Northwestern University Provides SOLIDWORKS for Students, Researchers, and Entrepreneurs

It takes competitive product design and development skills to advance careers in today’s market. Northwestern University, a private research university based in Evanston, Illinois recently upgraded to a campus-wide SOLIDWORKS software solution. The university will provide SOLIDWORKS software in classrooms for students and researchers, and at its incubator space, The Garage, an accelerator where start-ups gather to experiment, collaborate, innovate, and build new ideas.

SOLIDWORKS 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software gives users the ability to turn ideas into products with tools for mechanical design, simulation, electrical design, data management, and communication. Individuals can securely share design models for team collaboration and with suppliers throughout the entire manufacturing process.

SOLIDWORKS is one of the most widely-used 3D CAD software solutions with a community of more than 3.1 million users worldwide. Graduating with SOLIDWORKS skills can help job seekers find opportunities that are a good fit with their academic and software experience.

SOLIDWORKS for Education

SOLIDWORKS for education includes integrated 3D CAD software, curriculum, and lessons that make product design development easy to teach and learn. Northwestern University students will gain hands on experience with SOLIDWORKS software to develop and understand designs for the real world.

SOLIDWORKS for Research

SOLIDWORKS for research is a full suite of 3D CAD tools with a single user interface. This comprehensive design solution enables researchers to create, validate, communicate, and manage research efficiently. Using SOLIDWORKS, researchers can take an initial idea through validation of hypotheses and final documentation. Worth noting is that the SOLIDWORKS Research License is the full commercial version of SOLIDWORKS and follows the same release schedule to keep users up-to-date with the latest capabilities. There are no restrictions with the software and its output for use in publications, industry-funded projects, intellectual property transfer, and patent applications.

SOLIDWORKS for Incubator Spaces

Starting a business from the ground up is not easy and can use far more resources than expected. It helps to be able to cut time and costs where possible when developing a product. With SOLIDWORKS available in Northwestern University’s incubator space, The Garage, inventors and entrepreneurs can turn their product concept into a prototype faster. SOLIDWORKS design validation capabilities also cut down prototype costs, rework, and delays.

Dan Wilkes, a business development manager at Fisher Unitech, provides SOLIDWORKS solutions to universities and incubators across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England. Wilkes said, “More and more maker spaces, incubators, and accelerators are springing up for people to develop their product and business ideas. It takes technology to design concepts and create prototypes of those concepts. It’s smart to use SOLIDWORKS, since many students already know how to use the tools and they have the design skills startups are looking for.”

“When I hear students talk about SOLIDWORKS, the projects they’re working on with the software, or what they plan to create as a result of having SOLIDWORKS in their classroom, it makes my day,” said Johnny Kim, Senior Territory Sales Manager of Research, Americas at Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks. “There’s another future engineer or business leader. I enjoy getting SOLIDWORKS tools into their hands and working with such visionary schools as Northwestern University.”