One year ago, the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) became the first university in the U.S. to open a MakerBot® Innovation Center. Since SUNY New Paltz opened its MakerBot Innovation Center in February 2014, the university has used it to help establish the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center (HVAMC) as a hub for advanced manufacturing technology in the Hudson Valley, garnering industry interest and securing funding for further expansion.
The MakerBot Innovation Center has helped SUNY New Paltz engage the local community and educate the public about the possibilities of 3D printing. Workshops for K-12 educators have attracted a wide variety of teachers, from art to science, who have an interest in digital design and fabrication and in utilizing these new technologies in the classroom.
Innovative 3D printing projects that have come out of the MakerBot Innovation Center at SUNY New Paltz range from prosthetics to a motorcycle safety product to an industrial venting system.
The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem combines hardware, software, apps, materials, training, support, consulting, retail stores and partnerships in order to help make 3D printing accessible for everyone.
For more information on the MakerBot Innovation Centers, visit makerbot.com/innovation-center. To learn more about the SUNY New Paltz MakerBot Innovation Center, visit newpaltz.edu/3d/makerbot.html.
