New Product Development

The NPDC has three project levels for product development projects. Each level offers a different range of services to the manufacturer based on the needs of the final product. The Manufacturing Extension Agent (MEA) or Applications Engineer (AE) work with the manufacturer and the NPDC team to determine the project level and ensure proper placement.

Manufacturer Requirements

• Be a small manufacturer in Oklahoma with a project budget targeted at $50,000 to $100,000
• Be able to complete the project in nine to 18 months
• Provide timely and receptive communication with the student resource assigned to the project
• Speak with the student resource about the company’s needs
• Contribute materials necessary for the student to successfully complete the project
• Attend the final presentation by students
• Have a clear idea of the company’s needs

Project Requirements

Once the manufacturer determines they are ready to pursue the project, they must:

• Fit well with the available NPDC resources
• Be able to complete the project within the agreed upon time frame
• Have a clear focus for the project

Level 1

• A student capstone design class will work with the manufacturer to create a prototype
• No contracts or licensing agreements
• No guaranteed results
• To be completed in five to nine months
• The primary focus is to give educational value to students
• NPDC plays a merely administrative role at this level

Level 2

• May be student capstone projects or independent projects
• Development is completed by a student or team of students supervised by a faculty expert in the field of research
• To be completed in six months to one year

Level 3

• The traditional NPDC project
• NPDC provides the majority of the funding for the market research and for designing and building the prototype
• Extensive technical and marketing research to limit the risk for the manufacturer and the NPDC
• Projects normally lead to patentable products or concepts
• To be completed in approximately 18 months
• Upon completion the prototype will be transferred from the working OSU team to the manufacturer via a licensing agreement

To apply, please fill out the application below and attach in an e-mail to npdc@okstate.edu, fax to 405-744-2189, or mail to New Product Development Center, 111 Engineering North, Stillwater OK 74078.