Forward AM Opens a New Applications Technology Center in Detroit, in Cooperation with Michigan State University

• The Additive Manufacturing Applications Technology Center in Detroit serves as a technical hub to boost innovation with North American customers
• The cooperation with Michigan State University enables workforce development and enhances application services in 3D printing

Detroit, Michigan, United States – September 23, 2021 – Forward AM, the brand of BASF 3D Printing Solutions, opened a new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Applications Technology Center (ATC) in Detroit, Michigan in cooperation with Michigan State University (MSU), a leader in education and innovation in the 3D printing design and service space. The new facility will serve as the hub of expertise for solutions in the North American AM market.

With this joint commitment, education and industry combine their strengths to offer customers fully integrated 3D printing solutions: Forward AM contributes with a wide range of high-performance 3D printing materials and deep engineering expertise, while MSU brings years of technical expertise and the drive to be on the cutting edge of new ideas to support the next generations of 3D printing services and design solutions.

Through the ATC, new value-adding technical services are available to customers, like predictive modeling, increasing innovation potential with customers across North America. Emphasizing the joint commitment to major global equipment manufacturers, Forward AM installed more than 20 3D printers of various AM technologies such as Selective Laser Sintering, Photopolymer 3D Printing and Fused Filament Fabrication at the ATC. The Center is in an industrial contemporary Corktown area that has been transformed in recent years thanks to the relocation of many top Detroit businesses including several strategic customers of BASF. The whole AM industry will benefit from these new synergies with Michigan based partners.

“With this step we are significantly strengthening our offerings in North America. By collaborating with Michigan State University, we create a unique combination of science and industry expertise – ideal conditions to drive innovation in Additive Manufacturing together with our customers,” says François Minec, Managing Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions.

“MSU is committed to strong industry partnerships as an engine to drive innovation, economic opportunities, and skills development that meet emerging technology needs. The Scale-up Research Facility (SuRF) in Detroit, established with funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Department of Energy through the Institute for Advanced Composite Manufacturing Innovation, is a prime example of the effectiveness of place-based innovation. BASF has been among MSU’s strongest partners at the SuRF, and we are extremely pleased to expand our relationship to assist in establishing the BASF Applications Technology Center within the SuRF space. We are confident this collaboration will result in significant advances in Additive Manufacturing, new workforce development opportunities, and sustainable economic growth,“ says Doug Gage, Vice President for Research, and Innovation Michigan State University.

The cooperation between Forward AM and MSU is complemented with an investment by BASF Corporation in the SuRF space. This investment is strengthening BASF’s strategy in Additive Manufacturing and its pursuit toward more sustainable industrial solutions. This center of AM excellence will enable shared resources that combine education and industry to drive the industrialization of Additive Manufacturing in the Americas.

About BASF 3D Printing Solutions

BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is a 100% subsidiary of BASF New Business GmbH. It focuses on establishing and expanding the business under the Forward AM brand with advanced materials, system solutions, components and services in the field of 3D printing. BASF 3D Printing Solutions is organized into startup-like structures to serve customers in the dynamic 3D printing market. It cooperates closely with the global research platforms and application technologies of various departments at BASF as well as with research institutes, universities, startups and industrial partners. Potential customers are primarily companies that intend to use 3D printing for industrial manufacturing. Typical industries include automotive, aerospace and consumer goods. For further information please visit: www.forward-am.com.
 

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

About Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 165 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.