Leading Edge R&D Resources at Your Fingertips
Whether you need help integrating new technology or are interested in locating or developing new technology to move your business forward, Polaris MEP can help.
Polaris MEP provides hands-on technical and business assistance and functions as an extension of your staff, helping you to maximize your capabilities.
Through our partnership with URI and a variety of academic, public and private resources, we help you grow your business by injecting technological advances, product innovations, and process improvements that deliver high value and keep you globally competitive.
Innovation has been the driving force for many of the fantastic products made in Rhode Island. Composites heading for space, textiles catching aircraft, military pins for those protecting our country, defibrillators and superfoods to name just a few.
Christian Cowan
URI Research Foundation
Your Biggest Challenges Solved
Grow Sales
Market Competitiveness
Standards Compliance
How We Help
UPGRADE READINESS
Frustrated by the lack of connectivity or communication with your business systems? Polaris MEP can help you
- evaluate your current processes and practices,
- choose systems (ERP, CRM, automation) for data collection and analysis, and
- improve inventory management and process flow.
DRIVING ACTION
R&D can make the difference between dominating your industry and getting left behind. We can assist you in creating a strategic plan to focus on R&D while minimizing risk.
This includes improving systems to review testing data, to detect and develop promising technology faster.
IDEA DISCOVERY & COMMERCIALIZATION
Leverage the expertise that can transform your business.
Polaris MEP can connect you to regional universities / federal labs that may have research to position your company for success in the global Manufacturing 4.0 environment. We also can evaluate your industrial processes to identify areas for innovation, and connect you with state programs to bring ideas to reality.
INNOVATOR CONNECTIONS
Polaris MEP partners with university and government labs to match early stage developers with local supply chain partners (particularly manufacturers) who specialize in prototyping and low volume production runs.
Polaris MEP’s parent (URI Research Foundation) and sister (401 Tech Bridge) organizations offer additional connections.
Connecting Manufacturers with World Class Researchers
- Connect to resources and inventors to develop next-generation products for your customers
- Collaborate on innovative concepts and stay ahead of your competition
- Diversify your product line to serve broader markets
Related
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We Needed Automation to Reshore Our Supply Chain
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A New Class of Welders Is Ready to Step Into Rhode Island’s Manufacturing Workforce
On June 25, something meaningful happened at New England Institute of Technology. A group of graduates walked across the stage—not just to mark the end of a program, but to make a step toward entirely new careers. They’re the latest cohort from the Polaris/NEIT...
I’m bullish on Rhode Island manufacturing, but even more on the innovative manufacturers behind it.
Christian Cowan
Center Director, Polaris MEP
Category: Technology Acceleration
Building a Practical Path to AI Readiness
Artificial Intelligence (AI) often feels like a buzzword disconnected from the realities of daily manufacturing operations. While industry conversations promise “autonomous factories” and “digital transformation,” the practical application of AI in small to mid-sized job shops and discrete manufacturers can seem unclear.
We Needed Automation to Reshore Our Supply Chain
IndustryWeek’s article “We Needed Automation to Reshore Our Supply Chain” describes how TAC Industries, a Springfield, Ohio-based manufacturer that produces cargo nets for the U.S. Air Force, used automation as the key lever to bring critical hardware sourcing back from Asia to the United States.
A New Class of Welders Is Ready to Step Into Rhode Island’s Manufacturing Workforce
On June 25, something meaningful happened at New England Institute of Technology. A group of graduates walked across the stage—not just to mark the end of a program, but to step into entirely new careers.
New AI Model Shows How to Evacuate for Fires One Safe Step at a Time
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an artificial intelligence model, called Safe Step, that is designed to help people evacuate more safely during fires by continuously steering them toward routes with the lowest danger, not just the closest exit.
R.I.’s manufacturing sector braces for owner exits
Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector is facing a pivotal moment—one that will shape the future of the industry for decades to come. A recent Providence Business News article highlights a pressing reality: nearly 80% of the state’s manufacturers are approaching ownership transition without a clear succession plan in place.
Why Modern Supply Chains Can’t Rely on Efficiency Alone
The more optimized a supply chain became, the more competitive it would be. However, the past several years have challenged that assumption.
Collaboration in Action: Highlights from North Kingstown’s Manufacturers’ Forum
Attendees raised concerns ranging from day-to-day operational hurdles—like transportation and logistics challenges—to broader systemic issues such as talent pipelines and regulatory navigation.
Rhode Island Manufacturers: Claim Tariff Refunds—But Stay Alert to Scams
For Rhode Island manufacturers—many of whom rely on imported materials, components, or equipment—refunds could translate into thousands (or more) in returned funds, potentially including interest.
Let Polaris MEP Help You with Registered Apprenticeships
Last week was National Apprenticeship Week and in recognition, Polaris MEP is excited to spotlight new opportunities for manufacturers to strengthen their workforce through Registered Apprenticeships.
The Importance of Apprenticeships
In today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, one challenge continues to rise above the rest: the growing skills gap. One of the most powerful solutions? Apprenticeships.