The Product Design Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao was created as a response to the interest of its Department of Graphic Design and Engineering Projects in research and technological transfer in the areas of Product Design, Reverse Engineering and Rapid Prototyping.

The research group is made up of a group of Professors from the Departments of Graphic Design and Engineering Projects, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, together with researchers specifically recruited for concrete projects and some postgraduate students carrying out research work to develop their doctoral theses, as well as a group of undergraduates specialising in Industrial Design and Project Management.

The laboratory works with state-of-the-art equipment. Regarding data acquisition systems, it includes 3D scanners of several typologies such as Creaform's Handyscan Exascan and Handyscan Revscan, Gom's ATOS, as well as Next Engine's 3D HD Scanner.

TThe Product Design Laboratory is equipped with two Rapid Prototyping machines: a Dimension Elite model by Stratasys and the Zprinter 450 by Z Corporation. It is also equipped with and holds the licenses for Reverse Engineering software such as RapidForm XOR, Geomagic Studio and ATOS, as well as the Geomagic Qualify and ATOS inspection software. Design software includes CatiaV5, Solid Edge ST2, NX7 and SolidWorks licenses.

The research group holds close collaborative relations with the University of Halle in Germany, Laval University in Quebec, the Ensam of Bordeaux as well as the Cardiff University.

Besides, through its researchers, the Laboratory is in good relation with the Aeronautical Research Room, the Tool Machine Research Room, the Ecodesign Research Room and the Ormazabal Work Place in the Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao. It is as well actively supporting the Master in Product Lifecycle Management run by the Ikertia Technological Centre and the Master in Design and Innovation Management organised by the University of the Basque Country and the Innovation Agency of Biscay.

The research group works and has worked with a great number of companies, such as Creaform, Ormazabal Group, Robotiker, Labein, Innovalia, Obeki Innobe, Metronic, Pukas, NGS, Pixel Sistemas, CADdy, ServiDAT, Makser, Ikertia, BBYdigital, DeltaCAD, Sistemodel, Azti, YAT Composites, ITP, Guascor and Vicinay.