FORGE

🚀 Celebrating the Future of Manufacturing in Western Mass! 🎉 🏭 We had an incredible start to Manufacturing Month at the “State of Manufacturing in Western Massachusetts” event! It was an amazing opportunity to connect with local manufacturers, economic development organizations, and business leaders as we reflected on 2024's successes and explored the exciting opportunities for 2025. 🙌 Thank you to our event sponsors, MassDevelopment, the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Center for Advanced Manufacturing, for supporting this event. 🎤 Scott Longley from FORGE led off the event and set the stage. 🎙 The event began with opening remarks from: Karen Carswell, MassDevelopment Xiomara Albán DeLobato, MBA, Vice President and Chief of Staff, Western Mass Economic Development Council Lily Fitzgerald, Senior Manager, Advanced Technology Programs, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Center for Advanced Manufacturing, 🎉 Special thanks to Rod Motamedi, UMass Donahue Institute, for his keynote highlighting Massachusetts' strong recovery from the pandemic, driven by knowledge-based industries. While challenges like demographic shifts and outmigration exist, Rod emphasized that Western Mass is poised for growth in 2025, with its manufacturing sector positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. 👀 It was wonderful to see so many come together at White Lion Brewing Company to celebrate the future of manufacturing in Western Mass! Thank you to Raymond Berry, Jr. for being such a great host. 🎇 A final thank you to Rick Sullivan, President & CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, for his ongoing support and leadership in fostering regional economic growth. Follow us for all the latest info on FORGE events and more! #ManufacturingMonth #WesternMassManufacturing #EconomicGrowth #FORGE #Networking #ManufacturingInnovation

Did you know that CONNSTEP offers a Digital Transformation Manufacturers Assessment (DTMA) to all CT manufacturers? DTMA helps gauge a companies' readiness for Industry 4.0 technologies and implementation. Through this assessment you can, evaluate the maturity level of your organization, and develop a technology roadmap to better understand where to deploy technologies to support and improve your existing operations. CONNSTEP team members, Prakaithip Romanow and Anthony DiCioccio (MBA, PMP), visited Beekley Medical last week and met with President, Maureen Gallo and her senior leadership team to go through the DTMA assessment. They are excited to share with Beekley their results to help them develop their digital transformation roadmap! Interested? Contact your company's BDA or Anthony DiCioccio, adicioccio@connstep.org #DigitalTransformation #Industry4 #CTmanufacturing #DTMA

🎉 October 4th is Manufacturing Day! 🎉 At FORGE, we celebrate the incredible innovation and impact of manufacturing every day—but especially on #MFGDay! 👏 Manufacturing plays a crucial role in transforming ideas into tangible products that shape the future. Whether helping startups scale their prototypes or connecting innovators with the right suppliers, FORGE is proud to be at the intersection of hardtech innovation and manufacturing excellence. Today, we celebrate the manufacturers who bring products to life and the innovators who push the boundaries of what’s possible. Together, we’re advancing sustainable manufacturing, creating jobs, and fueling innovation that impacts industries far and wide. Here's to the creators, builders, and doers—thank you for all you do! #ManufacturingDay #MFGDay2024 #Hardtech #Innovation #FORGEImpact

🌟 Congratulations to FORGE's David Thompson for being selected as one of the 2024 BostInno 25 Under 25! 🚀 Since joining FORGE three years ago while still a student at Northeastern University, David has made a remarkable impact by consulting with over 450 startups on product development, leading 15+ educational events, providing valuable support for FORGE startup showcases, and so much more. This recognition is a testament to his dedication, vision, and leadership in hardware innovation and manufacturing. David, we can’t wait to see what you do next!!! Read More:  https://bit.ly/3ZEA5n2 (requires subscription) #BostInno25Under25 #Innovation #FORGEImpact #FutureLeaders

🚀 October is Manufacturing Month! 🚀 🎉As we kick off this month-long celebration, it's a great time to reflect on the critical role manufacturing plays in driving the U.S. economy. Established in 2011 by the National Association of Manufacturers, Manufacturing Month highlights the industry’s innovations, skilled workforce, and economic contributions. ❓Did you know? U.S. manufacturing contributes over $2.3 trillion to the economy annually and employs 12.5 million workers—that's nearly 8% of the workforce! This industry is essential for innovation and economic resilience. ⚙Let’s celebrate the makers, builders, and innovators who keep the world moving forward! #ManufacturingMonth #Innovation #USManufacturing #Economy #MadeInUSA

⌚ It’s not too late to join us tonight for the State of Manufacturing in Western Massachusetts 2024! 🎉 🛠 Celebrate #ManufacturingMonth with us over a beer, network with top manufacturers, and hear from industry experts on the region's successes and future opportunities. 📅 Date: Tonight, October 1 🕒 Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM 📍 Location: White Lion Brewing Company, Springfield, MA Don't miss presentations from FORGE, MassDevelopment, Massachusetts Office of Business Development, and more, plus a keynote by Dr. Mark Melnyk. Register now: https://bit.ly/3ThYGKx

