Smarter home systems, better batteries, more wearable tech, and totally outside-the-box electronics with the potential to usher in the next generation of high-tech living can be found in one place in January.
That place is Eureka Park, an area dedicated to up-and-coming technology born from fundamental science and engineering innovation, at the world’s largest consumer electronics event, the 2015 International CES®.
From Jan. 6-9, 2015, in Las Vegas, small businesses, startups and spinoffs with pre-market technology will demo their prototypes and proofs-of-concept for passers-by looking for fresh ideas.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) co-founded Eureka Park in 2012 to help emerging technology ready for commercialization gain marketplace exposure by giving NSF grantees access to potential partners and investors at the premier consumer electronics tradeshow. This year, the zone is supported by NSF in partnership with UP Global.
Going into its fourth iteration, Eureka Park will host more than 350 companies, a three-fold increase over its first year. Eighteen of those companies are funded by the NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs.
“The boom in the number of Eureka Park exhibitors is due to the zone’s reputation as a hotbed for technological innovation,” says Pramod Khargonekar, NSF assistant director for Engineering. “The companies in attendance this year are representative of the types of NSF-funded technology that have compelling applications to everyday life.”
Early wonders on a global stage
Included in Eureka Park is the University Innovations Marketplace, which features consumer-focused technologies developed in academic environments.
Students and staff from four NSF-funded Engineering Research Centers, interdisciplinary groups based at universities with industry partners that produce complex engineered systems and systems technologies, will be present.
Demonstrations will range from a virtual rehabilitation platform to new wearable energy harvesting devices.
“Producing young leaders equipped to compete in a global economy is as important as producing engineered systems,” Khargonekar says. “CES is a wonderful opportunity for students to see how their work can impact others and to make new connections to further their own professional development.”
Innovation across a spectrum
Eureka Park participants will showcase potential applications for more interactive online learning, sustainable energy and the environment, a more efficient cyber and communications infrastructure, improved health and advanced manufacturingtechniques that broadly affect American lives.
Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the 2015 International CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technology and will feature will feature 20 category-specific marketplaces highlighting innovation across diverse product areas.
Eureka Park will be located at CES Tech West, within the Sands Expo Center. CES runs from Tuesday, Jan. 6 to Friday, Jan. 9 in Las Vegas.
Filed Under: Energy management + harvesting, M2M (machine to machine)
