The Great Chain was more than metal. It was strategy. And it was proof that American industry, strengthened by New York State’s contributions, could rise to meet the toughest challenges.

Sterling Iron Works: A Forge for Freedom

The Great Chain was manufactured in 1778 at Sterling Iron Works, a foundry and mining complex located in what is now Orange County, New York. At the time, Sterling was one of the finest ironworks in the United States and regularly supplied the Continental Army with cannons, anchors, and heavy forgings.

Forging, a manufacturing process that shapes metal by pressing, pounding, or squeezing it under extreme compressive forces, offers mechanical and physical advantages for high-durability components. Unliked metal machining, which was just beginning in Europe at the time, forging aligns and compresses the metal’s natural grain flow instead of cutting through its internal structure.

Made in New York

When General George Washington, acting upon a recommendation by New York Governor George Clinton, commissioned the construction of a massive defensive chain, Sterling Iron Works delivered. The final product was extraordinary. The Great Chain was over 600 yards long and contained links weighing between 100 to 180 pounds each.

Forging each link required heating wrought iron bars in charcoal-fired furnaces, pounding them into shape by hand, and welding them shut with powerful hammer blows. Sterling’s blacksmiths worked relentlessly and often produced two full links per hour, an astonishing feat given the technology of the era. Today, forging typically relies on hydraulic equipment instead of muscle power.

From The Hudson Highlands to the Hudson River

Metal for the Great Chain was mined locally. Sterling Iron Works sourced its ore from deposits in the Hudson Highlands, a region rich in magnetite – a mineral with high iron content. New York’s natural resources and manufacturing infrastructure were inseparable, and without both the project would not have succeeded. Transporting and installing the Great Chain was also a great achievement.

When the forging was finished, it had to be moved nearly 30 miles to West Point, where the Hudson River narrowed and made a sharp bend. Workers loaded the massive links onto ox-drawn wagons, which reached the river only after traversing rugged terrain. From there, the chain was floated on rafts to West Point, where it was stretched across the river using log booms and anchors.

Britain’s Royal Navy, then the largest and most powerful navy in the world, never even dared to break the Great Chain Across the Hudson. After the war, this manufacturing marvel was removed and a portion preserved for historical purposes. The Sterling Iron Works continued operation but eventually closed in 1842 when faced with stiff competition from large steel mills.

Small-to-Medium Manufacturing Can Win

If the Sterling Iron Works were alive today, the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) could surely have helped. This state and federally funded network is designed to help small and mid-sized manufacturers become more competitive. The Council of Industry, which is now the regional NY MEP center for the mid-Hudson Valley, has been assisting manufacturers since 1910.

Much has changed in America’s 250-year history, but the vitally important role of small-to-medium manufacturers remains. If your business is looking for assistance with modernization and innovation, request a no-cost 30-minute consultation with FuzeHub’s Manufacturer Solutions Program. They can connect you to your regional NY MEP center and to a vast array of manufacturing resources.

The project’s solution is designed to support next-generation defense and commercial electronics including communications, sensing, aerospace and space systems.

“Being selected for inclusion in DARPA’s ERIS Marketplace is an exciting milestone for our team and reflects the promise of glass-based RF switches and filter packaging,” said Jeff Fitzgerald, Director of Advanced Packaging Strategy for FuzeHub. “Our solution has been competitively assessed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and has been deemed ‘awardable’ in the Expedited Research Innovation System (ERIS) Marketplace, making it available to view and easily procurable by the Department of War. The ERIS Marketplace provides a valuable opportunity to showcase our innovation to government, industry, and research stakeholders, and we look forward to leveraging this streamlined procurement pathway to showcase our innovation, build new partnerships and accelerate the impact of novel glass-based packaging solutions in real-world applications.”

Achieving ‘awardable’ status through DARPA’s ERIS Marketplace underscores growing recognition of Menlo Micro’s platform across defense and dual-use applications, said Russ Garcia, Chief Executive Officer of Menlo Micro. “This structured marketplace for new technologies represents an important step in accelerating how advanced RF and power systems are identified, evaluated, and transitioned into government programs. We view this as a clear indication of demand for scalable, high-performing switching architectures.”

