DENSO Sponsors EcoCAR Innovation Challenge
DENSO is sponsoring the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, a four-year collegiate engineering competition that prepares students to become future leaders in mobility, technology and innovation. Through its sponsorship, DENSO is providing advanced radar sensors, engineering volunteer support and financial contributions to help students gain hands-on experience solving real-world automotive challenges.
Program Overview and Participants
Managed by Argonne National Laboratory as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions program, the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge brings together 20 university teams from across North America. Students apply advanced engineering, super intelligence and entrepreneurial thinking to develop mobility solutions while building the technical and professional skills needed for future careers.
Quote From DENSO Leadership
“DENSO is committed to creating safer, smarter and more sustainable mobility while helping develop the next generation of engineers and technology leaders,” said Mike Murzyn, leader of DENSO’s North America Peace of Mind business group. “EcoCAR gives students the opportunity to work on real-world technologies, collaborate with industry experts and solve meaningful engineering challenges. We’re proud to support a program that helps build the technical talent, creativity and leadership needed to shape the future of mobility.”
Technology Donation and Industry Relevance
As part of its commitment, DENSO is donating advanced radar sensing technology to support vehicle development activities within the competition. DENSO has decades of experience developing sensing technologies that help enable advanced driver-assistance systems and safer mobility solutions. By providing students with access to industry-relevant technologies, the company said it is helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world engineering applications.
Competition Focus Areas and Skill Development
The competition challenges students to develop advanced vehicle technologies across areas such as connected and automated vehicles, battery systems, powertrain development, innovation and entrepreneurship. Through collaboration with industry sponsors and technical experts, participants gain experience that extends beyond engineering fundamentals to include project management, communication and commercialization skills.