NIAR's mission is to strengthen university research capabilities, provide applied
learning opportunities for students, and support the aviation and manufacturing industries
– while driving innovation and prosperity for the community, region and state.
Wichita State University and Dassault Systèmes have opened the Manufacturing Innovation
Center, a cutting-edge research and design facility on WSU’s Innovation Campus. Developed
in partnership with WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), the center
is now available to industry collaborators seeking to explore virtual twin technology,
3D design solutions and advanced automation in real-world environments.
The Manufacturing Innovation Center is designed to help aviation and manufacturing
companies of all sizes improve resilience and efficiency through hands-on access to
Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It joins a growing network of applied research
hubs on campus that are advancing Wichita State’s role as a global destination for
innovation in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
Demonstrations at the new facility include:
eXtended Reality (XR) Lab – immersive, full-scale simulation in the world’s largest flexible VR cave
Automation Research Center – advanced robotic systems and intelligent automation at scale
Reverse Engineering Lab – agile workflows to re-create and inspect parts from physical to virtual
Additive Manufacturing Lab – scalable 3D printing for functional prototyping and production
Located near NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), the center
gives companies a space to experiment with emerging materials, structures and processes
before committing to large-scale implementation.
Dassault Systèmes first partnered with Wichita State in 2015, establishing the 3DEXPERIENCE
Center in 2017. The Manufacturing Innovation Center represents the next step in that
partnership—bringing together students, researchers and global industry leaders to
accelerate the future of flight and redefine how products are imagined, designed and
built.
For more information about Dassault Systèmes, visit www.3ds.com.
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling
more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences
and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more
than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered
and innovation-driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in
the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of
applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering
R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one
of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing
over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