The FuzeHub-led project’s video, “A Glass-based RF Receiver Architecture for W-Band Detection”, accessible only by government customers with a .mil email address on the DARPA ERIS Marketplace, presents an actual use case in which the company utilizes a glass-based radio frequency (RF) switch and filter packaging technology that replaces bulky assemblies of discrete RF components with a highly integrated, hermetically sealed glass platform. By embedding RF filters and MEMS switches directly into advanced glass substrates, the technology significantly reduces size, weight, assembly complexity, and component count while improving RF performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Government customers interested in viewing the solution can create an ERIS Marketplace account at www.darpaconnect.us/eris.

About FuzeHub:

FuzeHub is a nonprofit organization that connects New York’s small and mid-sized manufacturing companies to the resources, programs and expertise they need for technology commercialization, innovation and business growth. Through its custom assessment, matching, and referral platform, FuzeHub helps companies navigate New York’s robust network of industry experts at Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers, universities, economic development organizations, and other providers. FuzeHub is the statewide New York MEP center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation. For more information on FuzeHub, visit www.fuzehub.com.

About Menlo Micro     

Menlo Micro sets a new standard for switches with the Ideal Switch, a chip-scale platform that overcomes performance, efficiency, and scalability bottlenecks of electromechanical relays (EMRs) and semiconductor-based switches. It’s the first disruptive switching technology in over 30 years and the only platform scalable across both power and frequency domains. The Ideal Switch enables smaller, lighter, faster, more reliable, and energy-efficient systems.  From AI to aerospace, defense and power electronics, the Ideal Switch eliminates bottlenecks and reduces the total cost of ownership across today’s most demanding applications. Menlo Micro unlocks new possibilities. For more information, visit www.menlomicro.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

About the ERIS Marketplace:

The DARPA ERIS Marketplace is a transformative digital platform designed to accelerate acquisition velocity and advance national security innovation. All 7-minute Awardable solutions housed in the Marketplace have been assessed via competitive procedures against a comprehensive scoring rubric and are readily available for selection, negotiation, and award by government customers with a Marketplace account. By streamlining the procurement process, the ERIS Marketplace empowers DoW organizations to rapidly develop or acquire disruptive technologies that address the evolving challenges of defense and security. Industry and academia are encouraged to showcase their innovative solutions, connecting directly with DARPA and other government customers seeking revolutionary research and technology.

Learn more at: www.darpaconnect.us/eris. For media requests, please contact outreach@darpa.mil; for all other requests related to the ERIS Marketplace, please contact eris@darpa.mil.

As more innovations are needed to improve or bridge gaps in treatment, three New York-based businesses—Epic Airway Systems, GE Healthcare, and Z Beats—are utilizing the collaborative capabilities of the NYSTAR support network to pioneer medical devices, all of which have potential as game changers in the industry.

NYC Innovation Hot Spot client Epic Airway Systems (Schenectady) is developing a patented airway management device—focused on improving patient safety and ease of use during emergency airway procedures and surgeries—designed for use by anesthesiologists, CRNAs, emergency medicine physicians, and paramedics.

Founded by former paramedic turned anesthesiologist Eric Moses, Epic Airway Systems identified a longstanding challenge in airway management: healthcare providers are often forced to choose between devices that are easier to use but less secure for patients, or devices that secure the airway but introduce additional risks and complications. Existing solutions—including endotracheal tubes and laryngeal masks—require difficult tradeoffs involving patient safety, provider usability, and procedural efficiency.

Epic’s product eliminates these tradeoffs, creating a surgical asset that combines the advantages of existing airway solutions while reducing complications that have hampered patients and professionals for years.

Since participating in the NYC Innovation Hot Spot and New York NSF I-Corps programming—and finding product development guidance from Fuzehub—Epic Airway Systems has achieved several important commercialization milestones. The company has advanced multiple prototype iterations through testing; secured patents in both the United States and European Union; and earned $50,000 at the 2023 FuzeHub Commercialization Competition during the annual New York State Innovation Summit that has helped validate the company’s commercial potential and increased statewide visibility across the life sciences field.

