Chicago-based innovation center to stoke manufacturing

On March 2, mHUB, a physical-product innovation center and microfactory, celebrated its official grand opening in Chicago. The center is designed to galvanize the area’s manufacturing ecosystem by generating innovative ideas, attracting world-class talent and fostering collaboration.

To date, mHUB (the “m” stands for numerous concepts, including manufacturing, make, machines, Midwest, mentor and markets) has attracted more than $8 million in partner funding, with a variety of sponsors. These include Autodesk and founding-partner GE. The center offers Chicago manufacturers access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources to develop and bring new products to market. The 63,000-sq.-ft. facility, formerly home to the Milwaukee Iron and Metal Co., contains 10 fabrication labs, including electronics, plastic fabrication, metals, textiles and rapid prototyping.

Maxwell Emcays, an mHUB member, uses a laser cutter at Chicago’s product innovation center to cut wood for one of his art projects. Image courtesy of mHUB.

The center is working in partnership with the Technology & Manufacturing Association to add large, production CNC machine tools and to provide National Institute for Metalworking Skills Machining Level I and II certification on-site. There are plans to add plastic injection moldmaking equipment this year, according to Haven Allen, executive director of mHUB.

MHUB has more than 100 members, representing around 35 companies, in a roughly 7:3 entrepreneur-to-established-manufacturer ratio, as well as a handful of service providers. Allen said the goal for 2017 is to grow to 250 members, adding that the center can accommodate about 1,000 members.