🔒Q&A: ‘Giving startups a reason to choose Worcester’

Worcester accelerator Auxilium is partnering with 44 Maple Group to open a 3,000-square-foot materials science lab designed to help startups bridge a critical gap: turning promising ideas into scalable, commercial products. Aaron Elman, director of technical development and lab operations for 44 Maple, said the collaboration aims to attract more materials science companies to Worcester and give them the hands-on support needed to succeed beyond the lab.

How did this partnership come together?

It started with a conversation about what’s missing from Worcester’s innovation ecosystem. There are strong materials science hubs closer to Boston and down toward New York, but not much that serves Central Massachusetts. Auxilium already had the accelerator model in place, so the question became: What would it take to truly support materials science companies here? From our side, we had been thinking about how to build stronger relationships with early-stage companies. That led to the idea of working together in a shared space.

What will the Flexcon Lab actually do?

The main focus is working directly with startups in the Auxilium accelerator to help them take their technologies from concept to something that can be produced at scale. A lot of startups are very good at developing technologies on a small scale. Where they run into trouble is scaling that into something that can be manufactured consistently and efficiently. That’s where we come in. We approach it from a production engineering mindset: looking at chemistry, materials, and overall design to see what needs to change to enable large-scale production. The goal is to give these companies a better chance at long-term success.

Why is commercialization so challenging?

There’s a clear gap between innovation and production. Universities like Worcester Polytechnic Institute are producing high-quality engineers and new ideas, but moving from a lab environment to full-scale manufacturing is a different challenge entirely. It requires different expertise and a different way of thinking. We’re trying to help close that gap by introducing scalability considerations earlier.

What will the lab look like in practice?

There will be a wet chemistry lab, roughly 700 square feet, focused on developing materials. That could include everything from coatings to plastics. Another 1,000 square feet will be dedicated to analytical and testing equipment. The goal is to give startups the ability to develop and test their materials in one place, without needing to rely heavily on outside labs.

How will the partnership with Auxilium function day to day?

It’s a complementary setup. Auxilium focuses on the business, entrepreneurship, and growth side of things. We focus on the technical side. When a materials science company joins the accelerator, they’ll have access to both. That combination is what allows the model to work.

What does the materials science ecosystem in Greater Worcester look like today?

There are strong pieces, but they’re not always connected. You have academic institutions doing great work and companies developing innovative technologies, but there hasn’t been a centralized hub to bring it all together. At the same time, Worcester has a real opportunity. It’s the second-largest city in New England, and it offers a more affordable alternative to Boston. The challenge is giving startups a reason to choose Worcester. That’s part of what we’re trying to build; not just supporting companies already here, but creating a pull for new ones.

How will the lab be staffed?

We expect to have about four full-time staff members on site, ranging from technicians to Ph.D.-level scientists. They’ll primarily support the startups in the accelerator, but we’ll use the space for our own internal development projects. So it will be a mix of collaborative work and independent innovation.

What does success look like for this partnership five years from now?

We see this as a long-term partnership, not something with a short horizon. Success will come down to how many startups we’re able to help move through the accelerator and into the market with commercially viable products. That can look very different depending on the company: Some may scale significantly, others may stay smaller but successful.

What excites you most about this effort?

This is really why we’re in business.Our focus has always been on developing materials that make an impact on people’s daily lives. This partnership gives us the chance to do that in a different way, by working directly with startups bringing new ideas and technologies forward. There’s a huge opportunity in that. The companies coming through Auxilium are already working on technologies to impact healthcare, transportation, and everyday life. What excites us is being able to work hand in hand with those teams, taking something that starts as an idea and helping turn it into something real. This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Editor Brad Kane.