Peterborough’s Innovation Cluster has announced the creation of the H2O Makerspace — an office equipped with lab and test equipment available to entrepreneurs with watertech startups.
“Typically as an entrepreneur, as a company that’s starting out, you don’t have a budget from 30 to 60 thousand dollars to buy the equipment you need. So the idea is very much like how a library works — you check it in or check it out or you book time to use the space,” says Michael Skinner, president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster.
The City of Peterborough sees cleantech and watertech industries as a promising new field in economic development. These companies supply materials and expertise to other industries to enable them to reduce emissions and protect water resources.
As well as watertech businesses, the Peterborough area is also known for its lakes, rivers and streams. Those attending Thursday’s launch of the H2O Makerspace also heard from environmentalist and entrepreneur Jennifer Pate, who says it’s important to remember that all waterways around the world are connected, and the estimated eight million tons of plastic containers and bottles clogging those waterways present a real risk to all of us.
“All of a sudden we’ve got this almost personal environmental issue, we start to realize how pervasive plastic is in our everyday life, and when we see it out in the environment we’re like, ‘I recognize that cup, I’ve used that kind of cup before,’ then all of a sudden you’ve got this personal trigger of, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m part of the problem!” Pate said.
Pate went on to say that once people realize they are part of the problem, there are lots of resources out there for those who want to be part of the solution to plastic pollution.