Technology Companies to Participate in Automotive Business Forum

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2010 – ASME will sponsor AutoVenture Forum, an automotive industry event set for Sept. 22, 2010, at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Mich.

AutoVenture Forum will provide the opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to access auto industry officials to forge key business relationships and partnerships. The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is collaborating with ASME on the one-day business event, which will match selected entrepreneurial ventures with auto manufacturers and other industry representatives seeking new business models and advanced technologies to improve products, grow markets, and enhance customer relationships.

A maximum of 20 start-ups and early-stage companies involved in vehicle microelectronics and other pioneering technologies will be selected to make brief pitches to panels of automotive industry personnel in leadership positions.

“The AutoVenture Forum is aimed at building a profitable automotive sector by facilitating a more agile innovation processes,” said Chris Przirembel, Clemson University vice president for Research and Economic Development and chair of the ASME Committee on Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. “To fully succeed, corporate automotive innovation groups need to draw upon the worldwide entrepreneurial community to tap creative business models and innovative technologies.”

ASME, Clemson, and the U.S. Department of Energy have provided the funding for AutoVenture Forum.

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.

About CU-ICAR

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is an advanced technology research campus where academia, industry and government organizations engage in synergistic collaboration. With more than $200 million in commitments, CU-ICAR represents the ultimate public/private partnership, directly fueling a knowledge base critical to the automotive industry.

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ASME Media Contact:
John Varrasi
varrasij@asme.org
212.591.8158