3D Printing Competition Launched to ‘Shape the Future’ for a Sustainable World

I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, and science engagement specialists Gallomanor today announced the launch of a nationwide competition to turn an idea for sustainability into 3D-printed reality.

The ‘Shape the Future’ competition, which is supported through the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme, is open to anyone who has an idea to improve our world.

Entrants are invited to draw and describe their idea and submit it via the competition website, https://shape19.imascientist.ie. The winning entry will be 3D printed by I-Form researchers, and the winner will also receive €500 to spend on promoting their sustainability work.

I-Form, an SFI Research Centre hosted at University College Dublin (UCD), is shaping the future of manufacturing through high-impact research into the application of digital technologies to materials processing. I-Form’s research is changing how things are made, through combining advanced technologies such as 3D printing with data analytics and artificial intelligence in the manufacturing process.

“3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, opens up a world of possibilities, enabling us to make complex shapes efficiently for sectors as diverse as aerospace, medical devices and pharma,” said I-Form Deputy Director Professor Dermot Brabazon, DCU School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

He added, “Manufacturing with 3D printing can be a much more sustainable way to make things, by enabling parts to be produced close to where they are needed, as opposed to shipped around the globe; reducing the amount of waste involved in the manufacturing process; and enabling inventory to be kept to a minimum, with parts only produced as and when needed.”

He concluded, “I-Form and Gallomanor are inviting artists, designers, entrepreneurs and young people to submit their own ideas around sustainability to our competition. We look forward to being inspired by the entries and working with the winner to create an original 3D printed design.”

Shortlisted entrants will be paired with I-Form researchers and together will pitch their idea to an online audience and the winner will be decided by public vote.

The competition judges, who will decide on the shortlist, are:

– Professor Dermot Brabazon, I-Form Deputy Director, DCU School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
– Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland
– Dr Jonathan Derham, Head of Programme, Office of Evidence and Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency
– Dr Deirdre Ledwith, WE 3DP Application Engineering Lead, Henkel Ireland
– Colin Keogh, 3D Printing Engineer, The Rapid Foundation and PhD student UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
– Anthony Greene, Youth Volunteer, Ballymun Regional Youth Reach.

Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland, said, “3D printing has the ability to translate an abstract ethereal idea into a physical reality. As a judge, I’m hoping to see the intersection of science, art and engineering produce a physical object that changes, in some small way, our view of sustainability and how we take care of our planet.”

Colin Keogh, 3D Printing Engineer, The Rapid Foundation and a PhD student UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, said, “3D printing has so much potential, and so have the various communities of makers, entrepreneurs and students in Ireland. I’m really looking forward to seeing some ideas that might seem quite out there at first, but if printed could make us think differently about how we can improve our environment.”

The deadline for competition entries is 5 pm, Monday 30 September.