MPI was established in 1993 and was located within the Department of Polymer Science with the goal of assisting polymer and advanced-material businesses and entrepreneurs in their growth efforts.

 

Initially, projects were centered around coatings applications but quickly expanded to include other polymer market segments such as personal protection, medical, forensics, aerospace, automotive, consumer products, and many others.  

 

In 1995, MPI chose to be an early adopter of 3D printing technology, recognizing the potential impact on prototyping and manufacturing.  Since that time, we have produced thousands of prototypes and commercial products using our rapid prototyping capabilities.  We also offer supporting technologies such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and laser scanning to provide full-service prototype capabilities.     

 

In 2010, MPI moved from the Polymer Science Research Center to The Accelerator.  The Accelerator, a facility 5 miles from the USM campus, was constructed through state and federal funding to house MPI and incubate emerging technology-based companies. The $28 million facility offers more than 60,000 square feet of state-of-the-art resources and talent to support ventures in composites, polymers, formulation science, biotechnology, sustainable chemistry, alternative energy and other high-tech industries.

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