GE Additive have today announced a $10 million investment across five years in two educational programmes aimed at developing future talent in additive manufacturing.
The additive specialists believe enabling educational institutions to provide access to 3D printers will help accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing on a global scale.
Of the two programmes, one is designed for primary and secondary schools, while the other is designed for colleges and universities. GE will invest $2 million over two years to subsidise up to 2,000 desktop polymer printers for primary and secondary schools, districts and systems. Priority will be given to institutions serving ages 8-16 with a strong commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.
The other $8 million will be spent over five years to subsidise up to 50 metal additive machines to colleges and universities. Priority will be given to institutions with curriculum and/or research underway in the area of additive manufacturing.
“We want to build an ecosystem that drives additive manufacturing across multiple industries,” said Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President of GE Additive. “GE is committed to this space for the long-term. A new world is coming and we want future generations to have exposure to it from an early age.”
GE has been actively supporting education for more than a century. Its efforts tend to focus on areas that have the greatest impact and can improve outcomes for students. In the US alone, GE has invested more than $225 million and thousands of hours to support public education.
A leading end user and innovator in the additive manufacturing field, GE has invested approximately $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies at GE’s Global Research Centre. GE have also developed additive applications across six GE businesses and is pioneering services applications across the company. Most recently, GE acquired a 75% stake in Concept Laser, a global supplier of AM equipment.
Applications for the two programmes will be accepted from January 2017, enabling printers to be available to schools and universities during 2017.
As well as the $10 million injection into education, GE made a series of other announcements enhancing their presence in North America and Europe.
