Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods says there is “an inordinate amount” of interest in the Fabrication Lab in downtown Emporia.
The Fab Lab was an important component of Main Street’s involvement with the Kansas State University’s 105 Entrepreneurial Blueprint Initiative — up until K-State’s program lost funding at the state level. Still, Woods says Main Street already had received its grant money before the defunding decision was made.
The Main Street Fab Lab got $125,000 for technology upgrades.
Announced in January, the Blueprint Initiative was designed to build a “statewide ecosystem” for businesses through a number of general categories, like job creation, capital and equity investment, business development, workforce development and technical assistance.
The Blueprint Initiative was announced shortly before Main Street was named as a participant in the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Forging Opportunities for Research, Growth and Entrepreneurship of FORGE grant. Main Street received a $375,000 grant, with the local program bolstered by a dollar-for-dollar match from Emporia State University. FORGE is designed to increase access to technology, develop local and regional partnerships and enhance skill sets.
