PARIS, France, Sep 18, 2014 – Valeo announced the seven teams selected by its experts to present their projects to a jury in Paris on Thursday, October 16, 2014, with the chance of winning the €100,000 first prize.
The shortlisted teams represent six countries from four continents: Australia, Germany, the United States, Brazil, Canada and India.
Nearly 1,000 teams from 55 countries signed up for a chance to propose and develop daring solutions that will revolutionize the automobile of 2030.
Many original, varied and innovative projects, including some of outstanding quality, were examined by Valeo experts. The technical solutions proposed by the contestants are illustrative of each country’s prevailing societal concerns. For example, the Indian engineering students are focusing on road safety, while the European students, like their North American peers, are more concerned about reducing carbon emissions and creating a smart, connected and autonomous vehicle. Across the board, they are working to make the car of 2030 a cleaner, safer and more enjoyable ride.
The seven finalist teams are:
- For Australia the UTS Unleashed team from the University of Technology Sydney
- For Brazil the Sadec team from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
- For Canada the Three VeMAColleagues from the University of Waterloo
- For Canada the UOttawa team from the University of Ottawa
- For Germany, the AEM team from the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
- For India, the Falcons team from the Vellore Institute of Technology
- For USA, the CU ICAR team from Clemson University
Each team will present their project to the Challenge jury on October 16 in conjunction with the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
Jacques Aschenbroich, Valeo chief executive officer and Guillaume Devauchelle, vice-president Group Innovation and Scientific Development, will announce the winners at a press conference attended by the students on Friday, October 17 at 9:00AM at the Maison de La Recherche in Paris.
The jury, which is comprised of Valeo executives and outside partners, will be chaired by Mr. Aschenbroich. The winning team will take home a €100,000 prize and the second- and third place teams will each receive €10,000.
Launched by Valeo in September 2013, the Valeo Innovation Challenge is a global contest open to engineering students around the world, who are invited to play an active role in automobile innovation by designing the product or system that will create smarter, more intuitive cars by 2030.
Valeo will kick off the next Valeo Innovation Challenge for students worldwide at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
For more information, go to: https://valeoinnovationchallenge.valeo.com/
In 2013, for the second consecutive year, Valeo was featured in Thomson Reuters’ Top 100 Global Innovators ranking, reflecting the Group’s commitment to innovation.
Most of the Group’s research and development programs are focused on the design of technologies that reduce motor vehicle carbon emissions and promote intuitive driving. The company ranks among the leading patent filers in France and dedicates 10% of its original equipment revenue to innovation. With close to 9,000 researchers in 16 research centers and 35 development centers around the world, Valeo has developed an array of innovative products and technologies that represent more than 30% of orders.
Valeo was also awarded the Top Employers label in 18 countries for 2013.
About Valeo
Valeo is an automotive supplier, partner to all automakers worldwide. A technological company, Valeo proposes innovative products and systems that contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to the development of intuitive driving.
In 2013, the Group generated sales of €12.1 billion and invested over 10% of its original equipment sales in research and development. The Group has 123 plants, 16 research centers, 34 development centers and 12 distribution platforms, and employs 78,600 people in 29 countries worldwide.
Valeo is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange and is included in the benchmark CAC40 index.
To learn more about the Valeo Group and its businesses, please visit www.valeo.com.