Chicago

Innovative Tech Hub Aims to Transform Manufacturing in Chicago

Chicago has a bold new vision for a one-of-a-kind innovative product center in the city, aimed at being what industry experts consider a state-of-the-art tech club.

The center in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, called the M-Hub, is the vision of a network of manufacturing mentors, industry experts and investors. It is designed to bring together ideas and new manufacturing techniques to get new products to market faster than ever before.

“Essentially, you can come here with an idea and make that prototype and make your first run of the product and get it out to the customer,” said Executive Director Haven Allen.

Among the companies opening up at M-Hub is General Electric’s new FUSE division.

“Chicago is an epicenter of innovation and experts and there is a really strong community here of technology experts and leading minds,” said Diane Finkhausen, president of FUSE.

At M-Hub, companies like GE can use some of the latest technology in a collaborative environment, similar to tech startups like 1871.

“When you and I were growing up, manufacturing was a different thing,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday. “Today, you might as well have a computer science degree.”

M-Hub will allow companies like GE to tap into the city’s growing supply of high-tech talent.

“They could have picked anywhere in the world, they are a global company with a global footprint,” Emanuel said. “They picked Chicago because it is unique in bringing all those skill sets to one place and I think that is going to make Chicago the headquarters in the United State for advanced manufacturing.”

Even before it opened Thursday afternoon, M-Hub signed up more than 100 members who will share the space and their ideas, making things in Chicago once again.

Facilities like it are expected to be key parts of a next generation economy.

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