Securing partnerships and collaborations with various organizations such as educational institutions, nonprofits, and private foundations, while building strong corporate relations is an important focus area for IDMET.
One of IDMET’s main corporate partners and founding sponsors is Dassault Systèmes, a company committed to building innovative solutions in virtual technology through its 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Illinois Tech’s collaborative partnership with Dassault Systèmes was first conceived in 2017 with the plan to explore the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in support of multidisciplinary, project-centric learning. The main objective was to equip and prepare students for the fast changes in technology associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, enhancing their competitiveness and distinctive education experience.
In 2018 Illinois Tech and Dassault Systèmes signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to start collaborative work. Illinois Tech was recognized as the home of the first 3DEXPERIENCE Learning Lab in the US and a member of a global network of 16 Learning Labs around the globe.
In 2020 with the official launching of IDMET, our center received further recognition as the first 3DEXPERIENCE Education Center of Excellence in the Life Sciences in the US. These Centers of Excellence bring together research and education within active industrial partnerships in specific fields or areas of expertise.
Through this unique partnership with Dassault Systèmes, IDMET faculty and students have access to the exact same state-of-the-art advanced digital tools used in the industry. The Dassault Systèmes cloud-based platform 3DEXPERIENCE offers advanced digital tools applications (CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA) supporting 3D computer-aided design, simulation, visualization, manufacturing, product development, and collaborative project management.
IDMET closely collaborates with various divisions within Dassault Systèmes and is a member of several multidisciplinary working groups. These include collaborations with the Dassault Systèmes Life Science Division exploring the development of Virtual Human Twins (this includes the living brain and living lung projects) and with Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Hub, (based in the Dassault Systèmes’ headquarters in Paris, France) focusing on the development of learning experiences for learners of all ages.
In collaboration with the Dassault Systèmes Edu Hub team, IDMET faculty and students are currently developing a series of “learning experiences” that build towards the design of a respiratory system virtual twin. The learning experiences introduce students to the structure and function of the human respiratory system, the simulation of respiratory disease, and the testing of mechanical ventilators (and other devices used in assisted ventilation in humans). These learning experiences are the base of a global student challenge competition that will focus on the design of devices and technologies, using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, to aid the treatment of respiratory syndromes, including those caused by viral infections like COVID-19. More details about this student challenge competition will be announced in early 2021.
Another important corporate partner for IDMET is Accenture, a multinational professional services company working with clients in all fields, including engineering and the life sciences.
A teaming agreement was signed between Illinois Tech Armour College of Engineering and Accenture LLP in October 2020. The purpose of this agreement is to expose Illinois Tech students and faculty mentors to business problems that are of interest to Accenture, and its clients, to equip students with business experiences while they are still in training, and to help students learn how to use their academic knowledge to work towards possible solutions to proposed business problems.
IDMET, in coordination with the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Illinois Tech, is currently exploring opportunities with Accenture to collaborate on educational and research projects.
In partnership with Dassault Systèmes, IDMET hosts and participates in various global events that focus on the development of the workforce of the future, academia-industry interactions, and the role of digital tools in innovation. To date, such events have introduced IDMET to global communities with similar interests, providing us with the opportunity to share our vision and showcase the work and accomplishments of our students and faculty members.
