Idea Lab of the University of Tartu opened a novel electronics lab of the Prototyping Centre

On Monday, 11 November, at 3 PM, the electronics lab of the Prototyping Centre of Idea Lab were opened in the building of the Institute of Technology of the University of Tartu for implementation of fresh ideas and study and entrepreneurship cooperation. The lab provides work rooms where students, scientists and entrepreneurs have access to modern diagnostics equipment, as well as work rooms for the creation and testing of innovative prototypes.

The Prototyping Centre of Idea Lab of the University of Tartu offers a novel study and work environment for students and scientists, where teamwork, initial modeling and simulations can be performed. The Prototyping Centre consists of five working environments, of which the electronics lab is the first. The electronics work rooms of the Prototyping Centre are equipped with novel equipment, including the largest thermal camera at the disposal of Estonian universities, an x-ray camera, a device for testing electronics schemes, as well as a laser cutter and a printed circuit board milling cutter.

“The electronics lab of the Prototyping Centre is divided in three: the assembly room of electronics, the room for testing electronics and the work room of the teams of Idea Lab,” Kalev Kaarna, the Head of Idea Lab, said about the rooms, adding: “We are very happy that the teams of Idea Lab of the University of Tartu are now provided with an immediate environment where it is possible to assemble a prototype of a certain functionality. This increases the motivation to work and the courage to bring even more novel ideas to life.”

In addition to functioning as the working environment of Idea Lab, the electronics lab of the Prototyping Centre also provides a practicing base for physics and computer science students. According to Kalev Tarkpea, the Technology Manager of the electronics lab, the equipment of the lab enables to use the most innovative possibilities available in the whole university for studying: “Such modern solutions have not been employed in our practical work rooms before – the novel technology will certainly raise the quality of our teaching.”

Through scientists, the Prototyping Centre and electronics lab are also at the disposal of entrepreneurs. “Companies can use the teams and scientists of Idea Lab in solving problems, developing and testing new products or services. The Prototyping Centre is a place for bringing together the needs of companies and the knowledge and research potential of the university,” said Erik Puura, Vice-Rector for Development of the University of Tartu. According to Puura, the highest number of product development projects carried out by companies together with the University of Tartu so far has been in the areas of energy efficiency, robotics, IT and medicine: “The potential new areas for the Prototyping Centre include terrestrial applications of space technologies, analyses of user preferences and user convenience and quick testing technologies.”

The student projects of Idea Lab of the University of Tartu and the electronics lab of the Prototyping Centre enable companies to ask for working on problems or ideas which differ from traditional ones. “Collecting ambitious ideas and problems provides input for teaching as well as research work, entrepreneurship contracts, developing new services provided by universities, and creating spin-off companies,” Puura said, adding: “All this helps to achieve the goals set for technology transfer.”

Establishment of the Prototyping Centre of the Idea Lab of the University of Tartu was supported by Enterprise Estonia.

Further information: Kalev Kaarna, Head of Idea Lab, tel.: 5341 6194, e-mail: [email protected];
Kalev Tarkpea, Technology Manager of the Prototyping Centre, tel.: 737 5522, 511 8191, e-mail: [email protected].