For GE HealthCare, the company recognized a need for disposable healthcare monitoring devices used in hospitals and clinics to enhance patient monitoring, support infection control practices, and streamline clinical workflow.

However, conventional disposable medical electronics commonly rely on silver-based conductive materials, plastic substrates, and globally concentrated supply chains that are vulnerable to disruptions and material shortages. These systems can also be expensive, generate significant environmental waste (due to their single-use nature), and are often manufactured elsewhere, making them susceptible to possible global supply-chain issues.

To combat these issues, the company has collaborated with researchers at Binghamton University’s FlexMed CAT to develop low-cost and sustainable wearable medical electronics using printed electronics manufacturing technologies.

Supported by NYSTAR infrastructure and the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the FlexMed CAT, the product team was able to develop fully printed ECG electrode lead sets using carbon-based conductive inks printed directly onto paper-based substrates; optimize printing, encapsulation, curing, and thermal compression processes to improve conductivity, flexibility, durability, and manufacturing consistency; and demonstrate that careful design optimization, multi-layer printing, and process improvements can still provide reliable electrical connections and stable bio-signal sensing performance for selected wearable and disposable medical electronics applications.

Finally, the Stony Brook-based ZBeats set out to address a growing challenge in healthcare: the need for faster, more scalable, and more accurate cardiac diagnostics. As demand for ambulatory ECG monitoring has increased, healthcare providers have required innovative medical technology capable of processing large volumes of patient data while maintaining clinical-grade accuracy.

Through sustained and diversified cooperation with multiple NYSTAR assets—including Stony Brook University’s Long Island High Technology Incubator (LITHI), Long Island Manufacturing Extension Partnership (LIMEP), Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), and Fuzehub—ZBeats has developed ZBPro Diagnostic, an FDA-cleared, cloud-based Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) that analyzes ambulatory ECG recordings and provides clinicians with high-accuracy arrhythmia detection, comprehensive reporting, and clinical decision-support tools.

This continued engagement with the NYSTAR ecosystem has helped ZBeats strengthen its technology, accelerate commercialization, achieve regulatory approval for its FDA-cleared ZBPro platform, and expand customer adoption. Today, the company generates approximately $300,000 in annual revenue while creating and retaining multiple high-level positions at the company.

And like their fellow medical device creators, the work of ZBeats has shown the potential of medical device ingenuity across all of New York—and what the support of the NYSTAR network can do for product development, commercialization, and advancing big ideas forward.

Thanks to the many NYSTAR centers, hotspots and incubators for submitting their success story. Click here to submit your stories to share with the NYSTAR network — we want to hear from you!

A City Built on Industry and Ingenuity

Buffalo’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse began in the late 19th century. That’s when the opening of the Erie Canal and the advent of hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls transformed the region into one of America’s most productive industrial hubs. Steel, auto parts, grain milling, chemicals, and heavy machinery all found a home in Western New York.

During the 20th century, companies like Bethlehem Steel, Curtiss-Wright, and Trico helped define Buffalo as manufacturing center. That legacy didn’t disappear when those businesses left. Rather, it evolved. Today, Buffalo’s manufacturing sector is powered by advanced materials, medical devices, clean energy technologies, robotics, and precision machining.

In Western New York, the region’s universities, research centers, and manufacturing companies continue to build on the same spirit of ingenuity that fueled Buffalo’s early growth. This makes The Queen City the perfect place for the New York State Innovation Summit, an event that’s designed to showcase the technologies, companies, and collaborations driving the state’s innovation economy.

Where Today’s Innovators Connect

The 2026 New York State Innovation Summit will bring together hundreds of inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and economic development partners from across the state and beyond. Attendees can expect technology showcases featuring cutting-edge products, industry-led panel discussions, and plenty of networking opportunities with suppliers, startups, and both state and federal resources.

For manufacturers, the Summit is a chance to meet potential partners, explore new technologies, and discover programs that can accelerate growth. The event features a busy Exhibit Hall, multiple keynote addresses, and FuzeHub’s Commercialization Competition – a pitch event that awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to NYS manufacturing and technology startups.

