The company inaugurated in Tel Aviv the largest XNUMXD laboratory in Europe and in Israel, the second in the company, after the USA, and announced that a large part of the development of the Spark, the open software platform for XNUMXD printing, is carried out in the development center in Israel.
Autodesk, a manufacturer of 3D engineering and design software, inaugurated yesterday (March 2015, 9) in Tel Aviv the largest XNUMXD printing laboratory in Europe and the Middle East. The research laboratory, which will serve as a studio and workshop for the development of innovative hardware and software solutions in the field of digital production, will allow the Autodesk development center team in Israel and its business partners to continue exploring the possibilities, and push the boundaries of the XNUMXD printing field. The lab, which will focus on developing and testing new solutions for large-format XNUMXD printers, is Autodesk's first space outside the US, with the first currently operating at Pier XNUMX in San Francisco.
"The world is currently on the brink of one of the most significant and biggest changes since the industrial revolution, in the way we design and create things," says Yonatan Sarosi, director of Autodesk Israel's development center and director of the company's global AutoCAD Mobile field. "Companies and people, in different and diverse industries, find themselves challenged by changes in production methods, demand and the products themselves. New technologies, such as the cloud and mobile, and industrial trends such as 3D printers are changing the way we work and live. Against this background, a new future of doing things is growing, and Autodesk and its development center in Israel, more than any other software company, is inventing and embracing this new future."
During the launch, the part of Autodesk's Israeli development center was presented in the company's vision and in building the Spark platform - an open and free platform for 100D printing, which will connect digital information to 530D printers in a new way. At the same time, the investment fund Spark Fund was also presented, which was established to encourage and develop the field of XNUMXD printing and help reveal the enormous potential that the technology brings with it. The fund intends to invest up to XNUMX million dollars in the coming years in companies that engage in XNUMXD printing. Over XNUMX investment requests have so far reached the fund, which intends to invest in entrepreneurs, start-ups and researchers, who contribute to the acceleration of the new industrial revolution. These days the fund is considering an investment and partnership with a number of Israeli companies engaged in the field.
"Israel, in this context, represents an important and significant innovation center for Autodesk's XNUMXD printing strategy," says Eitan Farfati, director of the Spark platform at Autodesk Israel for XNUMXD printing. "The Spark platform, which the team in Israel is taking an important part in its development, will provide the building blocks for innovation, which product designers, hardware manufacturers (printers), software developers and manufacturers of printing materials will be able to use to push the boundaries of XNUMXD printing technology and accelerate the new industrial revolution ".
According to Sarfati, in recent years there has been meteoric growth in the XNUMXD printing industry in Israel. "Israel, because of the entrepreneurs that grow there, has become a source of innovation in the field. Autodesk recognizes the importance of Israel in the industry and continues to invest significantly, both in software and hardware development."
The new lab, says the head of the Israeli team, will be a workspace, experiment and creation for Spark partners so that they can help complete the platform's goals. French even called on companies and individuals who develop hardware, software, materials, trading platforms and 'Makers' to apply for Spark's investment fund. "In addition to the financial investment, companies accepted into the fund will become partners in the Spark program and will have access to marketing services and other services available to Spark partners. This is a unique combination of strategic investment, partnership and new opportunities. Autodesk is looking to expand and strengthen the Spark ecosystem and advance the field of XNUMXD printing towards a more advanced and convenient experience," says Farfati.
"Autodesk understands that the Israeli developers and entrepreneurs have special skills: the ability to simplify the complex technology of sophisticated design software into simple but elegant solutions that appeal to a wide audience of users," said Ilai Rotbein, director of the cloud infrastructure division at Autodesk Israel. "The Israelis excel in the development of this type of software, thanks to the combination of talented technical programmers, and a talent for creating a strong user experience."
With the gradual transition that Autodesk began to make recently in its product portfolio towards the cloud and mobile, new ways of accessing and using tools for design and creation are possible, while at the same time, Autodesk saw an opportunity to connect with everything that the Israeli startup scene can offer, and it began to acquire companies that would suit the rapidly growing needs of the company . During the last 5 years, the company acquired several Israeli start-ups, including VisualTao, which formed the basis of the Israeli website, Imagine-Web (CmyCasa), Purple Bit and For-Each.
"The development center in Israel is on a significant growth trend," says Sarosi. "We offer the best people in their field to come to us and they do come, and at the same time we continue to look for more companies in Israel that can connect with our vision and the revolution we are leading."
