Freescale Challenges Designers Worldwide to "Go Green"
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$50,000 to winning environmentally beneficial electronic design in global FTF Design Challenge
AUSTIN, Texas - Oct. 29, 2007 - In response to increasing customer demand for energy efficient and green products, Freescale Semiconductor is kicking off a green design challenge that encourages designing for the environment.
"One of the greatest challenges facing the engineering community is to increase energy efficiency in everything we create," Freescale Chairman and CEO Michel Mayer told a crowd of engineers at the Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) Americas in June.
Freescale invites embedded engineers and engineering students to participate in its first worldwide FTF Design Challenge to help make the world a greener place. Participants will create innovative, green electronic designs using a select group of solutions from the company's broad product portfolio.
"Energy management and other green issues are becoming major considerations in virtually every purchase decision: consumer or corporate," said Mayer. "We encourage the FTF Design Challenge participants to experiment and test the boundaries in designing energy efficient products."
Freescale actively encourages electronics innovation in engineering professionals and students alike. At FTF China in 2006, a group of students from Shanghai Jiatong University Joint Auto Lab used Freescale technology to develop a working fuel cell vehicle.
Earlier this year, the Freescale Black Widow Design Challenge invited engineers in the United States, Canada and Mexico to create the most inventive design using Freescale's highly integrated, low-end 8-bit MCUs with the option of employing the USBSPYDER08 Discovery Kit. The top three designs used Freescale semiconductor technology to create a myoelectric hand prosthesis; an "Etch-a-Sketch" toy that enabled sketches to be saved, retrieved and recreated electronically on the tablet; and a therapeutic massager.
Based on the overwhelming interest and success of the Black Widow Design Challenge, Freescale is opening this competition worldwide and focusing on green trends.
About the FTF Design Challenge
Freescale is hosting Design Challenges in the Americas, Israel, Japan, Europe, India and China to reward the most inventive green embedded designs with cash prizes and high-profile recognition. The Americas Challenge, announced today, is open to engineers and students in the United States, Canada and Mexico. All entries for the Americas FTF Design Challenge must be submitted online by Jan. 31, 2008. The first place winner will receive $10,000 USD, second place $5,000 and third place $2,000.
In addition, regional first place winners will be invited to participate in the Grand FTF Design Challenge, competing against first place winners from FTF Design Challenges in the Americas, and other regions such as Israel, Japan, Europe, China and India for $50,000 and a ticket to the FTF 2009 of his or her choice. Regional challenges will open over the next six months for Freescale Technology Forums in Israel, Japan, Europe, India and China. For additional information about entry requirements, official rules, the design selection process and winner notifications, please visit freescale.com/designchallenge.
About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2006 sales of $6.4 billion (USD). www.freescale.com
Media Contacts
North America
Nicole Urbis
Freescale Semiconductor
(512) 895-2897
nicole.urbis@freescale.com
Emilie Harris
Lois Paul & Partners
(512) 638-5321
emilie_harris@lpp.com