Buffalo’s Innovation Ecosystem on Display

Hosting the Summit in Buffalo also highlights the region’s important role in New York’s statewide innovation landscape. Manufacturing-related resources include:

• Insyte Consulting, the Western New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center, which helps manufacturers improve productivity, strengthen operations, and drive growth
• Buffalo Manufacturing Works, a hub for applied R&D and advanced manufacturing support
• The University at Buffalo, a leader in engineering, materials science, and life sciences
• The Northland Workforce Training Center, which is preparing the next generation of manufacturing talent

Buffalo’s economic transformation demonstrates how industrial regions can reinvent themselves through technology, collaboration, and investment. The New York Innovation Summit celebrates that momentum and will help drive it forward.

Why You Should Attend

Whether you’re a manufacturer exploring new capabilities, a startup seeking partners, or an entrepreneur looking to commercialize inventions, the New York State Innovation Summit is a can’t-miss event. It’s where ideas become opportunities, and where New York’s innovation community comes together to create what’s next.

Join FuzeHub in Buffalo and become part of the future of manufacturing and technology in New York State. Whether it’s as a sponsor, exhibitor, or attendee, register now for the New York State Innovation Summit and join us in Buffalo on October 27 and 28, 2026.

Thanks to edge computing, manufacturing data can be collected, analyzed and acted upon right on your factory floor. Unliked cloud computing, edge computing brings processing power closer to your data’s sources: machines, sensors, robots, and production lines. Instead of sending everything to the cloud for analysis, edge devices run AI models, detect anomalies, and trigger actions in real-time.

For SMMs with limited IT staff, tight budgets, and aging equipment, this can be a game‑changer.

Why Edge Computing Matters for SMMs

Large manufacturers have the resources to build advanced data systems for cloud computing. SMMs, on the other hand, face constraints that go beyond tight capital budgets. For example, some SMMs have older equipment that lacks built-in connectivity. Others have Internet-enabled machines but limited bandwidth. That’s a solvable problem but buying more bandwidth can get expensive.

Cloud computing can be powerful, but it also comes with ongoing costs: data storage, compute time, and subscription fees. Edge computing reduces these expenses by filtering and analyzing data before it ever leaves your facility. Instead of paying to store millions of data points, you can store only summaries, exceptions, and insights offsite. The rest happens locally.

Real‑Time Insights Without the Cloud Bottleneck

A case study from Advantech, a provider of embedded computing platforms, demonstrates edge computing’s value. An injection molder wanted to reduce scrap and unplanned maintenance. The molder installed high-frequency vibration sensors and an edge device to analyze machine health in real-time.  As a result, the molder reduced material waste and machine downtime without buying new internet-enabled equipment or investing in cloud-level bandwidth.

Lower Operating Costs without Cloud Investments

Another case study, this time from FabricateIQ, explains how a metal fabricator used edge computing to reduce costs. The shop installed sensors across 10 machines, including CNC equipment, laser cutters, press brakes, and welding stations. An edge device identified idle time, inefficient toolpaths, and machines that drew more power than expected. As a result, the company reduced its annual energy spend by 27% and identified a machine that was idle for 4+ hours per shift.

Support for Faster, More Reliable Automation

Automation depends on speed. Even a few hundred milliseconds of delay (latency) can cause defects or downtime. Edge computing eliminates latency by keeping decision-making local, as a case study from Acuemax explains. When an electronics manufacturer wanted to use machine vision to inspect solder joints, edge computing supported an AI model that runs directly on the camera’s hardware. Today, the system rejects bad boards in real-time without relying on the cloud.

Improved Security and Data Control

Many SMMs are concerned about sending sensitive production data to the cloud. That’s especially true for companies in the defense, aerospace, and medical device industries. Edge computing keeps most of your data onsite, reducing exposure and simplifying compliance with standards like ITAR, CMMC, and ISO 27001. Because only filtered or anonymized data leaves your facility, you can maintain tighter control over intellectual property and production details.

