The University of Maine broke ground in Orono Tuesday on the construction of a new, large-scale manufacturing hub and training space.
The new 50,000-square-foot Green Engineering and Materials laboratory will be used to accelerate the production of 3D printed boats and renewable energy and transportation infrastructure.
It will also allow the University of Maine to scale up the manufacturing of the 3D printed home first unveiled two years ago. It is the first home printed with material made from wood residuals.
"That was the beginning," said Habib Dagher, executive director of the university's Advanced Structures and Composites Center. "And now the question is how do we develop manufacturing processes to be able to make thousands of these homes? And that's what the Factory of the Future is going to allow us to do."
Daugher said more than 70 students, faculty and staff members participated in the design of the manufacturing lab, which is paid for in part with more than $90 million in federal funds.
"There will be two main manufacturing bays," said University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. "The first focused on our housing crisis, as well as energy, civil infrastructure and other applications. The second bay is focused on national defense dual-use applications, including next generation boat building, which is so much a part of the state of Maine."
Once complete, the lab will be open to students enrolled throughout the University of Maine system for hands-on workforce training and education.
The new facility is expected to open in mid 2026.
