3D printing system added at UNH Innovation Lab

For the first time, University of New Hampshire students will be able to rapidly prototype new products with a 3D printer and 3D image scanning system that are part of the new Innovation Lab at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

Paul College recently launched the Innovation Lab, which was made possible by support from New Hampshire venture capital firm Borealis Ventures and Unitil.

The lab, equipped with a 3D printer from MakerBot and 3D image scanning system from NextEngine, “gives students a complete experience starting from a concept and translating that creative idea into a product prototype,” said Venky Venkatachalam, professor and associate dean of academic programs at Paul College.

He said developing a prototype for a new product typically takes months, and entrepreneurs usually have nothing to show during their market research phase. But the new equipment will allow them to create 3D prototypes that can be refined based on customer feedback.