Overview
The Innovation Studio operates as a lab for creative technologies, a nucleus for start-ups and enterprises and an industry engagement hub.
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Industry-engagement and our strong maker culture puts collaboration at the heart of everything we do.
Associate Programme
Welcome to the Innovation Studio's Associate Programme. We’re the creative innovation specialists.
Our Associate Programme offers membership of our Innovation Studio to businesses seeking research and development support.
Benefits of joining our Associate Programme:
- Access to AUB's in-house Creative Technologies to test concepts and create prototypes.
- Access to AUB's extensive materials library.
- Schedule of up-skilling sessions and workshops to enhance your skills, try the latest industry technology, and experiment with new ways of working.
- Expertise of our talented technicians and academic practitioners.
- Collaborative research projects and consultancy.
Get in touch with us at innovationstudio@aub.ac.uk for more information and to see if your business is eligible to join the programme.
Memberships
Our Associate Programme offers membership of our Innovation Studio to businesses seeking research and development support.
There are three levels of membership you can choose from.
Our Flexi membership offers a 'pay-as-you-go' access to our creative technologies and up-skilling sessions.
If you're new to 3D printing, we'll include a basic introduction session to get you going!
Our Full membership offers six to 12 months of access to our creative technologies, as well as our incredible Materials Library and Testing Machines.
You'll also have access to our suite of up-skilling sessions and workshops, including 'design clinics' where your project can benefit from our in-house expertise.
Full membership includes access to the Innovation Studio's space for meetings, away days and projects upon request.
Our Partner Membership includes all the benefits of Full, but is suitable for businesses who are looking for longer term consultancy projects working with AUB's highly skilled researchers, practitioners and technicians.
Membership fees vary depending on the size of your business and whether you choose to pay for six or 12 months at a time.
Please note:
- Contact us at innovationstudio@aub.ac.uk to discuss your Flexi 'pay-as-you-go' requirements
- For Full/Partner membership, signing up for 12 months offers a 15% discount
- Materials are charged separate to membership fees
- Access to machines subject to availability
Studio resources
Explore, reframe, create, catalyse – our technology will support your product development journey.
The Innovation Studio features state-of-the-art equipment for creative design and manufacturing, spanning 3D printing and machining, 2D cutting and engraving, fabric and hard surface printing, body scanning and virtual reality (VR) technologies.
We also have an extensive and regularly updated materials library, as well as testing machines, including a climate chamber and spectrometer.
We have a range of technologies for rapid prototyping, including:
- 3D printers (FDM, SLA, SLS)
- Laser cutters and engravers
- Spray booths
- Fabric printers
- Vacuum formers
- Dye rooms
We're well equipped for more industrial research and development projects, including equipment such as:
- CNC milling machines (3-axis and 5-axis)
- CNC routers
- Water jet cutters
We have an extensive and regularly updated materials library on site, with machines to test and analyse materials, including:
- Constant climate chamber
- Spectrometer
Training sessions and workshops
Vision, leadership and beyond the Innovation Studio – our expertise in research and development.
As part of our Full and Partner memberships we offer you and members of your business the opportunity to take part in a wide range of workshops to:
- Enhance your skills
- Learn about specialist subjects
- Network
- Try the latest industry technology
- Experiment with new ways of working
Explore all your opportunities below.
Included in our Full and Partner memberships, we offer a schedule of upskilling sessions and workshops throughout the academic year.
These sessions are led by our expert practitioners and academics.
Topic areas include:
- Creative confidence
- Leadership in creative practices
- Conducting research and understanding your market
- Design thinking
- Introduction to 3D printing
- Introduction to design in VR
- Awareness of funding
- How to write successful bids
- Intellectual property
- How to write a brief
- Designing for manufacture
- Manufacturing workflows
- Introductory sessions – overview of our machine capabilities
- Consumer testing and validation
If you and/or your team are interested in a specific area of innovation through creative technologies, materials processes, or design thinking, please contact us at innovationstudio@aub.ac.uk and we will be in touch to discuss how we might help.
