Six Lessons from the mHUB Powered Challenge on the Future of Urban Manufacturing
America is reindustrializing at the same moment emerging technologies are redefining industry itself. The next generation of urban manufacturing won’t be built on old models but require integrated districts that generate and store clean energy, manage resources in closed loops, and operate more sustainably from the ground up. That’s why, in August, mHUB launched the mHUB Powered Challenge in partnership with The Grainger Foundation. The national competition invited startups, researchers, universities, corporations, and innovators to propose the technologies, business models, and infrastructure solutions that could help mHUB build one of the most sustainable districts in the world for manufacturing innovation. The response exceeded expectations. More than 150 applications arrived from across the country, spanning energy, infrastructure, and management and operations. Beyond promising innovations, the submissions revealed six emerging themes about what it will actually take to reindustrialize American cities.