IYRS wins $75K grant for development of Mobile Maker Lab

TERRY NATHAN is the president of IYRS School of Technology & Trades. / COURTESY IYRS
TERRY NATHAN is the president of IYRS School of Technology & Trades. / COURTESY IYRS

NEWPORT – Thanks to a $75,290 industry cluster grant, IYRS School of Technology & Trades can start developing its “Mobile Maker Lab” that will visit schools and prisons to spread the word about 21st century manufacturing opportunities.
“We will essentially be allowing people to get their hands on this technology and equipment by offering short courses,” Terry Nathan, president of the school previously known as International Yacht Restoration School Inc., explained in a recent phone interview.
Nathan said the lab is still in the planning stage, but he expects it will cost between $125,000 and $150,000 to fully build. Nathan said the annual operating cost is expected to be the same amount. The school also will hire 1.5 people to operate the lab, he said.
Instruction can take place inside the 28-foot trailer, or outside, he said, adding the equipment can be removed from the trailer and reassembled quickly inside a gymnasium or comparable space.
The lab, being developed as a joint effort by IYRS, Rhode Island College and Polaris MEP, will be equipped with high-tech maker tools, such as laser cutters, 3D printers, computer-aided design workstations, CNC routers and hand and power tools. The planning grant will help IRYS determine equipment needs.

He said they hope to have the lab operating in less than a year. Goals for the lab are twofold – to expose those uninterested in attending a four-year college to career opportunities available for those who learn how to use the equipment and to raise awareness about products built using the technology.

Nathan said they’ve found that there really isn’t an understanding of what advanced manufacturing is, and how materials are used. He said composite materials are used to build airplanes, cars and boats and also are used in commercial and residential construction.
He said they hope to obtain more grant money to operate the lab, and also are fundraising. They’ve received in-kind donations of equipment, and also will offer sponsorship opportunities. He said they are confident they will be able to raise enough money to operate the lab.
“I think it’s a home run concept. Everyone we’ve talked to thinks it’s a great way to achieve the two goals and frankly this is being done in other places, so we’re not inventing something new,” Nathan said.
He said these types of labs are used in Silicon Valley. He said Rhode Island is the ideal place to launch a mobile lab.
“There is a significant population of students coming out of the high schools in Rhode Island that will go into manufacturing careers,” said Nathan, adding that the lab will help show that manufacturing is more than “boring” assembly line work.
“We’re very appreciative of the vision of Commerce Corp to engage in support of this. We think it’s great when multiple parties in the state align on what the possibilities are,” Nathan said.
The IRYS grant was one of seven industry cluster grants to encourage innovation awarded earlier this month by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and the R.I. Commerce Corp.’s board of directors. A total of $750,000 was awarded.
“These grants will make it easier for industries with some of the highest potential for growth to come together to collaborate, innovate and overcome barriers to success,” Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has said.

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