Iowa State students in the Colleges of Business, Education and Engineering now have the opportunity to provide business advice for one of the world’s leading manufacturers, the 3M Corporation, thanks to a new laboratory soon to be built in the ISU Research Park.

The 3M Business Laboratory will be 4,200 sq. feet and is expected to be finished sometime next year. It is currently being housed in a temporary facility in the Research Park.

Russell Laczniak, associate professor of marketing, said the laboratory is the first of its kind.

“It’s completely funded by 3M in a cooperative effort with ISU’s Colleges of Business, Engineering, and Education,” he said.

The new 3M laboratory will provide students with a more well-rounded education, Laczniak said.

“This laboratory is an exciting new collaborative effort, both within Iowa State University, and with one of our most important corporate partners,” ISU President Martin Jischke, said.

“Thanks to this program, our students will have expanded opportunities to put what they learn in the classroom into practice as part of their educational experience,” he said.

Laczniak said students have already begun working in the lab, doing research on new opportunities and trends in the marketplace, and writing strategic directives.

The lab enables students to use their “classroom experience in a real world setting, with real problems, within a real corporation,” Laczniak said.

The 37 students solve manufacturing, product and process problems for 3M. According to a recent press release, projects already underway include scanning the business environment for new distribution strategies and sales force incentives, scouting new product markets and improving product design.

“This goes beyond experience in a normal internship,” Laczniak said. “Students are learning about life.”

Laczniak said students are encouraged to get involved with the lab as soon as they start their core classes.

Students are currently involved with the lab on two levels. Students on the first level complete projects for class credit. They either study independently or are involved in an internship.

In the second level, students are paid interns or employees for 3M. These students, mostly seniors, are team leaders for the first level students. They are responsible for the lab, doing scheduling and promoting and managing the facility. After their research has been completed they pass on their findings to 3M.

“The laboratory provides students with valuable interdisciplinary team-building experience and leadership opportunities with a world-class corporation,” said Benjamin Allen, dean of the College of Business.

One faculty member from each college uses the laboratory to conduct class projects and teach courses designed to collaborate with student team research projects.

Two full-time personnel from 3M manage the daily activities of the laboratory.

“Our goal is to provide a state-of-the-art experimental learning center for ISU students and faculty, as well as for our own employees at 3M,” said Ted Stotlar, founder and manager of lab operations.

The 3M Corporation has played a significant role in other ISU projects including scholarship development, sponsored research and the new Engineering, Teaching, and Research Complex (ETRC), currently under construction at ISU.