Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence today announced it has formed a technology partnership with Wichita State University. The company will lease 3,000 square feet of space near the university's 3DExperience Center in the Experiential Engineering Building on WSU's Innovation Campus.

Through this partnership, educators and students will have access to Hexagon software and precision metrology systems for the collection, analysis and active use of measurement data in industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, power generation and medical. Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence specializes in metrology and manufacturing solutions that provide actionable information during the entire life cycle of a product from development and design to production, assembly and final.

The new commitment to Wichita State is an extension of a five-year partnership with WSU's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). NIAR and Hexagon have cooperatively developed an automated scanning solution for customer applications and hosted technology workshops and training events.

"Using Hexagon equipment, we are able to demonstrate to the aerospace industry how fast parts can be inspected and measured to a very high degree of accuracy", said Brian Brown, NIAR director of robotics and automation.

"This strategic partnership with NIAR gives Hexagon another research platform to take on complex manufacturing issues and pioneer tech-enabled breakthroughs in the aviation industry. The massive product backlog of the aerospace market is driving engineering creativity and the search for more productivity," states Angus Taylor, president and CEO of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America. "We intend to remain at the forefront of that trend by forging alliances with dedicated innovators like NIAR, who can push the envelope with our extensive portfolio of manufacturing intelligence solutions."

Hexagon will employ full-time staff at the campus to facilitate research and development and support their local customer base. The company will also introduce an internship program for the Midwestern states. Students will have access to state-of-the-art industrial metrology software and systems, which will help lead to job placement opportunities in manufacturing. Hexagon is the third global partner to join the Wichita State's Innovation Campus, following Airbus and Dassault Systemes.