PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded SolaBlock  $204,835 to construct automated and modularized systems to build its Solar Masonry Units, which embed solar photovoltaics directly into a standard cement block. 

 

SolaBlock will partner with the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) to make the test chamber available to other members of the BIC. SolaBlock plans to add 17 new jobs with this grant investment. This project is aligned with the Manufacturing USA Institute CESMII.

 

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $10,280,407 in grants to 13 companies to support sustainable alternatives to traditional manufacturing through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), a program through MassTech Collaborative's (MassTech) Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) that bridges the gap between innovation and commercialization by providing capital grants and supporting pioneering projects in emerging industries.

 

The Administration announced the grants during an event with Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao and MassTech at Clean Crop Technologies in Holyoke, which is receiving a $1.2 million M2I2 grant to validate its innovative technology that removes contaminants from crops using less energy. This round of grants will support companies in key industries such as climate tech, bioindustrial manufacturing, and recyclable materials, and create an estimated 230 jobs.

 

"Massachusetts is home to the world's leading innovation economy thanks to our trailblazing manufacturing companies, cutting-edge universities and top talent," said Governor Maura Healey. "We are committed to investing in the pioneering R&D and infrastructure necessary to help our state maintain its status as a place where groundbreaking ideas translate to real-world solutions through programs like M2I2. We are pleased this round of grants will help fund sustainable innovations in the manufacturing industry."