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A new co-operative in St-Henri wants to help manufacturers get started in Montreal.

Espace Fabrique, which opened officially on June 2, will allow its members to access the type of industrial machinery needed to create prototypes and small manufacturing runs of new products. It’s the first co-op in the manufacturing sector in Quebec, according to its creators.

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“It’s the concept of a gym,” says Michael Novak, chair of Espace Fabrique’s board of directors. “You become a member, you pay an annual fee, and with that you have access to all the equipment.”

The organization has 19 industrial machines for wood and metalwork, equipment that Novak says would be too expensive for individuals to buy on their own.

The organization will also give members access to trainers who can show them how to do things like weld or program industrial machinery.

The idea, Novak says, is to give artists, artisans and entrepreneurs the space, and the equipment, to turn their ideas into prototypes. Because the creators will be doing much of the work themselves and won’t have to hire someone else, it will reduce costs and give them more time to get things right.