October 24, 2022

ACTION is pleased to announce its Association Membership in PracticePoint (PP). This membership provides companies in ACTION’s member incubators with the benefits of an Associate Partner member.

PracticePoint is WPI’s membership-based MedTech development and testing facility, designed and equipped to expedite the MedTech R&D process. The goal of this alliance space is to advance healthcare technologies and launch better medical cyber-physical systems through collaboration across the spectrum of product development and implementation; it is a resource for designing, prototyping, and evaluating various medical devices along with an associated consortium of academics, industry, healthcare professionals, and users/patients. This includes a wide spectrum from rehabilitative devices to surgical robotics. The facility comprises point-of-practice clinical care scenarios, including a fully instrumented living space, state-of-the-art motion capture lab, 2-bed modular patient care suite, MRI imaging, and a fully functional operating room co-located with advanced manufacturing capabilities, including a wide array of 3D printing, CNC manufacturing, and electronics assembly equipment and test capabilities.

The facility can accommodate study projects ranging from pre-clinical trial testing and validation to human factor studies. PP’s flexible membership model addresses issues regarding manpower, bench strength, ease of facility access and engaging geographically disperse teams while ensuring testing, data collection, device modifications, creating of marketing content, and training needs can all be accomplished at one site.

A facility tour is scheduled for November 10th from 12:00-1:00 pm for interested incubators and member companies. We are thrilled to be able to offer this benefit to any company within our member incubators. For more information, contact Joan Popolo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

September 20, 2022

In August, ACTION Innovation Network convened a meeting with regional incubator directors to introduce Mark Parsons, Founder of New Bedford Research and Robotics (NBRR), and learn about architectural plans and programs for the newly forming incubator. The meeting revealed a number of interesting synergies and explored cooperative ways of lending support and working together. Later, a visit to the proposed new site was arranged, with several incubator and Board members attending.

The establishment of NBRR follows Mr. Parsons' creation of Consortium for Research & Robotics, a successful incubator located in New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard. Following that success, Mark decided to move back to his hometown on the SouthCoast and replicate the incubator model in New Bedford, with some improvements. As a maker and designer, Mark has a keen interest in creating, and is building the incubator with a focus on additive manufacturing, industrial robotics, and design to support the sectors of climate-tech, medtech, bluetech, AI/ML, VR/XR/IoT. A strong educational component will be integral to the incubator, with STEAM programs to inspire local students that may not otherwise have exposure and access to these new technologies. NBRR's mission is to provide access to frontier technologies for commercial and social impact, through education, economic empowerment and corporate engagement.

The beginning of Innovation Avenue NBRR's home will be at the location of the former Glaser Glass on Purchase Street in New Bedford. When fully operational, NBRR expects to incubate 10-12 startups at a time, and will host corporate research studios. Groundwork, a co-working space, is just steps away. A major advantage of this site is its close proximity to what will be the terminus of the new South Coast Rail line from Boston.

The long span of street-facing, full height windows of the bay doors allows the site to open to and engage with the New Bedford community, providing inspiration to community youth and innovators alike. Read more about Mark's background and his plans for NBRR here.

June 22, 2022

ACTION has reintroduced its Pre/Soft Landing programs for international technology scale-up companies that are exploring market entry opportunities in New England with two newly restructured programs.

The Pre- Landing Program is offered to cohorts of international companies that are ready to initiate an expansion in the US in Massachusetts / New England, one of the main innovation ecosystems worldwide, or wish to leverage the knowledge and resources in the area to generate new business opportunities. The program is presented in three phases:

• Phase I: Exploring US Market Entry Opportunities in New England
• Phase II: Making Key Connections and Building Collaborator Relationships, and
• Phase III: Company Soft-Landings in MA/New England Incubators.

As a new benefit for international agency members, the InterACTION Program provides an introduction to the New England technology innovation ecosystem and company connections for companies participating in delegations to Boston. The program is a shorter duration, condensed version of the 3-phase Pre/Soft Landing program and includes an overview of the New England technology innovation ecosystem and regionalization of its technology sectors, and facilitates company connections to relevant collaborators and other ecosystem partners, including incubators. International agency membership is open to economic development organizations, consulates, international trade agencies, international chambers of commerce and other international government agencies. International agency members receive a discounted program rate.

For details about these programs and pricing, contact Joan Popolo, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

April 28, 2022

Earlier this year, ACTION, Mansfield Bio-Incubator and Massachusetts Innovation Network met to discuss how the New England technology innovation ecosystem might offer assistance to help resettle Ukrainian tech startup companies that have been displaced during the Russian war with Ukraine. The effort was launched by Alex Margulis, COO of Mansfield Bio-Incubator, who is Ukrainian by birth and lived in Russia for a number of years before relocating to the US. Dr. Margulis offered no-cost space and services at Mansfield Bio-Incubator for displaced Ukrainian life science startups that are able to relocate here. The idea was then extended to other regional incubators. Nineteen organizations in the regional tech incubator and entrepreneurial community have generously offered space and services at no cost for 6-12 months. Additionally, three international incubators and shared workspaces, including CIC Warsaw, and ACTION member, Progetto Manifattura in (Trentino) Italy, are offering similar support for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

Our friends at MIT Enterprise Forum Central and Eastern Europe (MITEF CEE), based in Warsaw, Poland, have helped to communicate this offer by sending information out to their network of tech entrepreneurs. ACTION's sponsor, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy. a leading global immigration firm, is available to provide advice to international refugees and companies on immigration and visas.