New MakerBot Innovation Center encourages entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration
BROOKLYN, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–St. John’s University and MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing, have unveiled a new MakerBot Innovation Center. St. John’s University is the first higher education institution in New York City to open a MakerBot Innovation Center and the second in the state overall.
Situated within the St. John’s University Technology Commons on its main campus in Queens, New York, the MakerBot Innovation Center offers a centralized location for students to design, create, and innovate. The MakerBot Innovation Center is co-located with the University’s new e-sports environment and virtual reality pods to create an engaging and interactive community for students. With access to over 20 MakerBot 3D Printers, students can have unfettered access to the tools and technology they need to propel their future career paths. The St. John’s University Technology Commons was designed to elevate learning, promote collaboration across disciplines, and attract students and staff. It enables the University to offer students wider access to 3D printing to teach ideation, problem-solving, and iteration.
“3D printing in academia has become increasingly widespread as more schools look to combine new technologies into their curriculum to better prepare their students for the workforce,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO of MakerBot. “St. John’s University is at the forefront of creativity. Its adoption of 3D printing with a MakerBot Innovation Center provides students a competitive edge that will enable them to excel in their careers.”
St. John’s University offers several courses that integrate 3D printing into their curricula, including Art & Design, Marketing, Foreign Language, Education, and Physiology. Additionally, the University is in the process of creating classes on additive manufacturing and additive design approach, as well as an art elective in 3D printing and modeling.
“Before the introduction of 3D modeling in Art 1090 Jewelry design, student designs were limited by the physical properties of the materials used. With the introduction of 3D printing, the students’ creative potential has been greatly enhanced,” said Ross Barbera, Associate Professor, Art and Design, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at St. John’s University. “Modeling in TinkerCad and Fusion 360, then printing at the Innovation Center with MakerBot printers, provides students with powerful tools enabling them to exercise their creative imaginations to the fullest. With these new technological tools, students are now exploring design possibilities not possible with traditional materials and methods, are limited only to the extent that they can imagine.”
Dr. Sandra Schamroth Abrams, Associate Professor in the School of Education, noted, “3D printing can complement and enhance process-learning that includes iterative and flexible practices. St. John’s students who visit the Technology Commons engage in individual and collaborative explorations and discover expansive possibilities of creative challenge.”
The MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform is a proprietary 3D printing service that links the 3D printers together, streamlines productivity and staffing by providing remote access, print queuing, and mass production of 3D prints.
For more information on MakerBot Innovation Centers, visit makerbot.com/innovation-center.
For more information on St. John’s University, visit www.stjohns.edu.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), is a global leader in the 3D printing industry. The company helps create the innovators of today and the businesses and learning institutions of the future. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, MakerBot strives to redefine the standards for 3D printing for reliability, accessibility, precision, and ease-of-use. Through this dedication, MakerBot has one of the largest install bases in the industry, and also runs Thingiverse, the largest 3D printing community in the world.
We believe there’s an innovator in everyone, so we make the 3D printing tools that make your ideas matter. Discover innovation with MakerBot 3D printing.
To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys’ and/or MakerBot’s beliefs regarding the benefits consumers will experience from the MakerBot Innovation Center, the MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform, and its features are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys’ and MakerBot’s businesses, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that consumers will not perceive the benefits of the MakerBot Innovation Center, the MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform, and its features to be the same as Stratasys and MakerBot do; and other risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Stratasys’ most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 7, 2019. Stratasys (or MakerBot) is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Contacts
MakerBot
Bennie Sham
bennie.sham@makerbot.com