Koehler Group has been providing support for start‐ups for a number of years. In line with this, the company recently announced a strategic partnership with UnternehmerTUM, Europe's leading center for business creation and innovation, which was founded by Susanne Klatten in 2002. As part of this start‐up collaboration, Koehler Invest has now loaned a BigRep PRO 3D printer to UnternehmerTUM’s MakerSpace for one year. BigRep is one of the world’s leading companies in the field of large‐format 3D printing, which can be used to speed up innovation processes, and boost flexibility and digitalization in production processes.
Inspiration for the Next Generation of Inventors and Start‐Ups
MakerSpace from UnternehmerTUM is a high‐tech workshop with locations in Garching and Munich, which provides students, professionals, start‐ups, and independent entrepreneurs with access to innovative production technologies. The BigRep PRO 3D printer will be located at the Munich Urban Colab following in the footsteps of the BigRep ONE, which can be found on the UnternehmerTUM campus in Garching.
Kai Furler, CEO of the Koehler Group, emphasized:
“With the new strategic partnership with UnternehmerTUM, our goal is to support and promote pioneering innovations, particularly in our core business areas of paper and renewable energies. The large‐format 3D‐printer from BigRep will prove an invaluable tool for new product innovations from start‐ups.”
Facilitating Production of Prototypes and Small Series
Koehler Group purchased the BigRep PRO and has lent it to Makerspace free of charge for a year. The system, which was developed for industrial applications, enables the production of prototypes as well as larger batches of parts, and gives inventors and developers the opportunity to develop and bring technologies to market more quickly. Previous spin‐offs from MakerSpace include Curfboard who make surfskateboards, vertical farming from Agrilution, and unmanned aircraft from HORYZN. The BigRep PRO gives start‐ups the opportunity to break new ground and find answers to some of the most pressing questions of today.
Dr. Sven Thate, Managing Director of BigRep explains:
“Product and development cycles are getting shorter and shorter. At the same time, products are becoming increasingly agile, continually improving, and being made ready for the market thanks to fast iterations. Our large‐format solutions for additive production offer the flexibility to print prototypes and molds, e.g. for manufacturing carbon fiber‐ reinforced parts, as well as production tools and small series for market launch.”
The BigRep PRO offers a variety of automated functions for easy, fast, and high‐quality production of large plastic parts, both with bio‐based and fiber‐reinforced materials. MakerSpace provides start‐ups and inventors with a professional infrastructure to turn their own ideas into prototypes in a short time frame.
Florian Küster, managing director at MakerSpace GmbH from UnternehmerTUM says:
“The facilities save teams time and money in development, which reduces the risks for new start‐ups. Koehler successfully supports our innovations ecosystem and, with the BigRep PRO, we are particularly pleased with the latest addition to large‐format 3D printing in our machine pool.”
On December 16, the 3D printer was officially handed over to MakerSpace for a year with representatives of all parties in attendance. Learn more about the BigRep PRO here.
About the Koehler Group
The Koehler Group was founded in 1807 and has been family‐run from that moment to the present day. The group's core business activity lies in the development and production of high‐quality specialty paper. This includes—among others—thermal paper, playing card board, drinks coasters, fine paper, carbonless paper, recycled paper, decor paper, wood pulp board, sublimation papers, and also innovative specialty papers for the packaging industry since 2019. In Germany, the Koehler Group employs around 2,500 people across five production sites, with three additional sites in the USA. The group operates internationally, with an export share of 70% in 2021, and brings in an annual turnover of around 1 billion euros.
As an energy‐intensive company, Koehler invests in renewable energy projects such as wind energy, hydropower, photovoltaics, and biomass with its Koehler Renewable Energy business unit. The Koehler Group has set a goal of producing more energy from renewable sources by 2030 than is required for its paper production operations.
In addition, with its Koehler Innovative Solutions business unit, Koehler is dedicated to developing new business areas outside of special paper production and energy production.
Find more information at: https://www.koehler.com
About BigRep
A global leader in large‐format FFF 3D printing, BigRep strives to transform user productivity and creativity with easy‐to‐use additive manufacturing solutions. To help companies accelerate innovation and rethink manufacturing, BigRep’s German‐engineered 3D printers enable engineers, designers, and manufacturers from start‐ups to fortune 100 companies to go from prototyping to production faster, getting their products to market first. Through collaborations with strategic partners – including BASF, Bosch Rexroth, Etihad Airways, and Deutsche Bahn – BigRep continues to develop complete additive manufacturing solutions comprising industrial 3D printers, software, advanced materials, and services. Founded in 2014, BigRep is headquartered in Berlin with offices and technical centers in Boston, Singapore, and Shanghai.
About MakerSpace
MakerSpace is a publicly accessible high‐tech workshop, which gives ambitious start‐ups, self‐starters, and creatives access to machines, tools, and software, as well as a creative community. The workshop opened in 2015 as a subsidiary of UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s Largest Center for Innovation and Business Creation, and provides a space where ideas and innovations can be brought to life in the form of prototypes and small series. There are different working areas available, including machine, metal, and wood workshops, as well as textile and electronics processing areas. With 3D printers, laser cutters, and water jet cutting machines, new molds can be produced and all materials processed. MakerSpace offers training and consulting services as well as events for members to provide support and networking opportunities.
MakerSpace has two sites, with 1500 m² at the Garching research campus and, since 2021, 1200 m² at the Munich Urban Colab start‐up center, in the heart of Munich’s creative quarter.
Find out more at https://maker‐space.de/presse/
