$1 Million Up For Grabs in New Foxconn Competition for Colleges, Universities and Their Students

Foxconn will spend $1 million dollars---over the next three years---to encourage Wisconsin colleges and universities---and their students---to develop new ideas for so-called “smart cities.” At an event held at UW-Parkside Thursday---Foxconn announced its “Smart City, Smart Future” initiative in which the company will partner with higher education institutions statewide to seek out the best new ideas for the development of smart, connected cities and systems throughout Wisconsin. The initiative will look for innovative ways to harness technology to enhance quality of life and working environments---inspire attractive streetscapes, transportation networks and living spaces---and---promote sustainable economic and demographic growth.

Bryan Albrecht---the president of Gateway Technical College---one of the featured speakers at the event---said that the "Smart City/Smart Future" initiative rests pretty much on the shoulders of students currently attending colleges and universities. “They are truly the future of our community. They bring to life the 'Smart City, Smart Future' that we’re all talking about today. They challenge us. They design, they build, and they sustain the way we live, work and interact with our technological world.”

Foxconn will provide the best ideas with financial---and--- technical support in addition to a platform to attract investments to support them in bringing their ideas to life.