BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) Telehealth Consortium (the “Consortium”) has received a grant from the Digital Equity Fund of the Essex County Community Foundation in partnership with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The $226,660 grant, funded by the Commonwealth’s “Partnerships for Recovery” initiative, will support a new Telehealth Navigator Program that will increase access to telehealth while also addressing digital equity in under-resourced communities located in Essex County, including Lynn, Salem, Peabody, and Gloucester.
WESTBOROUGH - Today, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech Collaborative announced the extension of several digital equity programs launched through the “Partnerships for Recovery” efforts earlier this year. Supported with $9.2 million in economic recovery funds, the MBI launched public wireless hotspots in unserved towns in western and central Massachusetts and provided digital support for job seekers provided through the Mass. Internet Connect program.
SEMI-FlexTech, a consortium working to advance manufacturing of printed flexible electronics, has awarded $920,696 in federal funds from a cooperative agreement with the Army Research Laboratory for development of the glove. The Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), a state effort to advance manufacturing innovations and job growth through industry-academic collaborations, has awarded an additional $844,242 for the purchase of equipment at WPI and UMass Lowell that will be used to produce and test a prototype glove.
WORCESTER, MASS. – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new $999,963 grant from the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant program to support a new research center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) focused on the security of semiconductors and hardware critical to key innovation industries. The new facility will enable a critical testbed for WPI and partners to work with private industry, utilizing new testing equipment that will be the first of its kind in the Northeast, plus will develop training programs to support the workforce needs of technology companies in the region.
LOWELL – Yesterday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a new $2.3 million grant to Lowell-based composites manufacturer Specialty Materials, Inc., an award from the Commonwealth’s Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2). The award will support the expansion of Specialty’s production of its boron-based composite materials, materials widely used in aerospace, sporting goods, and industrial applications to strengthen products. The M2I2 grant will support a project that will nearly triple the size of the Specialty Material’s manufacturing capability, adding an additional 75 employees and $6 million per year of spending in Massachusetts.
DARTMOUTH, MASS. – Yesterday, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and executives from UMass Dartmouth celebrated the announcement of a new $739,936 award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support the development of a new research and development laboratory in New Bedford to study biodegradable and ocean-safe plastics. The new Plastics Biodegradation Laboratory at UMass Dartmouth will enable efficient testing of plastic biodegradation, helping address the significant waste caused by traditional plastics used in textiles, packaging, and other products that accumulate in the ocean and other water resources.
BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced the winners of the BlueTech Tech and Innovation Grant program, a program managed by the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) that was launched with the support of the Commonwealth’s Seaport Economic Council, which partnered with MassTech on the new grant program. The two new grants, totaling $337,714, were awarded to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance and Tufts University, and will advance innovation and drive economic growth in the Massachusetts “Blue Economy.”
BOSTON - Today, ARCHANGELS, a start-up dedicated to supporting unpaid caregivers, with support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) and the Mass Caregiving Initiative at the MassTech Collaborative, launched the Any Care Counts campaign, designed to increase recognition and support of unpaid caregivers in the Commonwealth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 43 percent of adults nationwide serve as unpaid caregivers. The collaboration will increase awareness for this vital and often invisible role, that disproportionately impacts the most at-risk populations and can result in serious mental health consequences.
WESTBOROUGH – On Friday, April 9th, 2021, a panel of expert judges declared Keva Health of Lexington the winner of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Connect Tech Innovation Challenge, a competition focused on entrepreneurs and startups working on innovative solutions to enhance resiliency and guard against potential future disruptions in industries like ecommerce, manufacturing, digital health, FinTech, and EdTech.
WESTBOROUGH – The MassCyberCenter at the MassTech Collaborative has selected the participants for the spring cohort of its Cybersecurity Mentorship Program, an effort that aims to increase diversity within the cybersecurity workforce in Massachusetts. A total of 25 undergraduate students from 14 different schools across the Commonwealth have been paired with 22 mentors from 14 different organizations.
