Japanese electronics company Omron Corporation has donated $1 million to Marquette University which will go toward the creation of an advanced automation lab in the Opus College of Engineering.
The Omron Advanced Automation Lab will help strengthen the connection between engineering and business by combining innovative industrial automation and robotics technology with supply chain platforms. The $1 million total will establish the lab and support the mechanical engineering graduate program and an endowed scholarship.
“Our partnership with Omron Automation on the Omron Lab will add greatly to the transformational educational experience offered by Marquette University,” said Michael Lovell, president of Marquette. “This lab is another bridge fostering innovation between the Opus College of Engineering and the College of Business Administration as we look for opportunities to educate and matriculate well-rounded graduates and innovators in their fields.”
The Omron Advanced Automation Lab will educate both engineering and business students on fundamental and higher levels of how to implement Industry 4.0 into the design, manufacturing and delivery of products. Lab stations will be designed to teach students the foundational building blocks of industrial automation, a manufacturing area where subsystems can be combined to produce a product, and a library of components that will challenge students to identify what components are necessary to complete their tasks.
“We are excited to partner with Marquette University on their innovative programs that bridge the engineering and business fields,” said Robb Black, CEO and chief operating officer of Omron Industrial Automation. “The Omron Advanced Automation Lab will combine industrial automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing equipment with supply chain platforms. This will bring together their nationally ranked engineering and supply chain management programs, allowing students to bridge the gap between business and engineering with a state-of-the-art learning space.”
