Barclays Eagle Labs announce a collaboration with 3D printing platform MyMiniFactory to provide high-quality 3D printable content.

What happens when a chain of high-street banks takes most of their operations online? One option, pioneered by Barclays Bank, is to convert now empty buildings into Maker Spaces.

Barclays Eagle Labs are popping up across the United Kingdom, their mission to provide open access and learning facilities to makers, children, students, jobseekers, and the elderly.

Each Maker Space is equipped with technology and tools like 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters. Simply put, supporting innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship is good for the community and it’s good for business.

But of course, it’s one thing to have access to a 3D printer, but what the dickens are you going to print with it? To help provide inspiration, MyMiniFactory is offering a gallery of high-quality 3D printable objects that members can 3D print at their nearest Eagle Lab.

Eagle Labs & MMF Want YOU to Start 3D Printing

The benefit of making 3D printers and quality printable objects more accessible to the general public is that, by showcasing the technology, both Barclays and MyMiniFactory can facilitate its widespread adoption in the UK.

As on their main portal, MyMiniFactory provides a guarantee that all their objects are 3D printable, thanks to a quality assurance process of STL model checks, repair, and community test-printing.

To help everything run smoothly, experienced 3D designers will also be presenting workshops at the labs to help educate people in 3D modeling skills and help them realise their own designs via 3D printing.

Romain Kidd, MyMiniFactory CEO commented:

“The MyMiniFactory team works hard to offer the best 3D printable content and execute on our vision of being the reference platform for browsing, discovering and downloading high quality 3D printable objects from the best designers. I look forward to collaborating with the Digital Eagles community on this initiative.”

Right now, the scheme is just beginning so there are only a handful of labs across the UK. However, Barclays is optimistic that by the end of 2016 around 20 labs will be up and running.

To find out more, and find a lab near you, check out the website here.