Innovation requires a strong support system to foster and build on ideas. In order to help businesses and entrepreneurs maximize their growth potential and find long-term success, the Muskegon Innovation Hub is opening in downtown Muskegon as a co-working space.

Formerly the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), the business innovation center will provide a variety of support services designed to help growing businesses, entrepreneurs and startups within a collaborative environment.

“MAREC was focused on alternative energy and what we have done now with this renaming and rebranding is established a movement beyond one specific brand so that we can then spread out in the marketplace,” said Kevin Ricco, director of the Muskegon Innovation Hub and CoLaunch.

Emphasizing how the innovation center creates customized business development solutions, Ricco said the customer-service based environment is designed to work with each individual client’s needs.

He also indicated that their resources – which include working with Hub facilitators in product development, business planning and modeling and product commercialization – will also allow the clients to meet with business resource partners, including collaboration with the Michigan Small Business Development Center in the Hub, within a professional setting.

“We help clients establish and understand what they want to get out of their idea or vision,” Ricco said. “After we help them realize what they want, we then see where they want to be in their end goal, which is also our end goal.”

Thomas Hooper, the associate director for business development at the Muskegon Innovation Hub, said that the renaming of MAREC has received a lot of positive feedback as the Hub emphasizes a focus on innovation in the Muskegon area.

He also clarified the Hub’s mission of improving the success rate of the companies will also build more jobs in the community but also build a stronger economic environment.

“Half of all companies fail in the first five years and we want to boost the success rate up,” he said. “By providing a variety of services, such as linkages to other organizations and government resources for support, we are then providing a needed space for innovators to focus on starting and growing their business.”

In order to highlight the innovation center’s programs and resources, the Muskegon Innovation Center held an open house on June 20, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

With about 180 people in attendance, the social and networking event commemorated not only the rebrand but also the opening of CoLaunch, which provides low-cost workspace and amenities, networking opportunities and access to on-site business training tools and resources for entrepreneurs and other community based professionals.

“A lot of the conversations revolved around how important our programs are to the entrepreneurial community along the lakeshore and how they contribute to the long-term growth and success of the Muskegon community,” Ricco said.

As the Hub’s presence grows within the community, connecting with local and budding entrepreneurs is necessary in finding and branding innovative ideas in and out of the Muskegon county.

“Connecting back to Grand Valley’s academic mission we want to work with student entrepreneurs and help make their idea or concept a reality,” Ricco said. “By providing a free space we can also connect students to internships to a project with clients and get some real world experience so that they can maximize their growth potential.”

For more information about the Muskegon Innovation Hub and their services, visit https://www.gvsu.edu/mihub/.