Manufacturing Incubators
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| Blog Post | |
|---|---|
| Title | Manufacturing Incubators |
| Author | Yunnie Huang |
| Series | |
| Content status | Idea |
| Publication date | |
| Notes | |
| Image | |
| © edegan.com, 2016 | |
Concept of Incubators
Business concept that was first developed in the 1950s. Usually, incubators offer a stable place to develop business concepts (office space, ability to network) along with infrastructure to turn these concepts into reality Startup businesses and concepts can be developed without the pressure to generate revenue instantly. Typically associated with technology firms.
Incubators in Manufacturing
Require more expensive, different resources (in comparison to technology startups.) This include tools, machinery, etc(shared so they're affrodable). Decline in manufacturing jobs in the U.S. in the last several decades. But evolution of manufacturing technology (3D printing, robotics) make business and labor models more affordable. Benefits - (1) access to common tools and infrastructure (2) collaboration and idea sharing (3) networking (4) business infrastructure
Economic Impacts of Manufacturing Incubators
Gaining manufacturing jobs in the U.S. from foreign countries. This is partly due to rising wages in China and India and partly due to new technologies. Result is increased demand for those manufacturing incubators.
Written in 2015
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-industrial-incubator-0210-biz-20150209-story.html
Fulton-Carroll Center Incubator in Chicago https://www.illinoisinnovation.com/fulton-carroll-center-incubator
Created in 1980 (one of the largest and ones of the first five in nation). $2.6 million in federal grants. Size of a city clock, 410,000 square-foot Challenge: "retaining its sense of community while nudging companies out of its nest." The center wants companies to grow and graduate in just a few years, which prevent development of long and meaningful relationship. During an average month, 2-4 tenants move in or out. Total of 138 businesses employing 550 people. The center has became more selective because higher demand. Charges $8-$11 per square foot rent (less than price for comparable space in its neighborhood.)
August 2017 http://seattlebusinessmag.com/manufacturing/industry-space-seattle-gives-small-manufacturers-room-grow Industry Space Seattle
47,000-square-foot building 10 industrial work spaces, a furnished conference room and offices. Gives tenants the use of 10 overhead crane systems, which can cost $60,000 to $80,000 each, Bianchi says, along with a $30,000 compressed-air system, a $20,000 forklift and an industrial paint booth. Tenants include LED lighting, custom metal manufacturing and 3-D printers for metal fabrication. Most have 2-4 employees. In 2015, the city of Seattle awarded Industry Space $100,000 Impact Washington is a nonprofit that provides consulting services and business mentoring to fledgling manufacturers.
Feb 2016 https://hbr.org/2016/02/entrepreneurs-take-on-manufacturing Examples of software-enabled manufacturing startups
Pebble - a Kickstarter-funded project that has now sold over one million smart watches (and which predated Google’s Android Wear smart watch and the Apple Watch). Nebia - a start-up water-efficient showerhead maker in San Francisco — recently scored investment money from Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt’s family foundation. Drop - a startup that makes a $100 iPad-connected kitchen scale and software app now widely available in Apple Stores and the Apple website, Fitbit
June 2017 http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/the-manufacturing-incubator-changing-design/78980 3D printing
Example: replace $50,000 months-long operation of traditional steel casting method to $1000 days-long specialist equipment used to test bio-pharmaceuticals. Example: Collimator- a gadget that helps X-ray machines and CT scanners filer out unwanted signal noise in order to produce a nice image, through 3D printing, can produce better pictures and 40% cheaper
