Support for Prototyping Project Reaches $2 million

Support for Prototyping Project Reaches $2 million

For immediate release, 26 January 2007:

Otago Polytechnic’s proposed Otago Prototyping Facility received a second $1million boost today when the Tertiary Education Commission announced the latest round of recipients from its Innovation and Development Fund (IDF).

The project also received $1million in the Commission’s previous funding round.

The Prototyping Facility, based at the Polytechnic, will form part of the Otago Design Institute. It will provide the Otago region with a single high quality and comprehensive conceptual design model making, prototype and pre-production prototyping facility, currently unavailable at this level in Australasia.

The state of the art facility will also be able to support other Growth and Innovation Framework education and industry initiatives such as the ‘Better by Design’ national industry audits and the new Master of Product Design Enterprise, says Alistair Regan, Head of Design and Group Manager of Creative Technologies at Otago Polytechnic.

It will also provide invaluable experience for students in the Polytechnic’s strong Bachelor of Product (Design) programme and foster collaborative projects with local industry.

The first round of funding, announced in 2006, will provide the facility with equipment including a five-axis router, 3D printer and textile printer. The latest round is ear-marked for machines such as a water jet cutter and roto-moulder.

The Otago Prototyping Facility is due to open in July 2007, equipped with the machinery purchased from the round one funds.

ENDS

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