A Brisbane hardware incubator will open its doors to the public in February, offering startups a space to streamline the development and commercialisation of their products at a fraction of the cost.
Arc founder Victor Vicario began developing the idea of a one-stop shop for the development and application of physical products about a year and a half ago after discovering a gap in the market.
"In the past couple of years we have seen a surge in collaborative spaces and incubators around that match those happening in other capital cities but they have all pretty much been focused on software," he said.
"Hardware is critical. (For example) autonomous driving, there is artificial intelligence but there is also the actual electronics and sensors which go in the car, Drone delivery, all these things we hear that are cool, there is hardware involved.
"This space here, to the degree where you have a combination of resources and commercialisation focus and connectivity to the ecosystem, is a first in Australia."
The "hub" sits above Fortitude Valley bar Netherworld and has pockets of labs, several 3D printers and in-house staff to support startups and companies realise their product.
Mr Vicario, who has been involved with several hardware startups himself, said the space offered early concept development labs, an assembly and testing lab, a middle-viable-product lab and a number of 3D printers capable of printing from 0.01mm up to one metre.
"By hardware we mean anything physical, which is the hardest thing to develop," he said.
"In terms of technologies, they vary between wearable connected devices, medical, clean tech, robotics there is also drone technology.
"We are not selective on a particular industry, we are just tackling the development problem and it affects a variety of industries."
He said many of the technologies available for use, via a subscription-based model ranging from $500 to $1500 per month, had previously been relatively inaccessible and costly.
"A lot of the technologies you see here they have traditionally been around but restricted to research institutions, universities, large corporates and R&D labs," he said.
"There is nothing new, but we are bringing that to these versatile, young companies.
"For a thousand dollars or so you get easily the amount of value of $10,000 to $50,000 in that month, it depends on the amount of use."
To gain membership to use the space, companies and startups need to identify and have a solution to a problem, have basic technical capabilities to deliver that solution and a viable market opportunity to make the product financially sustainable.
Mr Vicario said the hub was pushing Brisbane into the forefront of the startup scene nationally.
"The combination of this (hub) with the software incubators really brings Brisbane up to compete in the high-end of all the other capital cities," he said.
"Brisbane is very well placed."
The hub was awarded a federal government grant of $268,674 last year and will open to the public in February.
