“RI Tech and Innovation Report”— Newport Inno, NUCW, and Slow Growth
Rebecca Keister, Tech Contributor
“RI Tech and Innovation Report”— Newport Inno, NUCW, and Slow Growth
With a grand ribbon cutting happening next month, the team at Innovate Newport—a multi-agency driven coworking space—is gearing up to make the city by the sea the state’s hottest spot for “high tech, high growth” tech sectors.
“There is nothing like Innovate Newport (in the city) and there is a great need for a neutral convening space like it that is specifically designed to promote economic development,” Tuni Schartner, director of entrepreneurship and innovation—who has dubbed herself RI’s Economic
Gardner—told GoLocalProv. “The response has been off the charts positive.”
Innovate Newport officially opens May 13, but the need for it has been a long time coming and Schartner said it has been in the works for more than six years.
“Though it would have been the ‘right time to launch’ two, three or even five years ago, now is particularly relevant because of how much positive momentum is happening throughout the state,” she said.
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Part of that positive momentum, she said, is a variety of stakeholders coming together to make the project happen.
A partnership between the city, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Foundation of Rhode Island, it is funded in part by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation through a $2 million Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit to be issued over five years. Other funding came from the city of Newport, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Corporation and the Van Beuren Foundation.
An $8 million renovation of the old Sheffield Elementary School on Broadway created a 34,000-square foot, three-story building. While the first floor will be left open, the second and third floors will be devoted to office, meeting and coworking space for entrepreneurs and small businesses, including anchor tenant INSPIRE Environment and Social Enterprise Greenhouse. The Providence-based incubator has selected Innovate Newport as a new branch home.
“We are focusing on…sectors such as the emerging ‘Blue Economy’ and are planning n playing a leading role in the region’s Blue Tech cluster,” Schartner said. “We’ll also have programming that will cover everything from supporting the development of startups in these high tech/high growth industries, as well as supportive resources for existing local and regional entrepreneurs and businesses.”
Other tenants include Towerhill Associates, a recruiting firm for clean tech, life sciences and high tech companies, and the Newport County Chamber of Commerce.
“Newport is the biggest stakeholder/partner in this project. Everyone, from locals who live nearby to the arts community and other local businesses, as well as the leadership, has been wonderful,” Shartner said. “One year from now, I see a thriving and robust facility bursting at its seams with exciting programming and members, and I see young talent attracted to and staying here, as well as moving here, because of all the opportunity available.”
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“RI Tech and Innovation Report”— Newport Inno, NUCW, and Slow Growth, April 4, 2019
Room to improve
There’s no doubt that Rhode Island’s tech industry is well positioned to flourish, but growth is comparatively slow going. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we saw just a 0.3 percent increase in tech employment over the last year, ranking 40th in the country. It’s tough to fairly compare that to bigger states—number one Utah had a 4.3 percent increase—but the country averaged at 2.3 percent.
Congrats are in order
Donald Steinbrecher, a scientist at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, has been named the recipient of the 2018 Harry Diamond Memorial Award, recognizing valuable contribution in electrotechnology while in federal government service. He will accept the award next week at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers awards ceremony in Alabama.
New product notification
AstroNova, Inc. announced it has launched the QuickLabel® QL-300, the first-ever five-color, toner-based tabletop printer specifically made for production label printing. The 50-year company introduced the world’s first tabletop digital color label printer in 1994 and calls this new product a “major industry breakthrough.”
Clean tech update
Developers of solar carport projects can start applying for a state Commercial Scale Renewable Energy Fund grant on June 3. The grants are part of Gov. Gina Raimondo’s push for clean energy production. Solar projects at contaminated former industrial sites are eligible for grants under the same fund. Apply here.
PHOTO: Will Morgan
