9th Annual Science Fair
Science Fair is Autotech Council's once-a-year opportunity for technology companies to introduce innovation to strategy, R&D, scouting, and partnership executives from across the mobility industry. Share your innovation with a pitch or at a table, sign up for personalized MatchMaker introductions, or just browse the exhibits.
- Date:10/17/2024 01:00 PM
- Location SRI Parc Campus, 3333 Coyote Hill Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States (Map)
Description
FULL DETAILS | MATCHMAKER SERVICE | EXHIBITOR LIST | ATTENDEE LIST
Silicon Valley, California, October 21 2024/Meeting Recap/ The Autotech Council's Science Fair, held at SRI in Palo Alto on October 17, 2024, drew an impressive crowd of around 200 attendees. The event is our platform for showcasing groundbreaking automotive technologies from both our usual startup guests, but also industry leaders who are part of the Autotech Council community. The objectives are the same as we always hold dear: fostering collaboration between industry, innovators, and investors, and speeding time-to-deal between big players and startups.
High School Science Fairs, with their emphasis on hands-on exhibits and interactive demonstrations, are an apt metaphor for this meeting. Each of the presenters has a standard sized table, and they are asked to demonstrate their latest and most compelling solutions. At the same time, private introductions and one-on-one meetings are taking place. In the context of the rapidly evolving automotive landscape, this annual event plays a crucial role in accelerating partnerships around next-generation vehicle and mobility solutions.
This year's Science Fair was particularly noteworthy, featuring 35 exhibitors who presented a diverse array of products and solutions and four live car demos in the parking lot. The integration of the afternoon Science Fair with the morning of the Council's traditional startup review created a unique opportunity for attendees to experience both the PowerPoint AND the hardware of automotive innovation. The exhibits provided a tangible demonstration of the advancements being made in areas such as sensor technology, UI, automated lighting systems, and electric vehicle infrastructure.
The convergence of technological advancements in diverse fields such as electrification, artificial intelligence, big data, and materials science is driving unprecedented innovation in the automotive sector. Of the many trends on display this year, from autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle tech, transformation of travel, and communication and interaction in the vehicle and with our surroundings, it was clear that the automotive industry is increasingly embracing sustainable practices and circular economy principles to minimize its environmental impact and promote resource efficiency. All of these cutting edge topics were on display at the Science Fair.
Special thanks to Yazaki and Lattice Semiconductor for their sponsorship, to the Consulate General of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service for presenting 10 market-ready startups from their Canadian Technology Accelerator program in Silicon Valley, to SRI for hosting us this year at their PARC campus in Palo Alto with beautiful views of the Silicon Valley, and to the hard-working Autotech Council staff who made the private MatchMaker Meeting Service so successful for everyone who needed introductions. The Council's mission to facilitate business relationships and expedite the deployment of transformative technologies underscores our small yet vital role in shaping the future of the automotive industry.
