Feb 17 2021
Researchers and entrepreneurs developing sensor technologies for use in a variety of applications will share their expertise and experiences during a free event presented by UMass Lowell on Wednesday, March 3 at noon.
The virtual program "Next Generation Sensors and Applications" will spotlight the work of Merrimack Valley startups and offer insights on how sensors are reshaping the marketplace. Sensors are used in everything from smartphones to COVID-19 tracing and have a growing place in the aviation, defense, environmental, health care and robotics industries, among others.
The program will be presented by the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, a startup incubator that operates locations in Lowell and Haverhill; the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), a medical-device and biotech incubator that is a partnership between UMass Lowell and UMass Medical School; and Arrow Electronics. "This event is a unique opportunity to learn about the landscape of sensor technologies from industry leaders and to demonstrate the ways in which partnering with the research faculty and research centers at UMass Lowell can help to advance these technologies," said Arlene Parquette, UMass Lowell associate vice chancellor for industry partnerships and economic development.
Parquette is scheduled to speak at the program, along with UMass Lowell's Craig Armiento, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the university's Printed Electronics Research Collaborative (PERC).
In addition, representatives from Arrow Electronics and Honeywell will highlight their respective technologies and collaborations with UMass Lowell, while entrepreneurs behind startups Microshare and Vivonics will discuss their pioneering work using Internet of Things technologies to create new products. Microshare is based at the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in Haverhill; Vivonics is a resident company at M2D2 in Lowell.
"This event, the first in a series about sensors, will highlight both UMass Lowell and broader industry developments related to these cutting-edge technologies," said Tom O'Donnell, UMass Lowell senior director of innovation initiatives. "From smart cities and autonomous vehicles to real-time health diagnostics, biohazard detection and automation, sensor-enabled solutions are addressing critical needs in our 21st-century society. UMass Lowell, with its focus on applied research and technology commercialization, is leading the way in key areas such as robotics, smart fabrics, the Internet of Things, medical devices and much more."
Members of the public who would like more information or to register for the program should go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/industry-update-next-generation-sensors-and-applications-tickets-139015476031.
The iHub in Haverhill is the newest business incubator established by UMass Lowell. The university's first Innovation Hub, now home to more than 30 companies, opened in Lowell in 2015.
M2D2 operates lab-based incubators in Lowell and Worcester and offers networking opportunities and other programs for medical device and biotech startups. Since the center was founded in 2007, M2D2 has vetted more than 250 medical-device and biotech ventures for inclusion in its programs and provided support to more than 100 startups. In total, M2D2 resident companies have secured more than $150 million in external funding for their innovations.