Welcome to the Innovation Center

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a hub of innovation and creativity for the tri-state region. With nearly 200 expert faculty and staff in the STEM fields and more than 3,200 STEM students, combined with cutting-edge facilities and equipment, UW-Platteville is the best resource to support budding entrepreneurs throughout the region.  Innovation has always been at the core of what we do—in fact, UW-Platteville has the most intellectual property invention disclosures of any University of Wisconsin System comprehensive campus (67 in the past five years!). We are positioned to grow this legacy with the opening of Sesquicentennial Hall in fall 2022, which is home to one of the largest makerspaces in the Midwest.

Huff Family Innovation Center

Prototyping Services

Our Prototyping Services help entrepreneurs in rural Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois take ideas from paper-napkin sketches to functional prototype to full-fledged manufacturing plans through ideation and innovation with their Entrepreneur Support Team. ​

You’ll work directly with our student technicians and ProStaff to innovate and use creativity. This makes our students even better prepared for entering the regional workforce and helps you get your project off the ground.

Ready to Get Involved? Fill out the interest form that best applies to you:

Submit a Pioneer Prototyping Request

Explore the Space

Located in Room 252, Sesquicentennial Hall, we provide a wide variety of tools and for students, artists, makers, creatives, programmers, scientists, and engineers to use, and provide a space in which they can work, share ideas, and collaborate.

Monthly Membership

All memberships include access during member hours, safety and orientation courses, instruction on workstations and equipment, special invitations to HFIC events and activities, and one free guest visit (over the age of 18) per week.

Member benefits include:

  • Digital fabrication tools
  • A complete woodshop
  • Metalworking equipment
  • Greenroom video production and photography studio
  • High end sewing equipment
  • Finishing room

Membership levels:

  • Community member $50
  • Staff/Faculty $35
  • Business $250

Get your membership

Mission 

The UW-Platteville Innovation Center supports an inclusive maker community dedicated to fostering innovation, learning through creating and building, and expanding knowledge with technology and creativity. 

  • All users (regardless of major, underrepresented status, level of experience with making, etc.) will feel welcome to participate. 
  • Programming will attract a variety of users to the space and improve the making and safety skills of all users.   
  • Innovation Center operations will complement and coordinate with activities at other makerspaces on campus.  
  • The Innovation Center will foster entrepreneurial mindset in students, staff, and the community.  

Values

  • diversity and inclusion 
  • a growth mindset 
  • learning by doing 
  • a positive attitude
  • cross-disciplinary collaboration  
  • big ideas

Contact Information

Huff Family Innovation Center

Room 252A, Sesquicentennial Hall

Attendant Technician Desk


Joseph Bormann

Director

Kelly Tollefson

Shop manager

Jeff Steiner

Shop manager

Tom Cabezas

Instrument Maker

Summer Hours

Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday CLOSED
Memorial Day CLOSED
Independence Day CLOSED
Labor Day CLOSED
(May 22–September 4, 2023)