million in DoD funding made doable by the CHIPS Act final September.
It’s nicely previous time that everybody within the AM business familiarized themselves with the idea of ‘consortia’: interfirm entities, sometimes within the type of public-private partnerships, that coordinate agendas and actions to maximise leverage over their related markets. That is the extent of group at which the rubber will meet the street in the brand new period of commercial coverage. The enterprises in the very best place to compete all through the subsequent a long time might be those who put themselves in the very best positions to collaborate.
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