PHYSICAL PRODUCT INNOVATION CENTER mHUB ANNOUNCES RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP ACCESS TO SHARE RESOURCES WITH MATTER, 2112, AND POLSKY CENTER
mHUB Partners with Other Innovation Centers to Encourage Collaboration and Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines
CHICAGO (April 20, 2017) – mHUB today announced reciprocal membership access with MATTER, 2112 and The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to share resources and encourage collaboration across specialties and disciplines. These partnerships entitle members of these organizations access to mHUB at a 50% membership discount. Reciprocally, mHUB’s members can access these communities at the same 50% discounted rate.
mHUB and MATTER developed the arrangement, and mHUB spearheaded the partnerships to cultivate a spirit of collaboration that will strengthen Chicago’s technology ecosystem where entrepreneurs can benefit from a wide array of resources and communities to accelerate their businesses. The ultimate goals of the partnerships are to retain entrepreneurs in Chicago and attract more business to our region.
“We’re excited to welcome Chicago’s entrepreneurs to mHUB and look forward to the innovation and collaboration that will come from the diversity of ideas and specialties of these new members,” said mHUB Executive Director Haven Allen. “We want to make it as easy as possible for innovators to access and benefit from mHUB’s $2.5M of equipment in our prototyping lab and microfactory.”
mHUB’s 63,000-square-foot facility officially opened its doors at the beginning of March and offers a full product development environment along with ten specialty labs including a 3D-printing lab, electronics labs, metal shop and more. mHUB, with its 140 members and 70 companies, partners with manufacturers, startups, venture capitalists, engineering and product development consultancies, universities and providers of business services.
MATTER is a community of entrepreneurs, innovators and industry leaders working together to harness technology to improve health and healthcare. MATTER incubates 200 healthcare technology startups, and the company partners with 11 hospitals and health systems, five universities and more than 40 industry-leading companies. By equipping, empowering and emboldening healthcare innovators, MATTER accelerates the development of technologies that solve the right healthcare problems in the right ways.
“mHUB is a spectacular resource for MATTER entrepreneurs who want access to some of the best prototyping and fabrication equipment that exists,” said MATTER CEO Steven Collens. “And MATTER offers mHUB members the opportunity to plug into country’s largest network of healthcare innovators. It is a terrific partnership!”
The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation drives venture creation and technology commercialization within the University of Chicago and the surrounding community. Through education, partnerships, and new venture support, the Polsky Center advances the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship and accelerates the commercialization of research.
“The partnership between the Polsky Center and mHUB will serve as the next step on the entrepreneurial pathway for many of our students and members,” said John Flavin, Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and head of the Polsky Center. “After prototyping in our Fab Lab, hardware entrepreneurs can then take advantage of the amazing equipment and programming at mHUB to scale their businesses and products.”
2112 is a Chicago incubator focused on the development of business and entrepreneurs in music, film/video and creative technology.
"The opening of mHUB further solidifies Chicago's place as a global hub for innovation. We are excited for the opportunities this partnership will create for entrepreneurs bridging the gap between entertainment and manufacturing,” said Scott Fetters, Director of 2112.
About mHUB
mHUB is Chicago’s first innovation center for physical product development and manufacturing. mHUB is a co-working community of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, a network of manufacturing mentors, industry experts and investors, and a source of intellectual and economic capital. mHUB is home to ten shops and labs, including electronics, plastic fabrication, metals and rapid prototyping as well as a microfactory for small production runs.
For more information, visit www.mHUBchicago.com and follow @mHUBChicago on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
