![icad iowa city investigations icad iowa city investigations](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/08/18/PIOC/fc8d9d58-fc7a-45e4-bccd-3b9d6299a45f-210818-FBI_Iowa-City-001.jpg)
“The first-class 3D-printers at protostudios can print flexible and hard plastics, metals and ceramics,” said protostudios 3D Design Prototyping Director Chuck Romans. Reed said protostudios fills a critical gap in Iowa’s innovation ecosystem by providing the equipment and expertise needed to produce very small, high-resolution, biocompatible medical and electronic device prototypes, from cochlear, dental and orthopedic implants, to stents and surgical tools, to prosthetics, flexible hybrid electronics, and wearables. “The new prototyping and tech-transfer capabilities made possible by protostudios is going to be a real game changer.” “Surgeons are coming out of the woodwork with great ideas now that they know they can translate them easily into physical objects,” said Howard. One included Matthew Howard, M.D., a neurosurgeon at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and founder of Direct Spinal Therapeutics. Since its soft launch this spring, protostudios has attracted a number of innovators who had a great idea and wanted to test it out. At protostudios, inventors have a lot more ownership over the prototyping process.” “There are many places where you can fork over a lot of money and they will do all the prototyping work for you. “It’s the hybrid DYI of prototyping,” said protostudios Engineering Prototype Director Neil Quellhorst. In the same way the Iowa City Bike Library offers “rent-a-bench” where cyclist can fix their bikes under the supervision of a more experienced cyclist, protostudios offers state-of-the-art 3D-printing and milling equipment as well as expert technicians to work alongside Iowa innovators to develop top-of-the-line prototypes. (A prototype is the preliminary model of a product that can then be tested so the design can be tweaked and demonstrated before it is manufactured commercially.) Protostudios is a “dry lab” for advanced prototyping and machining located in MERGE and the Department of Physics & Astronomy in Van Allen Hall. The MERGE co-lab space includes dedicated offices, conference rooms, business resources and community events. Managed by the Iowa City Area Development Group and renovated with funding from OVPR&ED, MERGE is designed to create and cultivate a knowledge ecosystem for entrepreneurs and startups, offering vital resources and connections to successfully create, launch and grow new companies in Iowa’s Creative Corridor. We create jobs we attract and retain talent and we grow the knowledge economy-everyone wins.” If we do it right, the ideas put down roots and grow tall in the rich soil. “Incubation means providing or finding the right mix of space, equipment, time, resources, and support to help ideas germinate. One of the University of Iowa’s roles–and my own passions–is to nurture and unleash that talent,” said UI Vice President for Research and Economic Development Dan Reed.
![icad iowa city investigations icad iowa city investigations](https://iowacityareadevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instruments.jpg)
“This state is teeming with passionate innovators and creative entrepreneurs.
![icad iowa city investigations icad iowa city investigations](https://iowacityareadevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ui-jpec.jpg)
This afternoon, representatives from University of Iowa Office of Research and Economic Development (OVPR&ED), the City of Iowa City, the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD), and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted a grand opening of three new economic development resources: MERGE, protostudios and the Translational Research Incubator (TRI).