The forthcoming Flexcon Lab will be located at Auxilium at 311 Main St.
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Spencer-based manufacturer Flexcon has teamed up with Worcester accelerator Auxilium to open 3,000 square feet of lab space to support local materials science startups.
The forthcoming Flexcon Lab will be located at Auxilium at 311 Main St., where the hub will recruit budding materials science companies, including those focused on health care, transportation, construction, and energy, said Aaron Elman, director of technology development and lab operations for Worcester-based 44 Maple Group, Flexcon’s parent company.
For the past five years, 44 Maple had been looking for ways to create stronger partnerships with materials science companies in Worcester, outside of the innovation cluster in Boston, said Elman.
“What we're looking to do is to really try to help to develop and cultivate that in the Worcester area,” he said.
The Flexcon Lab will be staffed by 44 Maple laboratory technicians and process engineers, who will conduct lab work for the Auxilium startups, with the goal to test their commercial viability and scalability.
In addition to office space, conference rooms, and storage space, the lab will include 1,200 square feet for analytical testing equipment and prototyping instrumentation and an approximately 700-square-foot wet chemistry lab where liquid chemicals will be analyzed and tested.
“The combination of specialized equipment and direct access to industry experts allows us to attract startups from across the country that need real-world environments to develop and test their technology,” Zachary Dutton, Auxilium executive director, said in the company’s Wednesday announcement.
Through their collaboration, Auxilium and Flexcon will essentially split their support of the accelerator’s startups, with Auxilium taking on the business, entrepreneurship, and growth side and Flexcon owning the hands-on, materials science side.
“It seemed to be a natural relationship to be able to partner with them,” said Elman.
Auxilium anticipates construction of the lab to be completed this summer.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
