Building a Community of Manufacturers and Designers

Building a Community of Manufacturers and Designers

A SPACE WHERE IDEAS BECOME REALITY AT FLORIDA TECH

by Maria Fernanda Sagastume University Innovation Fellow Florida Institute of Technology

Imagine a place where you can build your own air guitar or design your own electric bike, a place where no matter how old you are, you can learn and have fun at the same time. The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design (CAMID) at Florida Tech where I work as an Engineer Designer is the place where these ideas become a reality and where innovation and design come together through hands-on learning. CAMID is a 100,000 square-foot facility full of STEM powered activities and equipment that has been designed to serve as a business incubator and innovative laboratory space for manufacturers of all sizes. This center has continuous support from the City of Palm Bay and key companies around the Space Coast of Florida to become a hub for developing the next workforce and improving the skills of our current one.

As a University Innovation Fellow, I was first introduced to a similar open and welcoming environment at the d. school and I was fascinated to see the co-working spaces and tools available to any individual that wanted to come in and use this facility. From maker-carts and movable furniture and walls to power tools and cool carpets, everything is purposely placed to allow for creativity and innovation to flow. While I was there, I worked with a diverse team to brainstorm ways to improve healthcare and to utilize concerts and festivals to create awareness about high impact social issues. Thanks to this experience, I not only learned about design thinking and how to apply it but I have become more open and accepting of different ideas and learned to work with people of diverse backgrounds in an environment that promotes innovation and design as soon as you step in. By bringing this welcoming environment and ideas for co-working spaces at the d.school to Florida Tech’s CAMID, I can promote an environment of making and creating through the simplest yet most intentional experiences that inspire individuals to achieve their goals and bring their ideas to reality. I am even more aware now of the importance of creating more spaces like the d.school and CAMID around the world so more individuals can be exposed to a place like this to start breaking barriers and reinvent the way we teach and learn. It is not enough to sit down in a classroom anymore, we can also learn and become even better human beings through spaces like the d.school and CAMID and ultimately improve our community and our world.