SINGAPORE - Selected students from primary school to junior college level will soon have access to 3D printing machines, as the result of a partnership announced on Wednesday (Dec 9) between Stem Inc and Stratasys.

Stem Inc - which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - is the applied learning unit of Science Centre Singapore.

It was set up in January last year to give students first-hand experience in Stem industries.

Stratasys is a 3D printing solutions company headquartered in America and Israel, and produced products ranging from desktop 3D printers to advanced 3D production systems.

The partnership will see Stem Inc leverage on Stratasys' industry experience to run 3D design and printing programmes for students from primary school to junior college level.

The programmes will guide students through the whole process of 3D printing a product, from conceptualising an idea to design and production.

The two institutes ran a series of two-day pilot workshops earlier this year, where students from four schools created objects such as toys, model planes and catapults.

Chief executive of Science Centre Singapore, associate professor Lim Tit Meng, said that the programme would allow students to "gain early access to this new cutting edge technology and equip themselves with better skills, so as to contribute to real-world Stem industries in future".

Mr Ido Eylon, general manager at Stratasys South Asia & Pacific, added: "The education programme provides the opportunity for students to try their hand at it, and for educators to prepare skilled employees for the future, bridging the gap between education and the actual workforce."