Enter the UDM/Ford Innovation Contest

• Are you a creative idea person?
• Do you like to tinker with new concepts?
• Do you think wireless communication and computing is cool?

Now’s your chance to become an award-winning innovator!

Enter your team in the UDM/Ford Innovation Contest to conceive a new application for SYNC—the Bluetooth system developed by Ford Motor Company and Microsoft.

Each team—comprised of 3-5 full-time UDM undergraduate students from any major— must develop a 3-minute digital presentation simulating the new application.

Contest requirements include: (Full Contest Rules)

1. Register your team by Monday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m. Team members must be 3-5 full time undergraduate UDM students from any major.
2. Attend an introductory kick-off presentation, Monday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m in the highbay of the engineering Building.
3. Attend a mid-contest coaching meeting with leading innovators from Ford, IDEO (a leading innovation consulting company) and UDM on Friday, Sept. 18, 6-9 p.m.
4. Develop and submit a 3-minute digital (video) presentation of a new SYNC application(simulation only; teams don’t need to build out actual application) byMonday, October 9, 2009

The Challenge is open to the first 25 teams to register that meet requirements. Presentations will be judged by leaders at Ford and IDEO, UDM faculty and a Detroit automotive journalist.

Contest award prizes are:

• A 2-day visit to IDEO in Chicago for the winning team including learning more about their innovation processes and participating in an actual innovation project with an IDEO team
• A 2-day immersion in Ford’s Special Vehicle Team including working with some of Ford’s top innovators, participating in vehicle design meetings/activities and a “drive event”
• and much more . . .

Winners will be announced at the Ford Innovation Symposium on Thursday, October 15, 6-9 p.m., Life Sciences Building, McNichols Campus.

Contest sponsored by University of Detroit Mercy, Ford Motor Company, and IDEO.