Works with Legacy Equipment and Scales Easily

Most SMMs don’t have brand‑new, fully connected production equipment. Instead, they have a mix of older machines that run reliably but weren’t designed for modern data systems. Yet edge devices can connect to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), analog sensors, or even retrofit kits that add connectivity to older machines. And it doesn’t require a massive upfront investment. You can start with one machine or line and increase your investments as you get results.

The Bottom Line

For small and mid‑sized manufacturers, edge computing is more than just another technology trend. It’s a practical, cost‑effective way to bring AI and analytics to the factory floor. By keeping data local, reducing cloud dependency, and enabling real‑time insights, SMMs can improve uptime, reduce scrap, enhance quality, and remain competitive.

Manufacturers don’t need massive IT teams or expensive infrastructure to get started either. Instead, they just need the right sensors, a small edge device, and a clear operational problem to solve. From there, the value can build quickly. For help getting started, request a consultation with FuzeHub’s Manufacturer Solutions program.

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For many entrepreneurs and startup founders, building a prototype feels like the first major milestone on the journey from simply having an idea to developing a viable business. Seeing your concept take physical form is exciting. It can also be tempting to focus on perfecting the design before taking the next step.

However, the most successful innovators understand that a prototype is not the destination – it’s a tool on the path to commercialization.

Start by Validating the Problem

Whether you call it a proof of concept, alpha/beta prototype, or minimum viable product, the purpose remains the same: reduce uncertainty and gather information before investing significant time and money. A prototype should help answer one critical question: Does this just solve a “me” problem, or does it solve a real problem that a significant number of customers are willing to pay to solve?

And to answer that question, you need to have conversations with potential customers long before the prototype is even complete. This process, often called customer discovery, helps you understand who your customer is, what challenges they face, and whether your proposed solution truly addresses their needs. It can also uncover key features and benefits the customer expects and help determine target price and cost levels.

Programs such as NSF I-Corps have helped countless entrepreneurs test assumptions and refine their understanding of customer needs before making major investments in product development. For example, if you’re developing a medical device, your customer may not be the patient who benefits from the product. It could be a physician, hospital purchasing department, healthcare provider, or insurance company. Understanding who makes the purchasing decision is just as important as understanding who will ultimately use and benefit from the product.

The lessons learned through customer discovery often led to significant changes in product design that improve the product’s chance of success, so the earlier you understand your customer, the more valuable your prototype becomes.

Don’t Overlook Intellectual Property

As your concept begins to take shape, intellectual property (IP) considerations become increasingly important.

Many startups worry about competitors copying their ideas. While protecting your innovations through patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets may be appropriate, there’s another side of the equation that is equally important: ensuring you aren’t infringing on someone else’s IP.

Conducting an IP review early in the development process can help identify potential obstacles before they become expensive problems. It can also provide insight into existing technologies, competing solutions, and opportunities for differentiation.

Developing an IP strategy doesn’t necessarily mean filing patents immediately. It means understanding what you’re building, what protections may be available, and how IP fits into your overall commercialization plan.

Think Beyond the Prototype

A common mistake among hardware startups is assuming that a prototype can easily transition into production.

Today, technologies such as 3D printing allow entrepreneurs to create sophisticated prototypes quickly and affordably. These tools are excellent for testing form, fit, and function, but may not be suitable for large-scale manufacturing.

This is where Design for Manufacturing (DFM) becomes critical.

DFM involves designing products with manufacturing processes, material selection, assembly requirements, and production costs in mind. Decisions made early in product development can significantly reduce future manufacturing costs and facilitate scalability.

Conversely, waiting until the product is almost fully developed before considering manufacturing often leads to redesigns, delays, and unexpected expenses (including re-tooling costs and unusable component inventory). By incorporating DFM principles early, startups can create prototypes that not only demonstrate functionality but also provide a realistic pathway to commercialization.

In other words, the best prototype isn’t always the one that looks the most polished – it’s the one that helps you move efficiently toward production.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Fortunately, New York State entrepreneurs have access to a robust network of organizations that can help throughout the product development process.

Centers of Excellence, Centers for Advanced Technology, business incubators, accelerators, makerspaces, and manufacturing support organizations provide expertise, facilities, and guidance that can help startups overcome technical and business challenges. These resources can assist with everything from customer discovery and engineering support to manufacturing strategy and commercialization planning.

