3D Printer Maker Stratasys Named to Fast Company's Top 10 List

Company is recognized for its work with 200-MPG Hybrid car – Urbee.

MINNEAPOLIS - Stratasys, maker of additive manufacturing machines for prototyping and producing plastic parts, was named to Fast Company magazine’s recently published Transportation Top 10 list, alongside Boeing, GE, IBM, Daimler, Nissan, and others.

The honor was given to transportation companies or those affecting transportation industries. Those named to the top 10 list had what Fast Company deemed an innovative product or business model that is expected have a major impact on transportation or the manufacturing of transportation products.

Stratasys was named to the list for its work with KorEcologic, the company behind the Urbee hybrid, which can run on free electricity from a solar panel small enough to mount on the garage. It can also achieve 200 MPH using ethanol or gasoline. Specifically, Stratasys was singled out because the method it used to produce the car body components — 3D printing / 3D production — avoids the heavy tooling used in traditional production methods. This cuts waste, making the process greener, and it significantly reduces development time and associated costs.

“Making this list for 3D printing the first car body is rewarding, but KorEcologic deserves the credit for innovation,” says Stratasys CEO, Scott Crump. “Its groundbreaking car is a foreshadowing of the future. The Urbee is what transportation will look like 100 years from now.”

Each year Fast Company features a cover story on the worlds 50 most innovative companies. As a supplement to the top 50 list, the magazine adds several additional categories such as design, biotech, or transportation, the category in which Stratasys appeared.

Stratasys’ work with KorEcologic was announced last October.