First Global Competition for Hardware-Led Social Innovation Issues Call for Entries

Application Deadline for ASME’s Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) is March 15, 2017

NEW YORK, New York, Feb. 1, 2017 – – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the world’s largest organization for the field of mechanical engineering, today announced a call for entries to the 2017 ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW).

ASME’s ISHOW is seeking sustainable and scalable hardware-based solutions and technologies that can have a transformational economic, environmental and social impact in underserved communities around the world. The global competition invites the best and brightest engineers, entrepreneurs, students, and innovators to enter their prototype solutions that focus on energy, health, agriculture, clean water, and sanitation.

“ASME launched the ISHOW because research shows the lack of support for hardware innovators seeking entry into global markets,” said K. Keith Roe, president of ASME.  “The products in the competition all demonstrate the potential for making a social and environmental impact, while showcasing the creativity and ingenuity of tomorrow’s engineering problem-solvers and business leaders.”

Now in its third year, ASME’s ISHOW is the only global competition with a focus on hardware-led social innovation. The competitions will be held this spring in Bangalore, Nairobi, and Washington D.C., where finalists in all three locations will share $500,000 in seed grants, technical assistance, design and engineering reviews and access to ISHOW’s partnership network.   

Designers of prototype energy systems, medical devices, environmental remediation systems, and other technologies that offer promise for addressing these pressing challenges, are invited to enter one of three ISHOW competitions in Bangalore, India; Nairobi, Kenya, and Washington, D.C.  The deadline for entries is March 15, 2017.

For more information on the application process or to explore past finalists and winners, please visit: ThisIsHardware.org.

Previous winners include:

• Buoy by Calliope, a connected whole-house device that gives homeowners real-time, detailed information about how and where they use water.
• Chakr by Chakr Innovations, a device that absorbs over 60% of the particulate matter (soot) from engines and converts it into Ink – a value added product.
• mDOC by Neurosynaptic Communications, a mobile diagnostic platform allowing health workers to be mobile and provide healthcare at the patients’ doorstep in rural areas.
• Others here: 2015-16 ISHOW Winners

In the competitions, ten contestants will pitch their product prototypes to judges, including leaders who are successful entrepreneurs and founders of venture-funded startup companies.  The pitches will outline the engineering design of the prototypes and also include a discussion of plans for manufacturing, implementation, marketing, and financing.

See video: https://youtu.be/NIbb4_i4Cn0

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.  For more information, visit www.asme.org.

Contacts:
Deborah Wetzel
Media Relations Manager
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
212.591.7085
wetzeld@asme.org

Peter Himler
Flatiron Communications LLC (for ASME)
phimler@flatironcomm.com
Google Voice: 516-308 1120
Twitter: @peterhimler

Isabelle Jetté
McPherson Strategies (for ASME)
isabelle@mcpstrategies.com
(m) 312-636-6390