Ghazaleh Afrahi of Shifting Shap3s with OICE Director Kevin Buchan. Photo: Wiebke Schroeder
Dr. Adel Merabet, a Professor in the Division of Engineering at Saint Mary’s University, is driving innovation through his partnership with Shifting Shap3s, a clean tech startup company leading the way in additive manufacturing and sustainable plastic waste solutions.
Shifting Shap3s has developed FilamentPro™, a product that decentralizes the recycling of additive manufacturing plastic waste. By allowing users to transform waste into reusable filament, the company tackles two key challenges: reducing environmental impact and improving material efficiency. To enhance FilamentPro’s performance, Shifting Shap3s collaborated with Dr. Merabet, leveraging his expertise in heat distribution, automation, and energy efficiency.
Dr. Merabet and his postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Mohammadali Kiehbadroudinezhad, conducted comprehensive feasibility studies and simulations, addressing critical challenges like filament quality, energy consumption, and productivity. These findings informed significant improvements to FilamentPro and paved the way for the next phase of the project. Dr. Merabet now leads efforts to design and test an optimized version of the product, ready for real-world application and market launch.
“Our experience collaborating with Saint Mary’s University has been truly transformative,” said Ghazaleh Afrahi, Founder of Shifting Shap3s. “This partnership significantly advanced our product development journey and enhanced the diversity of our talent team. We look forward to continuing this collaboration to strengthen our impact in reducing plastic waste and preserving resources.”
Through his work with Shifting Shap3s, Dr. Merabet is not only advancing engineering innovation but also contributing to a more sustainable future in additive manufacturing and material efficiency. This partnership highlights the power of combining expertise, creativity, and shared commitment to addressing global environmental challenges.
The Office of Innovation and Community Engagement (OICE) at Saint Mary’s University facilitates research partnerships between the University and companies, government departments and community organizations. OICE is the initial point of contact for faculty members and external partners wishing to collaborate. The office assists with finding suitable expertise, contract development and advising on funding opportunities.
This project highlight is from the 2025 OICE Report, which features researchers from Saint Mary's University and their external partners.