Solvus Global Secures $1.6 M Grant From MassTech Collaborative at Ribbon Cutting Event

Funding from Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) program will allow Leominster-based advanced manufacturing company to advance innovations and spur job growth across the region

Oct. 15, 2021, Leominster, Mass. – Solvus Global, an advanced manufacturing technology company, recently received a $1.6 million award from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a public agency that supports the state’s innovation economy.

Christine Nolan, director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech Collaborative, made the announcement during a ribbon cutting event hosted by Solvus Global. The event, which drew more than 150 attendees—including U.S. Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) and state Sen. John Cronin (D-Lunenburg)—celebrated advanced manufacturing in Central Massachusetts and the opening of Solvus Global’s 32,000-square-foot facility in Leominster.

Aaron Birt, co-founder and CEO of Solvus Global, said the funding will go a long way toward supporting advanced manufacturing and job creation.

“This funding will allow us to build out our center here in Leominster but also enable us to better invest in workforce development training programs across the region,” said Birt. “We believe it’s critical to help develop those future workers with good paying jobs.”

Solvus Global, which has five business units, develops processes ranging from manufacturing powders used for cold spray technology to AI software for recycling scrap material. In addition to its Leominster manufacturing facility that will scale powder production, Solvus Global is headquartered in Worcester and operates cold spray testing within a shared facility in Webster that brings together collaborators from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and VRC Metal Systems.

Victor Champagne, the technical leader for the ARL, noted that the grant—received under the collaborative’s Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) program—will allow Solvus Global to be “…home of some of the most sophisticated additive manufacturing equipment in the world.”

Additive manufacturing, which is a term used for 3D printing, is a process that has gained momentum in recent years. Among other technologies, the Solvus Global team is developing a paradigm-shifting manufacturing process that is capable of 3D printing Li-ion batteries on anything from the inside of an electric motorcycle chassis to the interior of an airplane.

The funding will also allow Solvus Global’s Leominster site to develop the first-ever integrated wire arc additive manufacturing, heat treating, and machining center for large area additive manufacturing, capable of producing parts from aluminum, titanium, and steel.

The event marks the culmination of collaborations from key partners at the Army Research Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, VRC Metal Systems, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The ceremony provided a window of insight into the future of manufacturing in the Commonwealth. In addition to remarks made by McGovern, Cronin, Birt, Nolan and Champagne, remarks were made by WPI Provost Wole Soboyejo, VRC Metal Systems CTO Aaron Nardi, Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, and Dr. Diran Apelian, co-founder of Solvus Global and board chairman. Dr. Sean Kelly, co-founder and chief operations officer for Solvus Global, was also on hand.

The theme of “People, Partners, and Problems” highlighted Solvus Global’s unique business model, which brings people together to drive innovation through collaboration and focused problem solving; the outcome is not just a product, but an enterprise solution that drives the growth of people and markets.

About Solvus Global

Founded in 2017, Solvus Global is a technology-solution provider for materials and manufacturing, specializing in the areas of additive manufacturing, machine learning, and sustainable materials processing. Headquartered in Worcester, Solvus Global operates out of three locations across Massachusetts: research and manufacturing facilities in both Leominster and Worcester, and a collaborative center in Webster.

Learn more about the M2I2 program at https://cam.masstech.org/m2i2.