🚀 FORGE Visit to MITRE Corporation in Bedford! 🚀 FORGE team members Mark Michalski and Adam Rodrigues recently had the exciting opportunity to tour MITRE Corporation's Bedford facility! MITRE operates federally funded research and development centers, partnering with government agencies, industry, and academia to tackle complex challenges in national security, health, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies through innovation, research, and engineering solutions. 🌊One of the standout moments of the day was touring the state-of-the-art BlueTech Lab. This innovative facility is a key resource for advancing undersea testing, rapid prototyping, and maritime technology. With its impressive 620,000-gallon test tank—the largest in the region—it's paving the way for research in climate science, unmanned vehicles, and acoustic sensing 🛰️. A special thank you to Lilia Chan for arranging this insightful tour. And a big shoutout to our gracious hosts, Russ Graves and Stephanie Medicke, for guiding us through the cutting-edge space and sharing the groundbreaking work being done at MITRE. We are so excited about the opportunities this collaboration will unlock for innovators in the maritime sector! #FORGECommunity #Bluetech #Innovation #MaritimeResearch #ClimateTech #Prototyping

🌟 Recap from the Manufacturing MashUp Panel Discussion! 🌟 We had an incredible time at the recent #MashUp2024 event, where experts shared insights on how to move from concept design to a manufacturable product. 🎯 A highlight was the FORGE led panel, "Design and Transition for Manufacturability (Locally)", facilitated by Mark Michalski, FORGE Manufacturing Expert in Residence. The discussion focused on integrating manufacturing best practices early to streamline production, reduce costs, and avoid common design pitfalls hindering market success. 🗝 Key takeaways from the panel: ✅ Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is critical for ensuring product concepts can be effectively and efficiently produced at scale. Startups need to focus on this early to avoid costly redesigns down the line. ✅ Cost Reduction Strategies—By collaborating with manufacturers during the design phase, startups can identify opportunities to reduce costs through material choices, simplified assembly, and leveraging existing supply chain resources. ✅ Prototyping to Production—It's essential to validate your design through prototyping and consider the production process. The goal is to ensure that your product is functional and manufacturable. ✅ Collaboration is Key—Bringing manufacturers into the conversation early helps align expectations, optimize design, and identify potential roadblocks before they become major issues. A huge thank you to our panelists, who provided valuable insights and real-world experiences: 🎤 John Erickson, President, Product Resources 🎤 Sissi Liu, CEO, Metalmark Innovations 🎤 Sebastien Mannai, CEO, Amplified Industries, Inc. 🎤 Tom Merle, GM, Re:Build Fikst A big thanks to everyone who attended and made this event a success! And thank you to Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for making this event possible. #Manufacturing #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #DesignForManufacturing

🚀 Exciting news for Connecticut innovators! 💵 FORGE has secured over $800,000 from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's Manufacturing Innovation Fund to boost product development and manufacturing innovation. This funding will provide grants ranging from $30,000 to $100,000 to help startups move their product ideas closer to market. Along with these grants, FORGE will continue offering education on manufacturing readiness and connecting startups with local manufacturers for tailored solutions. 💡 If you’re a Connecticut startup looking to scale, applications are now open for a $30,000 grant, which will be awarded to one qualified company at CT Innovation Nights on November 14. Don’t miss the application deadline on October 4! 🔗 Apply here: https://tally.so/r/wa0NJq Together, we’re driving new opportunities for local suppliers and shaping the future of advanced product development in Connecticut! 🎖 A special thank you to the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Paul S. Lavoie, and Jessica Dodge, CEPA, for your continued support! #CTInnovation #ManufacturingInnovation #ProductDevelopment #Startups #FORGECT #InnovationFunding

👓 Facility Tour at Novo Precision LLC, Showcasing Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Solutions ⚙ FORGE had the pleasure of touring Novo Precision's 50,000 sq. ft. facility in Bristol, CT. Guests witnessed the precision wire forming, cutting operations, and innovative R&D at Novo. As one of the first Connecticut manufacturers to join the FORGE network, Novo showcased how its advanced machining capabilities solve customer problems. 🔎 FORGE’s Connecticut Program Director, Trinell Ball, highlighted our mission of supporting innovators on their journey from prototype to scalable production. Laura Teicher, FORGE president and executive director, and Adam Rodrigues, FORGE vice president, were also in attendance. 👁️🗨️ Novo’s President, William Hazard, gave an insightful tour and explained why startups are a strategic fit for Novo’s approach to custom manufacturing solutions. Thanks to Novo’s expertise, the tour left our guests buzzing with new ideas on scaling manufacturing. Read the full recap: https://lnkd.in/eDzfY-u3 Are you ready to join the FORGE network and find the right manufacturing partner? Contact us today! Thank you to the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) and CONNSTEP, Inc. for their continued support. #Manufacturing #Innovation #SupplyChain #FORGE