3D Printing - International cooperation agreement signed between Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ) and Association française en prototypage rapide (AFPR)

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC, Nov. 17, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - CRIQ president and CEO Denis Hardy and AFPR president Georges Taillandier signed an international cooperation agreement at a Trois-Rivières press conference earlier today.

CRIQ-AFPR cooperation agreement on additive manufacturing meets business needs

The agreement sets out a technology cooperation framework between CRIQ and AFPR to pool resources and expertise and rally stakeholders from the 3D manufacturing industry to help additive manufacturing develop in manufacturing businesses in Québec and France across all fields of application.

"Providing structure and organization to a network of French-speaking technology development partners for additive manufacturing is part of the mandate CRIQ was given to coordinate the new Réseau Québec‑3D network," said CRIQ president and CEO Denis Hardy.

For AFPR president Georges Taillandier, "The emergence of 3D manufacturing by way of this cooperation agreement will bring together industrial experts and researchers by pooling resources and facilitating exchanges across the French-speaking world."

The agreement sets out terms for:

• Sharing additive manufacturing information, knowledge, and expertise
• Providing structure and organization to a network of French-speaking technology development partners for additive manufacturing
• Identifying constraints (technology, intellectual property, traceability, etc.) on the emergence of additive manufacturing in manufacturing business production
• Setting up R&D programs based on identified industrial constraints
• Putting in place a student exchange and intern program for research programs
• Establishing an exchange program for production specialists working on industrial projects
• Holding and organizing events, seminars, and symposiums in Québec and/or France to help foster the emergence of additive manufacturing and upstream (design, simulation, optimization, help with decision-making) and downstream (controlling manufacturing processes, post-processing, non-destructive testing) technologies

About CRIQ
For over 45 years, Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ)'s mission has been to make Québec industry more competitive and boost growth by supporting innovation, productivity, and exports, as well as fostering partnerships to improve products and services. With over 200 employees and labs in Québec City and Montréal, CRIQ carries out close to 2,000 projects each year. www.criq.qc.ca

About AFPR
Since its creation in February 1992, AFPR (the French rapid prototyping association) has been involved in many information and awareness initiatives. In its first year, AFPR set up the European Forum on Rapid Prototyping—now the European Forum on Additive Manufacturing—which has grown into one of the world's biggest 3D events. The last forum was held at École Centrale Paris in June 2014.

AFPR members decided to set up work groups to pool Direct Manufacturing skills and knowledge within the association. These commissions bring together university labs, research centres, technology transfer centres, additive manufacturing services firms, and manufacturing concerns already involved in new manufacturing methods. http://code80.net/afpr/index.html

Image with caption: "Signature of an agreement announced by AFPR and CRIQ in Trois-Rivières. Left to right: CRIQ president and CEO Denis Hardy, and AFPR president Georges Taillandier. (CNW Group/Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141117_C4866_PHOTO_EN_8174.jpg

SOURCE: Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec

Béatrice Guay Pepper, FSCRP, Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ), Tel.: [phone], ext. 3403, Toll free: 1-800-667-4570, ext. 3403, Cell.: 514-946-7916, [email protected]