A century-old school in Newport is being repurposed into Innovate Newport, an incubator for companies looking to join the region’s tech economy.
While the idea germinated in large measure thanks to the significant impact that the Naval Undersea Warfare Center has on local companies, the center is looking to help develop companies in the marine, environmental, renewable-energy and cybersecurity sectors as well.
Business leaders on Aquidneck Island sense a breakthrough in the making, and there is no question that Innovate Newport’s success will help the island and nearby communities move beyond a dependence on just U.S. Navy contracts.
In fact, more than just lending a helping hand to new businesses or those looking to cement their gains – although that is a very important thing to do – Innovate Newport is seen as having the potential to build, as one NUWC official said, a “Silicon Coast.”
If this project can turn Newport just into a “Silicon Beach,” it will have gone a long way in moving the city beyond reliance on tourism. And that will be an innovative outcome.