NEW MEXICO – New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is now home to southern New Mexico’s first co-innovation center for NewSpace Nexus.
The center will be located in the Arrowhead Center’s SPACE incubator, which brings together startup companies and assistance providers from the space, agriculture and clean energy sectors, the university reported
“This moment represents more than just a new location; it is a powerful testament to the synergy between New Mexico’s rich history of innovation and the limitless potential of the global space industry,” said Dana Catron, interim director and CEO of the Arrowhead Center.
NMSU reported that the Arrowhead Center’s SPACE incubator is a reimagined version of Arrowhead’s certified business incubator that champions bold innovation, relentless collaboration and tackling the world’s biggest challenges in space, agriculture and clean energy.
The center’s collaboration with NewSpace Nexus aims to pioneer clean energy solutions, push the boundaries of the space economy, and create a launch pad where entrepreneurship thrives and revolutionary technologies come to life.
In addition, a recent Small Business Administration award has been announced for a Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, through which they will collaborate to boost local entrepreneurial efforts in science, technology, engineering and math, and small businesses and startups focused on research and development.
“The New Mexico Spaceport Authority is excited about the collaboration of NewSpace Nexus and the Arrowhead Center. As Spaceport America works to support orbital launches and orbital re-entry, we need a complete space ecosystem in the region to support those customers. This collaboration goes a long way toward that effort, commented Scott McLaughlin, executive director of NMSA.
“We are excited to reach out to the southern part of our ecosystem and work with collaborators from industry, academia, elected officials, government offices and other non-profit organizations to ensure a space-ready workforce,” said Casey Anglada DeRaad, founder and CEO of NewSpace Nexus.
NewSpace Nexus has launched several programs and initiatives, including space industry forums and State of the Space Industrial Base conferences. The organization opened Launchpad, an 8,000-square-foot co-innovation facility near Albuquerque’s Sunport, as a first-of-its-kind co-innovation center where interested parties gain access to workspaces, equipment, programming, rapid prototyping and demonstration, and networking and business resources needed for innovation and rapid progress.
