Purdue joins the global consortium of Trimble Technology Labs
Excerpted from the November 2023 issue of University-Industry Engagement Advisor. UIDP members can view the entire issue here.
A simple vendor relationship grew into a headline-grabbing strategic collaboration with the potential for global reach when engineering heavyweight Purdue University entered into a five-year agreement with construction technology firm Trimble to establish a sponsored, branded learning lab within its Polytechnic Institute.
Hosted in the School of Construction Management Technology, the institute is now home to the Trimble Technology Lab, which ties the Boilermakers into a worldwide network of universities that have established similar Trimble footprints on their campuses, from Amherst, Massachusetts, to Seoul, South Korea.
Expected to open in early 2024, the lab will occupy a ground-floor, corner space at Purdue’s sparkling new engineering complex — the $140-million Dudley and Lambertus Halls, which comprise a combined 255,000 square feet and house state-of-the-art research labs, design studios, active learning spaces, student success offices, faculty offices, and recruiting and collaborative spaces.
Representatives of both Purdue and Trimble have expressed high hopes for the Trimble Technology Lab collaboration — which includes a multi-million-dollar in-kind donation of software licenses and hardware — and fully expect it to be renewed at the end of the inaugural five-year term. With multiple prongs — access to and training of engineering students, workforce development, faculty research and engagement — the collaboration is viewed not so much as a new beginning, but as an amplification of the success already enjoyed by two established leaders in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.
Highlights of the agreement include:
- Multi-million-dollar in-kind donation of substantial software licenses and hardware;
- Five-year term with semiannual progress reports and a renewal option;
- Annually, nearly 600 students are expected to cycle through the lab;
- Integration of Trimble technology into existing Purdue curricula;
- Trimble-branded lab on a ground-floor corner space at Dudley and Lambertus Halls;
- Multiple software licenses to Trimble programs donated to establish the lab;
- Donated hardware includes the Trimble® XR10 Hololens, a mixed reality tool for the construction industry, with a plan to donate additional equipment over the five years of the agreement;
- Lab support and training provided by Trimble’s regional resellers and distributors;
- Visiting Professionals Program hosted by Trimble for tech talks and product demos with faculty and students;
- Trimble technology available for use on campus projects such as renovations, project management and asset management; and
- In the event of a leadership transition on the Purdue end of the agreement, Trimble to have critical input into the evaluation and vetting of the replacement.
