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technology Printing Innovation THE RISE OF 3D PRINTERS promises to have a big impact not only on the ways business schools support innovation in their curricula, but also on business itself. As prices and sizes of 3D printers continue to drop, more business schools—as well as schools of engineering, art, and education—are adding 3D printing to their design-related courses. Last year, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign opened its Illinois MakerLab, where students can print out 3D renderings of their prototypes. (See "Meet Your Maker," page 64 of BizEd's July/August 2013 issue.) In October of last year, the University of New HampMBA students Kevin Klosek-Stevens (left) and Spencer Roux with the new shire Paul College of Business and EcoMakerBot 3D printer at UNH's Innovation Lab. nomics in Durham opened its Innovation Lab, where students can create and test mon household items—such as shower curtain rings, prototypes for new products in a matter of hours using phone cases, and even replacement parts for the printer a 3D image scanning system and 3D printer. The lab itself—rather than purchase them at retail cost. was made possible with support from New HampshireOnce the unit is paid for, the study finds that users based venture capital firm Borealis Ventures. could save between US$300 and $2,000 a year by Although such accessible 3D printing may seem manufacturing these items themselves. That calculation novel today, it could quickly become a norm in educaaccounts for the cost of maintenance, raw materials, tional, business, and home settings. Its effect on retail and a 20 percent waste rate. also promises to be wide-reaching. In fact, a report The ability to create rapid prototypes adds a whole from Paris-based think tank and consulting firm Hub new dimension to entrepreneurial eduInstitute predicts a time in the not-socation, says Todd Black, an alumnus far future when a consumer will be of the Paul College and member of the able to order an item from a retailer dean's advisory board. Offering access or artisan, who then will transmit the to 3D printing "is a huge service to the digital design—complete with any students," he says. "We will probably customized elements—directly to the find in a year or two that these students consumer's own 3D printer for in-home will assume that this is just how prodmanufacture. uct prototyping has always been done." As home use of 3D printers grows, An abstract of the MTU study is availit's likely that consumers also will able at www.sciencedirect.com/science/ manufacture more of their own objects article/pii/S0957415813001153. The Hub and inventions. A study from MichiInstitute's presentation is available at gan Technical University (MTU) in www.hubinstitute.com/research/hubHoughton estimates that the average trends-reports/how-3d-printing-willhomeowner could recoup the cost of revolutionize-the-world-the-retaila 3D printer within four months to industry/. two years by using it to make 20 com- Although 3D printing may seem novel today, it could quickly become a norm in education and business. 60 January/February 2014 BizEd