Polar 3D
Polar 3D desktop 3D printer.
Last November, following the acquisition of two major metal 3D printing companies, GE announced its new additive manufacturing business, GE Additive and with it, outlined plans to invest $10 million in two 3D printing education programmes aimed at schools and colleges.
Today, Cincinnati-based technology company, Polar 3D has announced its support of the GE Additive Education Program for primary and secondary schools which will see GE invest $2 million over two years to subsidise Polar 3D classroom packages.
Polar 3D delivers 3D hardware, software and content to the education market to drive the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. Its signature Polar Cloud product makes 3D printing universally accessible by enabling anyone with a browser the ability to create 3D models and turn them into physical objects. Now they're hoping to expand that reach and drive 3D printing into more classrooms with the help of GE.
"We selected Polar because of their commitment to education, strength of curriculum that integrates 3D printing in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math and the open Polar Cloud platform," said Greg Morris, Strategy & Growth Leader of GE Additive. "We are excited to watch the ecosystem grow and develop pipelines of future talent in additive manufacturing."
"We are thrilled to participate in the Program and appreciate the opportunity," Greg LaLonde CEO of Polar 3D, added. "With GE's leadership and the power of our educational institutions, we believe student access to 3D printing and inquiry-driven project-based learning will reach an inflection point where network effects kick in and the growth of additive experimentation by our students will follow an exponential, rather than linear, trajectory. Now is the time to inform and empower these students for an additive world."
Applications for the Program are now being accepted. Interested schools should complete the introductory application form before 28th February 2017 and final selections will be made and notified in April.
This partnership represents the first step in GE's education initiative to subsidise desktop polymer printers for schools around the world. The next part will see $8 million invested over five years to install up to 50 metal additive manufacturing technologies in colleges and universities.
Watch the Polar 3D Printer in action.
