3D printer reseller Brulé Japan just opened a 3D Printing Advanced Technology Center inside the main campus of Tokyo University. Far more than a university maker space, the new facility aims to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing among Japanese manufacturers.

The 2,500-square-foot center at the Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University, which is one of the top research universities in Asia, will be open to students, faculty, other academic institutions, and manufacturing companies nationwide. It features various desktop and industrial 3D printing technologies, post-processing, lecture seminar rooms, and offices.

Brulé Japan is the Asian sister company of American 3D printer distributor Dynamism. Partnering with Brulé, as opposed to establishing a 3D printing facility on its own, enables the university to have continuous, ongoing access to the latest and most innovative 3D printers, says Brulé CEO Douglas Krone.

Additive manufacturing centers at many universities struggle to address rapid equipment obsolescence, the pace of materials developments, and staffing a facility that houses various technologies and has inconsistent user demand.

On an ongoing basis, the staff of both Brule and Tokyo University will manage the center, acting as both a service bureau for Tokyo University faculty and a consulting center for Japanese manufacturers with links to the university.