Makerbot此前曾在美国大学开设了几个创新中心，为学校提供了一套Makerbot产品。该公司现在正在用所谓的Makerbot®入门实验室, a method for any institution, commercial, educational, or otherwise. The Starter Lab, like theInnovation Centers，备有Makerbot的所有产品，但规模稍小。
根据实验室网站，该公司设想了采用首发实验室，包括K-12学校，学院，图书馆以及可能的小型企业等机构，其中包括以下所有MakerBot商品和服务。“4 MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers, 1 MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer, 1 MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, 1 MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, 10 swappable MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruders, MakerBot Starter Lab Workshop & Q&A session,, Expert installation, MakerCare Protection Plans for all hardware and six-month hardware warranty, Free downloads of MakerBot Desktop, MakerBot Printshop, and MakerBot Mobile, 80 spools of the most popular MakerBot PLA Filament True, Translucent, and specialty colors (include Small, Large and XXL) Cart, Spool Holder, and grease packet for MakerBot Replicator Z18, Racking and build plate tape.”
到目前为止，两所大学已经收到了首发实验室，其中包括纽约Schenectady的联合学院，该学院作为校友捐赠，以及纽约州立大学农业与技术学院的Cobleskill（SUNY COBLESKILL），该学院5月受到启发SUNY New Paltz收购创新中心package, which includes some 30+ machines. Assistant professor of computer science at Union College, John Rieffel, says that the lab is already being used to create geometric shapes for math and masks of historical figures for history, explaining,“ Makerbot Starter Lab已经帮助该学院迅速使更多学生可以访问3D打印，从而促进创造力和协作。”
Frank Alfano, acting CEO of MakerBot, gave his take on the product suite, saying,“The MakerBot Starter Lab is designed to help educational institutions prepare students to be more college and career ready by providing them with relevant, competitive skills today. For businesses, a MakerBot Starter Lab can provide a competitive advantage as an investment in future technology that fuels new ideas and growth. 3D printing can speed up innovation and iteration, help facilitate Real-Time Prototyping and shorten product design cycles.”He continues,“当计算机实验室开始进入学校学习ls, educators noticed a transformation taking place with students’ enthusiasm and interest in learning. We see that same type of excitement in students, faculty and the community when they have access to MakerBot 3D printing products in schools.”
The smaller-scale MakerBot package may provide a wider array of institutions with the ability to more easily launch a 3D printing program, increasingly necessary as the 3D printing industry expands. It may also help Stratasys distribute MakerBot products, which, it says, accounted for去年错过了收入预测。
