Nov 23, 2016 | By Tess
GE Additive, the branch of GE dedicated to additive manufacturing technologies, recently announced it would be investing $10 million over the course of the next five years into two educational programs geared towards developing 3D printing technologies and training future talent within the field.
According to the company, its new investment has the aim of promoting education surrounding 3D printing, and will help selected educational institutions become better equipped in terms of state-of-the-art technology. The ultimate goal of the $10 million investment is to push forward and accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies across the globe.
“We want to build an ecosystem that drives additive manufacturing across multiple industries,” explained 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.”
Out of the $10 million to be invested over the next five years, $8 million will go towards subsidizing a total of at least 50 metal 3D printers for universities and educational institutions around the globe. According to GE, the company will focus its money and efforts primarily on institutions that have already dedicated resources towards additive manufacturing related research.
The other $2 million will be allocated for primary and secondary schools around the world, and will be used to subsidize up to 2,000 desktop 3D printers for a number of selected institutions. Similar to the first program, the investment will primarily be given to institutions with a focus on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (better known as STEM). In order to qualify for a GE Additive investment, the institution must teach students between the ages of 8 and 16. To benefit from GE’s $10 million educational investment fund, educational institutions can submit applications to the programs as of January 2017.
Over the past year it has become clear that American multinational corporation GE has its sights set on becoming a forerunner within the 3D printing industry. The company, known primarily as an appliance manufacturer, has made several breakthroughs for the additive manufacturing sector, including the production of a 35% 3D printed ATP engine for the aerospace industry.
Recently, the company also made some bold acquisition moves, including making a bid for metal 3D printing pioneer SLM (which eventually fell through), buying Germany’s Concept Laser, and making an offer to buy Swedish AM manufacturer Arcam. The recent investment announcement is just another sign that GE is taking additive manufacturing seriously and is hoping to take the technology to the next level.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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How do we find out more information about our 2-year community college submitting an application for this program? Thank you! Kathy Collier, Grants Director Crowder College Neosho, MO 64850 Phone: 417/455-5773 Email: kathycollier@crowder.edu
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