Foxconn: $1M for college competition

Program seeks ideas with potential to use displays

Foxconn Technology Group announced Thursday it will invest over $1 million in a three-year competition among the state’s public and private universities for the best ideas to develop “smart” cities and systems throughout Wisconsin.

Foxconn, which plans to build a $10 billion manufacturing complex in Racine County, has expressed interest in encouraging initiatives — smart cities, self-driving vehicles — that hold potential for using the display panels the plant will produce here.

The goal of the “Smart Cities, Smart Future” competition is to tap talent at public and private universities and colleges. It will award prizes, financial awards and technical support in addition to a platform to encourage investments that bring the ideas to life.

More details will be announced during a Smart Futures Summit at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Aug 7. The university hosted Thursday’s rollout event.

“Wisconsin has excellent undergraduate and post-graduate talent. We want to work with our partners in higher education to develop various programs such as the Smart City, Smart Future initiative to foster, energize and retain talent in Wisconsin,” said Alan Yeung, Foxconn director of U.S. strategic initiatives and president of FEWI Development Corp.

Wisconsin’s talented workforce and strong work ethic were part of what attracted Foxconn, Yeung said.

“As a long-term partner to the Wisconsin community, we look forward to doing our part to nurture talent in strategic sectors that will support the state’s transformation into a global high-tech hub.”

Yeung was joined Thursday by leaders from the UW System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU) — three key partners in the initiative.

Together, the colleges and universities represent a potential talent pipeline of more than 350,000, according to officials.

“The University of Wisconsin System welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Foxconn and our higher education partners statewide to develop the Smart City, Smart Future initiative, a venture with enormous potential to tap the university’s talent, skills and resources to help grow Wisconsin’s economy,” said UW System President Ray Cross. “We commend Foxconn for taking the lead with this initiative.”

Tech college students are leaders in the workplace and the community, said Morna K. Foy, president of the Wisconsin Technical College System.

“This competition gives them, along with our outstanding instructors, a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate that and help shape Wisconsin’s future,” Foy said.

“Higher education is by definition about making connections, about innovative ideas,” said Rolf Wegenke, president of the independent colleges and universities group. “We learn what is and imagine what could be.”

In addition to public and private academic institutions, other key partners in the Smart City, Smart Future initiative include the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the Wisconsin Technology Council, the WiSys Foundation and the UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation.