GE Open Innovation Google+ Hangout on-demand

Last Friday GE held a live Google+ Hangout that featured a panel of Open Engineering thought leaders including GrabCAD CEO, Hardi Meybaum and GE Executive Director of Global Innovation, Steve Liguori. The discussion highlighted GE’s 3D Printing Design Quest which challenged the GrabCAD Community to redesign an aircraft engine bracket, among other topics.

The hangout was a huge success and offered a thought-provoking conversation among the participants. In addition to Meybaum and Liguori, the panel included Jordan Husney, Undercurrent Strategy Director and was moderated by Mike Senese, Make Magazine Executive Editor.

Several focuses of discussion included the importance of speed to market, the benefits to engineers resulting from sharing designs and feedback in social communities, and how 3D printing is changing the face of manufacturing.

Some notable quotes from the event include:

“We think things like 3D printing are going to make manufacturing cool again.” – Steve Liguori

“If I am a professional mechanical engineer… what I have now is 1,000,000 people who see my design and can give me feedback to improve my designs. That’s the benefit of sharing.” – Hardi Meybaum on the GrabCAD Community.

“We have a saying- that speed is the new IP.” – Jordan Husney

“Collaboration lets the GrabCAD community create and iterate even better.” Mike Senese

"If we can make a relatively simple part like the bracket so much lighter, imagine what you could do with complex parts. We would like to see some of the people who enter the challenge to become our suppliers as we launch new products.’ says Michael Idelchik” - 3ders.org

There was also some great feedback from Twitter:

http://twitter.com/lauripoldre/status/411542140187987968
Check out the video of the live panel discussion and let us know what you think about Open Innovation!

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