Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The relationship between “makerspaces,” innovation and the evolution of work was the topic of the Massachusetts Economic Development Council’s spring conference on May 22 at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley.
Approximately 50 public and private sector economic development professionals attended the two panel discussions: “Makerspaces, Incubators: Tools for Economic Development” and “Financing Tools to Support Innovation.”
Makerspaces may be simply defined as community centers with tools, according to Mary Waldron, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis and Regional Engagement at Bridgewater State University. The largest makerspace in the country is Artisan’s Asylum in Somerville, with 40,000 square feet, which offers a maintained manufacturing facility with broad capabilities for precision metal machining, electrical fabrication, welding, woodworking, sewing and fiber arts, robotics, bicycle building and repair, lampworking, jewelry making, computer-aided design, and screen printing.
Many makerspaces of all sizes often serve as business incubators. They may offer accelerator programs designed to launch companies, host pitch contests, and provide mentoring, networking and educational opportunities.
Mary Sullivan of Cape Cod Makers noted the value of bringing diverse entrepreneurial members of the community together for “serendipitous collisions” that yield innovation through interactions between people who would not normally have contact.
Community buy-in is essential to creating a useful makerspace, according to Janice Caillet, co-founder of iStartup Labs and the iStartup Foundation. Makerspaces are not fundamentally real estate developments, although some are created through commercial real estate deals. Others are nonprofits, which may receive government or foundation funding.
Different approaches may prove most effective based upon community needs, Caillet said. The community should be brought into the process early on to ensure shared interest and investment.
Caillet noted that 34 million people in the United States work outside of traditional workplaces, and the number is expected to increase to 63 million in 2016. By 2020, freelance workers will surpass traditional full-time employees, she said. At the local level, this will impact economic development, zoning, unemployment services, workforce development, the frequency and delivery of education, commercial real estate, the types of workspaces available, and services offered by a workspace.
The concept for a makerspace can precede the acquisition of a physical space, according to David Parker, executive director of the Merrimack Valley Sandbox in Lowell, because physical space is not at the core of the concept. The Merrimack Valley Sandbox existed for two years prior to acquiring a modest space.
Parker noted that a majority of ideas pursued by entrepreneurs at the Sandbox are local in nature, yielding targeted small businesses that employ a small number of local residents.
Municipalities could receive state funding for makerspaces, collaborative workspaces, or incubators if the economic development bill filed in April by Gov. Deval Patrick is enacted into law. The $100 million, multi-year comprehensive bill includes competitive funding opportunities for collaborative workspaces across Massachusetts, with enhanced opportunities for Gateway Cities.
The governor’s bill is one of two comprehensive economic development bills expected this session. The House is expected to file a bill in the coming weeks.