In Louisville, KY today, General Electric, Local Motors and the University of Louisville joined together to open the FirstBuild micro-factory.
FirstBuild designs, builds and sells home appliances using an online co-creation community and micromanufacturing model to accelerate new product introductions This new model enables faster development, testing, customization and small-batch production.
“Just like Local Motors micro-factories, the First Build micro-factory is a place for “online and local community members to design products and help solve engineering challenges that will fast-track community driven innovation to market.” Our team is thrilled to share in the co-creation process with our friends at GE’s FirstBuild,” wrote Kate Hartley on the Local Motors blog.
The opening of the FirstBuild Microfactory follows a recent announcement that GE partnered with Vegas Tech’s own Local Motors, the open-source hardware innovator, to launch a new model for the manufacturing industry, which pairs co-creation and micromanufacturing with a focus on speeding the time from mind to market. The partnership leverages advanced manufacturing processes and an open innovation approach to engineering-delivering benefits for consumers and enterprise alike.
Most recently, MakerBot and TechShop have partnered with FirstBuild. These alliances, and others to come, will forever change the way companies design, make and sell products.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdZhFyTRVJE
About Local Motors: From bytes-to-bits, the Local Motors platform empowers anyone to design, build, and sell the world’s coolest machines. The platform combines global co-creation and local micro-manufacturing to bring hardware innovations to market at unprecedented speed. The Company stewards a global co-creation community made up of hobbyist innovators and professionals. This community is comprised of enthusiasts, designers, engineers, and makers. The Company operates a growing global network of microfactories, where innovators create amazing products and consumers come to marvel and shop. We make the coolest machines together. Makers can learn more and join the Local Motors community at localmotors.com, and connect with us at facebook.com/localmotors or by following us on Twitter @localmotors.
