Athens, Ohio, Could 1, 2025 – Ohio College, HTC VIVE, and Virtualware have partnered to launch a brand new program referred to as the Digital Enterprise Collaboratory (DEC), which is able to present infrastructure to energy new digital engineering and workforce growth applications to assist the rising demand for superior manufacturing in Ohio.
The partnership combines Ohio College’s management in engineering training, HTC VIVE’s industry-leading XR {hardware} and software program applied sciences, and Virtualware’s enterprise XR platform VIROO. The mission will present Ohio College with the know-how infrastructure and capabilities wanted to speed up product growth, analysis, and workforce growth by enabling real-time collaboration between disparate college, {industry}, authorities, and Division of Air Power Analysis Laboratories (AFRL) members utilizing the most recent digital engineering & immersive applied sciences.
This system may even develop Ohio College’s current manufacturing coaching and certification applications to assist the rising demand for brand spanking new manufacturing unit employees.
“This program represents a daring step ahead in immersive digital engineering,” mentioned Scott Miller, affiliate dean for Business Partnerships at Ohio College’s Russ School of Engineering and Know-how. “By integrating XR know-how into our academic and analysis applications, we’re getting ready the following technology of engineers to assume spatially, act collaboratively, and resolve real-world issues. Manufacturing is Ohio’s largest {industry} sector that’s contributing 17.5% of the state’s GDP and we have to put together our native workforce for the brand new jobs in superior manufacturing.”
“HTC VIVE is proud to be a part of this initiative that places immersive know-how on the coronary heart of innovation and training,” mentioned Daniel O’Brien, President Americas at HTC VIVE. “With these new labs, Ohio College is positioning itself as a frontrunner in Business 4.0.”
John Cunningham, President of Virtualware USA provides “The state of Ohio is dwelling to many producers and can quickly be dwelling to new superior know-how factories being constructed by Intel and Anduril, who want an estimated 7,000 new employees. Ohio College has been requested by the State and manufacturing firms to seek out methods to assist speed up product growth utilizing digital engineering strategies and to develop workforce growth initiatives utilizing the most recent applied sciences. Our VIROO platform built-in with HTC’s XR options supplies Ohio College with infrastructure that can be utilized for a lot of totally different functions and years to return.”
Ohio College faces a key problem, enabling engineers, researchers, and finish customers to collaborate in actual time and in 3D throughout its geographically separated campuses. Athens and Dayton, situated two and a half hours aside by automotive, at present require bodily journey for collaboration. Whereas many finish customers, such because the U.S. Air Power and Intel, are based mostly in Dayton, a lot of the College’s analysis takes place in Athens. The implementation of the DEC is about to bridge that hole, serving to speed up analysis and product growth.
The DEC infrastructure consists of two new laboratories situated on the Athens Campus and on the OHIO facility in Dayton, situated throughout the Digital Transformation Middle (DTC). These labs are linked by way of the VIROO Enterprise XR platform and are outfitted with digital actuality tools and software program instruments. Customers can collaborate, share initiatives, product prototypes, and even create digital twins in actual time, both from throughout the labs or from distant desktops, lecture rooms, or houses. The College of Dayton Analysis Institute (UDRI) operates the DTC and has partnered with Ohio College to develop and launch the DEC’s Dayton location, furthering the DTC’s mission as a collaborative innovation hub that drives innovation, fuels workforce growth, and fosters cross-sector collaboration amongst academia, {industry}, and authorities.
The DEC will formally open on Could 5 on the Athens Campus and on Could 7 in Dayton. The Dayton DEC opening can be a part of the night occasion hosted on the DTC in the course of the Dayton Digital Transformation Summit, a regional occasion targeted on innovation and know-how in manufacturing and workforce growth.