If you’re looking for a hands-on crash course where subject-matter experts can help you navigate these challenges in person, consider attending FuzeHub’s Product Development Workshop on August 12, 2026 in New Paltz, NY. This event was created to help innovators learn how to validate product ideas, develop IP strategies, maximize the value of their prototypes, plan manufacturing pathways, identify funding opportunities, and build a commercialization roadmap. The goal is not simply to help entrepreneurs build products, it’s to help them build businesses. You can learn more and register here: https://fuzehub.com/product-development-workshop-2026/

Prototype with a Purpose

A prototype should do more than prove that something can be built. It should help you answer important questions about your customers, your technology, your intellectual property, and your path to manufacturing.

The startups that succeed are rarely those with the best prototype. They’re the ones that use prototyping as a learning process, to test assumptions, gather feedback, and reduce risk at every stage.

When approached with purpose, a prototype becomes more than a model. It becomes a roadmap to commercialization.

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When a small-to-medium sized manufacturer decides to automate operations, there’s an important question to ask and answer.  What type of automation is the best fit? For many companies, the choice looks like a fork in the road.

One path takes you to collaborative robots, or cobots. They’re flexible, easy-to-deploy, and are designed to work safely beside people. The other path is traditional industrial automation. It’s built for speed, precision, and high-volume output.

Both can transform a production line, but they solve different problems and require different levels of commitment. This article from FuzeHub is designed to help guide your decision making, and we encourage you to contact our Manufacturer Solutions Program to discuss your specific situation.

The Case for Cobots

Collaborative robots have surged in popularity because they lower the barrier to entry for automation. They’re designed to be approachable – literally. Cobots are lighter and slower than traditional automation, but they’re equipped with force‑limiting joints and sensors that allow them to operate safely near human workers.

For manufacturers with high‑mix, low‑volume production, this flexibility can be a game‑changer. For example, a cobot can tend a CNC machine in the morning and pack finished parts in the afternoon. Often, programming is performed through hand‑guiding or teach pendants. That means you don’t need a full-time robotics specialist to keep a cobot running.

Do you need automation that can be installed quickly, adapted easily, or operated safely in a tight space? Then a cobot might be a practical and cost‑effective investment. They aren’t built for speed, but cobots excel at consistency, reliability, and filling labor gaps that are hard-to-staff. Plus, they’re a great choice for ergonomically risky operations.

Where Traditional Automation Wins

Traditional industrial automation remains the backbone of high‑volume manufacturing. That’s because systems like six-axis industrial robots are engineered for speed, payload capacity, and precision. They require cages, machine guarding, and more complex integration, but they can provide unmatched throughput in return.

Does your plan run the same part or product for years at a time? Is cycle-time the main driver of your profitability? Then a traditional robot is probably a better investment. Industrial robots can lift hundreds of pounds and repeat the same motion with near‑perfect accuracy. Plus, they integrate into automated work cells with conveyors, vision systems, and computer-controlled tooling.

For stamping, injection molding, palletizing, welding, and other heavy‑duty industrial applications, traditional automation is still the gold standard. The upfront costs are higher, and deployment takes longer, but the long‑term return on investment (ROI) is often better for stable, high‑volume operations.

Finding the Right Fit

Cobots vs. traditional automation doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. In fact, many manufacturers use both. Cobots handle the flexible, operator‑adjacent tasks that benefit from human oversight, while traditional robots handle the high‑volume, high‑speed parts of the line. You need the right tool for the job, and automation can be a layered strategy instead of a single decision.

As automation continues to evolve, the question isn’t whether to automate, but how to do it in a way that aligns with your production mix, workforce strategy, and long‑term goals. Whether you choose cobots, traditional automation, or a hybrid approach, the right solution is the one that helps your plant run safer, faster, and more competitively in a demanding manufacturing landscape.

As the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NYMEP) center, FuzeHub can put you in touch with automation experts who are ready to help. Don’t wait to take the first step.  Request a consultation with our Manufacturer Solutions Program today.

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