Why Philly’s maker community could benefit from NextFab’s Wilmington spot

NextFab CEO Evan Malone sees a future where the makerspace’s brand-new Wilmington location attracts technologists and creators often disconnected from the broader community.

“Imagine Philly entrepreneurs tapping [into] the technical talent of the DuPont folks that are joining in Wilmington, or Wilmington and Philly artists sharing techniques and collaborating on works that span both cities,” Malone told Technical.ly in an email.

Following two years of planning, the expansion became a reality Wednesday after a ribbon-cutting at the 10,000-square-foot location, housed in Wilmington’s Creative District. The ceremony was attended by Delaware Gov. John Carney and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki.

We reached out to Malone to get his take on what impact this may have for Philadelphia.

“With the opening of NextFab Wilmington, the Philly maker community will have an easier time connecting and collaborating with the amazing arts community and exploding entrepreneurial ecosystem of Wilmington,” Malone said. “Members can use any of our facilities with their membership, and we are also launching new online community tools which will help makers find, connect, and collaborate regardless of location.”

As our sister site Technical.ly Delaware reports, a $350,000 grant from the state-backed Delaware Strategic Fund made the expansion possible, in the hopes that the location can help spur job creation and products to the First State.

The task for the NextFab camp, as it integrates with the existing maker community of Wilmington and joins the city’s revitalization efforts, is proving the concept of collaboration across state lines, one in which both markets reap the benefits.