Jim Correll, director Fab Lab ICC at Independence Community College, Independence Kansas 

Fab Lab ICC manager Tim Haynes and I recently visited with a couple of research scientists at Pittsburg State University (PSU) to learn about some of their research that could lead to several new products to bring to the marketplace.  The research involves big ideas and the potential products that could be developed from their research could have global implications and indeed, a global market for them. 

I mentioned the main two areas of focus, "green" rechargeable batteries at a lower cost and new flame retardants that render coated surfaces nonflammable, to a Fab Lab ICC member.  He said, something to the effect of "Wow, if PSU is doing that kind of research just imagine what the really big universities are doing." This comment points out the ill-conceived and persistent notion that all the really big opportunities are somewhere else besides here in Southeast Kansas. 

The research scientists at PSU are world-class and collaborate with the other leading scientists in their fields around the globe.  Of course, the Internet has made such collaboration possible.  Did you know that the memory foam, so common in today's mattresses, pillows and upholstery, was invented at PSU?  The potential for global innovations from Southeast Kansas has existed for many years, we just haven't really figured out how to leverage these innovations.  For example, we developed memory foam technology in Southeast Kansas, but there's not much of it manufactured here.  That's where the Fab Lab ICC culture of innovation, prototyping and entrepreneurship can help. 

This Fab Lab culture represents the advent of a disruption in the way new products are brought to market.  Gone are the days of products undergoing years of development in formal research and development departments and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs.  In the world of Fab Lab ICC, we measure development time in months and costs in the low thousands to barely tens of thousands.  There's no reason we can't keep the manufacturing of these new products in Southeast Kansas. That would bring money from the global marketplace into Southeast Kansas. That would be good for all of us. 

There have been no products developed from this battery and flame retardant research so it's too early to expect an existing manufacturer to become involved.  We believe Fab Lab ICC can bridge the gap between the scientific research and the entrepreneur that can bring the resulting new products to market.  Because we deal mostly with regional entrepreneurs we have a much better chance of keeping the eventual manufacturing within the region. 

Over the coming months, we'll be working to make prototypes based on the research; perhaps a rechargeable battery for the Fab Lab ICC drone that weighs half as much as the current lithium-ion battery.  Maybe also a flame-proofing coating applied to a table-top or support beam.  At the same time, we'll be recruiting from our growing network of entrepreneurs one or more of them interested in taking the products from prototype to market.