According to a recent news release, the Trimble Technology Lab, hosted by the university’s School of Construction Management Technology within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, is expected to open its doors in 2024. The news release noted that the lab will make use of construction technologies from Trimble and bring together expertise from the company and university to create an environment where students can learn how to develop new construction technology tools amid advances in adjacent fields such as autonomous technologies and smart manufacturing.
“We are immensely grateful for Trimble’s generous gift, which will elevate our technologies to a new level,” Daniel Castro-Lacouture, dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, said in a public statement. “Working with Trimble to establish the technology lab signifies an exciting new endeavor that empowers our students and faculty to drive industry advancements. The equipment and software provided will enhance our educational and research capabilities in construction management and technology.”
According to the announcement, the lab will be connected to facilities that opened in 2023 that house a mix of Polytechnic and College of Engineering labs, with the aim of encouraging more collaboration between students across majors and departments. It added that the lab will allow the university’s construction-management program to offer more hands-on learning opportunities for students working toward careers in construction technology.
“The Trimble Technology Lab will empower Purdue students with the skills and expertise required to become front-runners in the realm of industry technology,” said H. Nicholas Dib, an associate professor in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute who will help oversee the new lab. “This collaboration will support the holistic transformation of education, where technology lies at the very heart of the curriculum.”
Construction is the latest of several technology-driven fields for which Purdue has announced new programs or initiatives in recent years, including physical AI research, 6G technology, semiconductors and microelectronics.
