BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- Today, GE announced a $10 million investment over the next five years in two educational programs, aimed at developing a pipeline of future talent in additive manufacturing. GE believes enabling educational institutions to provide access to 3D printers will help accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing, worldwide.

“We want to build an ecosystem that drives additive manufacturing across multiple industries. GE is committed to this space for the long-term,” said Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President of GE Additive. “A new world is coming and we want future generations to have exposure to it from an early age.”

Two global programs were launched today – one for primary and secondary schools and one for colleges and universities.

  • GE will invest $2 million over two years to subsidize up to 2,000 desktop polymer printers for primary and secondary schools, districts, and systems around the world. Priority will be given to institutions serving ages 8-16 with a strong commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.
  • GE will invest $8 million over five years to subsidize up to 50 metal additive machines to colleges and universities around the world. Priority will be given to institutions with curriculum and/or research underway in the area of additive manufacturing.

Applications for both programs will be accepted from January 2017, enabling printers to be available to schools and universities during 2017. For more information, visit www.geadditive.com.

GE has actively supported education for more than 100 years. GE’s efforts focus on areas that have the greatest impact and can improve outcomes for students. In the U.S. alone, GE has invested more than $225 million and thousands of hours to support public education.

Additive manufacturing, which is also known as 3D printing, involves taking digital designs from computer aided design (CAD) software, and laying horizontal cross-sections to manufacture the part. Essentially “grown” from the ground up, additive components generate far less scrap material and are typically lighter and more durable than traditional forged parts because they require less welding and machining. Freed of traditional manufacturing restrictions, additive manufacturing dramatically expands the design possibilities for engineers.

GE is a leading end user and innovator in the additive manufacturing space. GE has invested approximately $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies at GE’s Global Research Center (GRC), developed additive applications across six GE businesses and is pioneering services applications across the company. Most recently, GE signed an agreement to acquire a 75% stake in Concept Laser, a leading global supplier of additive manufacturing equipment. The agreement represents a key step in GE’s commitment to the additive revolution.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry.

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