Drones and 3D printers are among the new technology slated for Sault College’s Institute for Environment, Education and Entrepreneurship (iE3).
The Sault Ste. Marie college will get the state-of-the-art equipment thanks to a $1-million investment from FedNor, announced on Nov. 13.
“At Sault College, we don’t just teach our students about the value of innovation and research, we empower them to think and learn in progressive and innovative ways,” said Dr. Ron Common, Sault College president, in a news release.
“IE3 will allow us to foster entrepreneurship within our student body and provide a state-of-the-art training ground that will prepare the next generation of highly skilled professionals to work in prominent sectors such as renewable energy, forestry, water and wildlife resource management, and agriculture.”
The $18.2-million iE3 building is designed to increase college and industry collaboration on applied research and development projects, while supporting businesses and entrepreneurs in their efforts to create clean technologies and commercialize new products, services and processes.
Planning for the facility began around 2012 and construction is scheduled to be complete this fall.
Along with drones and 3D printers, the equipment will include geographic positioning systems, smart grid technologies, lab tables and chairs, workstations, digital signage, security systems, and data servers and storage for geographic information systems.
Funding is being provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program.
In 2016, the federal government provided $5 million to help establish iE3 through its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund.
