How to work with us
There are several ways to collaborate with iPrint, from short feasibility studies to long term collaborative projects.
Feasibility studies allow companies to explore new ideas, and are often performed as pre-projects to minimize the risk. Direct mandates or publicly funded projects through the Canton of Fribourg (NPR), the Swiss Confederation (Innosuisse, SNSF) or the European Union (Horizon Europe, Eureka, etc.) are also possible.
Furthermore, iPrint is committed to supporting academic partners through digital printing-related student projects at the Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD levels.
Types of collaborations
With industrial partners
- R&D projects are based on individual contracts, both through direct mandates and public funding schemes. Programs are defined to achieve specific research or development goals, and work is carried out using personnel and equipment with the necessary skills.
- Long-term research collaborations are good opportunities for our partners to secure dedicated engineers at iPrint to work on their projects, to train junior engineers who transfer back to the company afterwards with the acquired knowledge and skills, and to gain access to iPrint’s laboratories and equipment to accelerate project developments.
- Renting a lab at iPrint is the best option to have access to our well-equipped facility and to be in close contact with our experts. It has to be stressed that our labs at the Marly Innovation Center are already equipped with the necessary infrastructure for the handling of chemicals, fluids, etc.
- We can evaluate, optimize and co-develop new materials (inks, substrates, powders, etc.), equipment (print heads, pumps, ink systems, pre-/post-treatment units, electronics, etc.) or platforms (roll-to-roll, sheet-to-sheet, binder jetting, etc.) through partnerships. iPrint is able to use these products in applied research projects for the industry, thus opening up new markets for suppliers.
- iPrint also has long-lasting partnerships with several industrial and academic institutions around the world. These valuable collaborations give our partners access to new applications and customers. In return, iPrint gains access to cutting-edge technologies and materials.
With academic institutes
- iPrint can count on academic collaborations with other top universities in Switzerland and around the world, including EPFL, ETHZ, EMPA, UNIFR, AMI, HES-SO, FHNW, Politecnico di Torino, UGA, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Harvard Medical School, University of Cambridge, and more. These systematic collaborations give iPrint early access to a higher level of science.
- iPrint is able to adopt new approaches and technology in TRL 2-3 and to initialize applied research projects along TRL 4-7 with industrial partners. Thus, iPrint plays a key role in the domain by accelerating the market impact of fundamental research.
- If you are an academic institute and would like to access iPrint’s infrastructure, do not hesitate to contact us. We are always looking for new ways to extend the boundaries of inkjet research.
With students
- The future of digital 3D printing for Industry 4.0 starts with a semester or Bachelor thesis at iPrint. Your journey can start with a Bachelor’s program at the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg. Students in the faculties of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, and computer science and communication systems have chances throughout their studies to do their projects at iPrint. The link between research and education is extremely important and one of iPrint’s priorities.
- The iPrint Institute encourages Master’s students to do their studies part-time by offering them an employment rate of 50%. Every year, 2 to 3 new Master’s students start working at the iPrint Institute under this model. In this way, we educate talents in the interdisciplinary dimension of inkjet technology, after which we transfer them to companies, and preferably to our main research partners (which is part of our long-term collaboration contracts).
About us
iPrint is an internationally leading institute and competence center for R&D and education in the domain of inkjet technology and digital printing. Supported by a multidisciplinary team of technology experts, engineers and technicians as well as close collaborations with a multitude of industrial material or equipment suppliers and academic partners, iPrint continuously provides substantial contributions to innovative developments utilizing inkjet technology.