University of Illinois announces new technology facility
According to Market Watch, the University of Illinois has announced the development of a new technology centre designed to promote entrepreneurship, commercialization and computing.
Based at the University of Illinois, the new technology centre will be focusing on creating an environment in which developers can research and develop advances in heterogeneous computing -- electronic systems and their individual components such as CPU cores.
The centre is being built via a collaboration of the University of Illinois and AMD. Labeled the 'AMD Fusion Center of Innovation', it is expected to fund, tutor and promote commercial enterprises and start-up businesses that focus on heterogeneous computing and new software development.
Manju Hegde, AMD of the Fusion Experience Program said:
"The AMD Fusion Center of Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides the perfect environment of academia and software development. We believe heterogeneous computing will be the enabler for innovative user interfaces and immersive computing experiences, which will ultimately be driven by aspiring and audacious students."
The collaborating of the Technology Entrepreneur Center and AMD is designed to further promote and develop the entrepreneurship culture within Illinois. The hope stands that students will apply their ideas to currently available software and form new ventures -- of which may be commercialized by technology companies in the future.
Rob Schultz, senior director of IllinoisVENTURES indicated the scheme is meant to encourage innovative thinking concerning the future possibilities of software and Internet services:
"We are encouraging the university community to think big about what's possible through software and web services by focusing on the creative aspects. The AMD Fusion Center of Innovation will provide a spark for new software and web ideas as students receive hands-on access to AMD APU technology and learn how to enable richer user experiences using heterogeneous computing."
To promote and kick-start the centre, a course is being offered at the university called 'Lectures in Engineering Entrepreneurship' this year. It will bring together a mix of speakers to cover heterogeneous computing technology, commercial and market knowledge, and start-up creation.
At the end of the course, students are able to submit projects for evaluation and potential funding opportunities.
Image credit: Flickr
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