The Shima Seiki Haute Tech Lab (HTL) at ExCITE was founded in 2012 as a multidisciplinary research initiative following the signing of a groundbreaking, million-dollar gift from Shima Seiki USA. Shima Seiki, a world leader in 3D computerized knitting systems, generously donated sixteen SDS-ONE APEX3 workstations and three state-if-the-art knitting machines, Director Genevieve Dion has created a collaborative and creative research environment where state-of-the-art industrial knitting machines are used to explore production methods that advance the field of functional fabrics.