The Manufacturing Growth Collaborative (MGC) is designed for small and middle market manufacturing (SMM) owners, executives, and managers responsible for business expansion and product-service-process development (1, 2). Our goal is to help busy individuals understand and harness proven strategies and tools for building a culture of innovation focused on sustainable business growth (3). At Catalyst Connection we call these businesses Innovative Learning Companies (4). The collaborative is being built to enable business growth using a portfolio of proven innovation strategies including inside-out and outside-in methods (5).
Inside-out innovation includes new product development, new market development, diversification (new products for new markets) and exporting.
Outside-in innovation includes technology licensing, mergers, acquisitions, importing, and partnering with start-ups. Catalyst trusted third parties provide advisors and technical assistance for outside in opportunities (5).
Why Join?
- Networking and Problem-Solving Programs: Explore ad hoc events at unique venues, fostering collaboration and creativity.
- Lunch and Learn Series: Benefit from insights shared by sponsors and subject matter experts in a series of six sessions.
- Public “How To” Quarterly Workshops: Participate in practical workshops hosted at Catalyst Connection and by our collaboration partners.
- New Clean Energy Grant Podcast/Webinar Series: Stay ahead with the latest in clean energy innovations, designed for review and sharing.
- Bimonthly Newsletter: Launching, 2024, keep informed with updates and industry news.
- Annual SMM Supplier Growth Forum: Save the date (to be confirmed) November 6th or 7th) for an enriching speaker forum and open discussion.
- Capstone Peer-to-Peer Training: Hands-on, experiential learning cohorts designed for busy, working, two-employee teams. Your team will learn in conjunction with four to six other non-competitive company teams. Courses will be offered in the spring and fall. These cohorts are modeled after the popular CMU Tepper Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship graduate-level capstone class in corporate entrepreneurship and transformational innovation (5).
Fourteen Grant Funded Supplier Opportunity Areas
Development and innovation grant funding are available from over twenty funding partners. Catalyst Connection serves as a network hub for these grants and this new learning collaborative focused on meaningful, move the needle, growth initiatives.
Power Generation & Management Product-Related
New demand emerging from what’s being called the clean energy supply chain is strong nationally and in southwestern Pennsylvania. Funding and technical assistance are available from Catalyst Connection and our co-sponsors for all 14 clean energy sectors shown that Catalyst serves.
Contact Us
For more information on the Manufacturing Growth Collaborative, please contact Lou Musante, Director, Growth Services at lmusante@catalystconnection.org or 412-918-4300.
References
- Learning from Collaboration: Knowledge and Networks in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries. Walter W. Powell, California Management Review, Vol. 40, No. 3 1998.
- Pittsburgh CTO R&D Network Echo Strategies and Dr. Sue Cohen Katz (2004 – 2012)
- Pittsburgh Culture of Innovation Benchmarking Collaborative 2010 – 2015 Echo Strategies
- NIST MEP SMM Quantitative Growth Benchmarking Study 2012 Catalyst Connection, IRC Network and Echo Strategies
- How Corporate Entrepreneurship Practices Impact Innovation—A Pilot Study Dr. Rick Stachel & Lou Musante (2022) Research-Technology Management, 65:6, 25-33, To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2022.2118474