La Fondation Dassault Systèmes in India has announced the winners of the yearlong program “Made in 3D – Seed The Future Entrepreneurs,” which aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurship amongst students by introducing them to the exciting world of product design, 3D digital technologies, 3D printing, and product promotion, as well as to the culture of “makers” and startups. The program, created in France by La Main à la Pate foundation and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, was launched in India in 2020 and enriched for Indian schools.
Following two days of playful competition, in which 60 students between the ages of 12 to 16 along with 20 teachers organized into 10 made-up startups “launched” their dream products in the presence of the jury members, industry leaders and the audience, Muktangan Exploratory Science Center-Pune clinched the 1st prize for their revolutionary product Handitizer, an easy to use sanitizer roll-on. BRIE’s BlueRidge Public School-Pune secured the 2nd position for their Powerkit, a multi-faceted kit having all essential items ranging from sanitizer to mask cabinet and zero touch key. The third prize was awarded to Dr. Kalmadi Shamrao High School, Baner-Pune for their product StandAx, an innovative product specially designed to provide essential body rest during long hours of standing.(Photo Caption for photo appended in the word doc)-
Each team was expected to work as if they were a real startup. The students conceptualized their dream product, designed and manufactured it, created their marketing campaigns and lauched their product during the program finale. They used new and innovate collaboration tools, specialized 3D design software and 3D printing technology. They created physically tangible products, with every product aiming to add value to the user and society. Participating students led the entire process of creation, from the early design to the marketing of their product, with the help of promotional videos, mailers and communication campaigns.
The teachers and students were provided various trainings and were mentored by technical experts on several technology topics. Experts from Dassault Systèmes as well as external domain experts conducted a series of workshops for all the teams.
One of the important aspects of this program was the pairing of Indian and French school students and teachers. It was an enriching experience for students from India and France to interact with each other and get to know the cultures, festivals, cities in which they are located, and education patterns in both countries, as well as greatly appreciated by the teacher community.