Need a different view?
Included in our Full and Partner memberships, we offer 'design clinics' where you can explore your projects with our diverse team of experts.
With our Full and Partner memberships, you have the opportunity to connect with our students on collaborative design projects through open challenges and live briefs.
Many of our courses include within their curriculum opportunities for industry live brief projects. These are projects set by a business for students to problem-solve and produce professional outcomes to a deadline.
Previous live brief collaborations have included LUSH and students from courses across AUB, Bridge Theatre and BA (Hons) Modelmaking, Tricuro with students from a range of courses.
We offer placements and internships for students and also an industry secondment scheme for our staff to work with businesses on live projects.
Contact us at innovationstudio@aub.ac.uk for more details.
"The Innovation Studio’s collaborative approach to work has been refreshing and educational, providing access to equipment and expertise that would otherwise be inaccessible. The Innovation Research Team has provided much appreciated expertise and guidance on not only how to run helpful tests, but also wider insights on how research can fit into a wider product development process in the industry.”
“The Innovation Studio have been a great resource for our designers to explore, ideate and validate design concepts in an impartial way. Being able to experiment with different materials and 3D printing machines has helped us understand what works for us in terms of quality and cost, which helped inform our decision on who we should partner with commercially. What we have learnt from working with the Innovation Studio Team has resulted in a completely new manufacturing supply chain at Sunseeker, supporting our capability to customise solutions and to drive more sustainable practices.”
“We had no idea when relocating from London in 2017 that AUB would become such a strong local innovation partner for us. They're always on hand to support us in our product development processes and dedicated to better serving local innovation in the future.”
“The support given by the Innovation Studio has been immeasurably helpful; together they’ve been able to sketch out designs, seem them digitally modelled and then realised into 3D printed prototypes. On a control level such as this it’s essential to get the ergonomics right, which is nearly impossible when working from drawings alone.”
“The past experience with the Innovation Studio team and now the larger studio has made me aware of the possibilities and resources the Innovation Studio can offer us as an architectural studio. We use the studio to test and prototype details of construction"
“The vast amount of software, equipment, and resources the Innovation Studio has is impressive, and the opportunity to make products is one of the key reasons why we’re here. The Innovation Studio also has a great creative network, which helps us frequently consider and evolve our own design process as well as keeping on top of technology trends.”
"Throughout our journey, we have received invaluable support from AUB, particularly with prototype manufacture. We have extensively utilised the SLS 3D printer as well as 5-axis CNC machine to bring our products to life."
“As a small, highly iterative design business the AUB's associate program is invaluable. The staff are extremely knowledgeable, helpful and the quality of prototypes I've had made is top notch too.”
Meet our past and present Associates
Sunseeker
As fellow makers, British luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker shares AUB’s vision of developing solutions through collaboration.
Lush
As fellow innovators, Lush shares AUB’s vision of discovering new ways to create new products and push the boundaries of design...
Tricuro
Tricuro is an Associate Partner, combining innovation and technology to enhance its service offer to provide personalised care and support.
Aetha Design Studio
As fellow designers, Aetha Design Studio shares AUB’s vision of developing solutions through innovation and challenging 'normal' approaches.
Shore Architecture
As fellow designers, Shore Architecture shares AUB’s ethos of design-led, innovative ideas to explore all possible solutions.
Andy, Paul and Element Creative Ltd.
Andy and Paul joined our Residency Programme to expand the prototypes and components offered by their design company, Element Creative Ltd.
Etch
As fellow collaborators, Etch challenges the status quo and actively seeks to find innovative and smarter ways of working together.
Explore the Innovation Studio
Events
A series of workshops and lectures for industry professionals to develop innovation and creative capabilities.
Projects
Take a look at some of our recent collaborative projects with external partners and businesses
Residency Programme
Our Residency Programme offers membership of our Innovation Studio individuals, start-ups and SMEs developing new products or services.
Creative Technologies
The Innovation Studio features state-of-the-art equipment and digital resources, and the latest manufacturing technology.