New Lab launched its Brooklyn Yards space to a 2,000 person grand opening party Saturday. It’s the first lab of its kind in Brooklyn.
I’ll admit, I don’t immediately associate Brooklyn’s Navy Yards with being the center of technological innovation. Once the capital of the shipping industry, the launch of New Lab restores landmark Building 128 first built in 1902—to its original purpose as a hub of state-of-the-art manufacturing. It’s a space to develop and build more than ships- New Lab is armed with everything a robotics or AI team to innovate and experiment.
Often, entrepreneurs find themselves having to use a host of resources spread across the city to which can be a serious dilemma in NYC for a budding company. New Lab totals 84,000 square feet and is a breakthrough ecosystem of shared resources where entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and academics can take their ideas from concept to prototype to production quickly, all under one roof. New Lab will serve as the professional base for 400 innovative people, representing over 50 independent companies.
2,000 people made the trek out to New Lab’s spread across three (or more!) floors. You could catch presentations, studio visits, snacks from food trucks in the courtyard, free beer plus, of course, sparkling waters. Not to forget the interactive public art experience from Shared Studios.
New Lab’s dynamic member community includes the following companies:
Nanotronics is one of the companies that make you wonder why you didn’t think of that. They combine robotics, AI, and nanotechnology to create the world’s most advanced microscopes to revolutionize manufacturing. Producing what might be the closest thing to a real-life Iron Man suite, StrongArm’s “ergoskeletons” create better body mechanics for safer, more energetic, and more productive work. Waverly Labs is the creator of the Pilot, the world’s first smart earpiece which translates between users speaking different languages.
The New Lab is receptive to all types of stuff. Take the creator of the Light Phone, the slim, credit card-sized phone that enables simple contact without the distraction promised by other devices. Another practical one? Kisi, which uses cloud technology to develop secure, keyless systems that allow users to unlock doors remotely, through the use of their smartphones. It wouldn’t be Brooklyn without some Farmshelf, who makes small-scale hydroponics accessible to the average consumer, enabling customers to grow high quality produce at home, using modular urban farms. And to round out the kitchen, let’s not forget Chefs Club X – A prototyping test kitchen and platform, from the New York restaurant Chefs Club, for chefs to produce a signature dish in a fast-casual setting. Chefs Club X serves as a dedicated tasting room and café for New Lab’s residents.
To learn more about New Lab and its member companies, please visit www.newlab.com or contact Molly Erman, New Lab’s Director of Communications, at molly@newlab.com.
