InnovationSpace Announces Projects for 2009-2010
Students in ASU’s InnovationSpace program will tackle an expanded range of social challenges during the 2009-2010 academic year, thanks to a combination of funding from grants and corporate sponsors. InnovationSpace is a transdisciplinary education and research lab that teaches students how to develop products that create market value while serving real societal needs and minimizing impacts on the environment.
For the fourth year in a row, the global design giant Herman Miller will sponsor three student teams to create product concepts that improve healing environments.
InnovationSpace also welcomes first-time sponsor Dow Corning, an international corporation that specializes in silicon-based technologies. Dow Corning will support student teams charged with developing innovative healthcare applications for some of the company’s newest materials.
A grant from ASU’s Pathways to Entrepreneurship program will enable another three student teams to create product ideas for toys that help children manage the physical, cognitive and emotional challenges of autism. The project is a collaboration among the Phoenix-based Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC); product designers from majorToy, Inc., a toy-invention company; and ASU’s Infant-Child Research Programs (ICRP).
“This year’s sponsors and collaborators will enable the InnovationSpace program to deepen its core competency in the field of healthcare,” says InnovationSpace project leader Prasad Boradkar. “At the same time, we welcome the opportunity to add new areas of exploration. And we’re excited to welcome new collaborators to the dynamic group of educators, researchers and industry professionals who help provide the innovative education that prepares our students for meeting real-world challenges.” |
