Welcome to the James R. Meehl Innovation Commons
Build, Prototype, and Bring Your Ideas to Life
Located on the first floor of the Burke Center at Penn State Behrend, the James R. Meehl Innovation Commons is a free product development and prototyping center open to innovators, entrepreneurs, and students across Erie County and beyond. Whether you’re sketching out a new idea, building a prototype, or collaborating with others to solve real-world problems, this is the place to make it happen.
Do you have a product or innovation idea? We’d love to hear from you.
Fueling Innovation, Creating Impact
- 375+ projects supporting 270+ entrepreneurs, industry, and community partners
- 21 patent applications
- 28 businesses created
- 240 product development projects
- 500+ students supported
- 400+ youth engaged
Product Development and Prototyping
Penn State Behrend students will work directly with you, offering help with:
- Early-stage product design
- Product feasibility consultation
- 3D modeling, scanning, and printing
- 3D printer technical support
- Electrical component design
- Laser cutting and engraving
- Additive manufacturing consultation for industry
App Development
Penn State Behrend also offers App Development services for innovators and entrepreneurs through the Laboratory for Usability and Interactive Systems.
- User Interface (UI) Design
- User Experience (UX) Design and Research
Meet Our Team
Innovation Commons is staffed by skilled Penn State Behrend students that are ready to help innovators and entrepreneurs through the early development stages.
Volunteer Program
Are you a Penn State Behrend student craving to apply your skills? The James R. Meehl Innovation Commons Volunteer Program is for you! Volunteer with us to get some experience and valuable knowledge to supplement your education.
Interested Penn State Behrend students can volunteer to work on projects with Innovation Commons. To get involved, click here to email us!
Engage with the NWPA Innovation Beehive Network
Innovation Commons can connect you with the other Innovation Beehive sites throughout the region:
- Erie County Public Library’s Idea Lab offers a makerspace with courses to explore your interests
- Pennwest Edinboro University provides marketing and branding solutions
- Gannon University offers business and financial planning assistance
- Mercyhurst University assists with business intelligence studies
- Allegheny College provides environmental sustainability guidance for business
Thank You To Our Donors
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Meehl Innovation Commons is able to empower innovators and entrepreneurs across Northwestern Pennsylvania—fueling new ideas, supporting startups, and uplifting the community through free engineering services.
Interested in making a donation to support Innovation Commons?