MassRobotics Expands: Innovation Hub Serves Robotics, AI and Connected Devices Startups, STEM Programs and Global Robotics Community

On January 28, we celebrated our MassRobotics expansion!

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, MassRobotics’ founders, partners, residents and the regional robotics industry all participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening. The program included prominent leaders in the robotics industry: Colin Angle, CEO at iRobot, Tye Brady, Chief Technologist at Amazon Robotics, and Tom Ryden, Executive Director at MassRobotics, as well as Tim Rowe, CEO at the Cambridge Innovation Center and Chairman of the Board at MassRobotics.

“In 2015, we invited MassRobotics to locate to Boston because we saw what a tremendous opportunity it was to be a global hub for this growing industry,” said Mayor Walsh. “We’re thankful for their work inspiring our children in the Boston Public Schools, and look forward to seeing them nurture even more local talent and attract innovators from around the world to bring their talents to our city.”

Established in 2015, MassRobotics opened its initial alpha space in February of 2017. This purpose-built expansion adds 25,000 s.f., giving MassRobotics a total of 40,000 s.f. in Boston’s Seaport Innovation District. A $2.5M MassWorks grant assisted in funding more than half the design and construction investment in the new facility. The balance of the funding was raised from more than 35 corporate partners with the largest contributions from Analog Devices, Amazon Robotics, iRobot, Harmonic Drive, Mitsubishi Electric, MITRE, General Motors and Cowen, making this initiative a truly public-private partnership.

With this expansion, MassRobotics will be able to further grow to support more than 70 companies and more than 200 employees. The facility’s new 100-person event space is also a needed addition, providing a venue for industry presentations, networking events and STEM education programs.

The organization’s unique “escalator” model allows startups to get established, grow and provide meaningful employment for the future workforce, as well as provide ongoing value for MassRobotics’partner organizations, enabling MassRobotics to achieve its goals including:

Support and advocate for the 250+ robotics companies in Massachusetts, including the connected devices, artificial intelligence and machine learning companies that enable robotics hardware.
Offer best-in-class infrastructure and prototyping facilities to enable unfettered development of robotic/automation systems.
Inspire the next generation of innovators and builders through in-house, hands-on STEM collaboration and initiatives.

MassRobotics attracts resident startups from across the U.S. and the globe – current residents hail from Canada, Singapore, Germany, Spain, Israel and other worldwide locations – and its alumni have stayed in Massachusetts and grown here in the state.

“The dynamic, impressive and innovative robotics industry, both here in Massachusetts and around the world, deserves a state-of-the-art facility to call home. At MassRobotics, we’re proud to provide it,” said Tom Ryden, executive director, MassRobotics. “Our expansion is driven by the needs of our community, residents and partners. The world looks to Massachusetts for advances in robotics, and the robotics industry looks to MassRobotics to provide the resources, community and physical infrastructure so the next generation of robotics startups can grow. We’re excited to welcome the industry to our new home, and we’re already thinking about what comes next.”

After the Ribbon Cutting, guests were treated to a tour of the lab where residents showed off their robotics technology:

Thanks to our designers and architects Felice and David Silverman from STA and our construction company Tocci for their amazing work – and to David Askey and Ascend Robotics for painting some walls with a robotics painter and Ted Acworth and the team at Artaic for the beautiful robotic assembled mosaic artwork in our entrance!