More design challenges going green

Underscoring the “green” trend in the electronics supply chain, Freescale Semiconductor has announced a design challenge targeting green electronics. The Austin, Texas-based company has invited embedded engineers and engineering students to participate in its first Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) Design Challenge for green electronics designs that use a select group of technologies from the company’s portfolio.

The competition will start here in the Americas, open to engineers and students in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The winner of the Americas FTF challenge will take home a $10,000 prize and will go on to compete against winners of FTF challenges in Israel, Japan, Europe, India, and China for a grand prize of $50,000 and a ticket to any 2009 FTF. Freescale’s design challenges outside of the Americas will begin in the next six months. All entries for the Americas FTF Design Challenge must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2008. For additional information, see www.freescale.com/designchallenge.

Premier Farnell and its U.S. arm Newark announced a similar green design contest in May called Live Edge – Electronic Design for the Global Environment.

Since its launch, that more than 3,200 design engineers, students and academics from 102 countries have registered to submit designs for an innovative product that uses electronic components and has a positive impact on the environment. The distributor reports the top 10 countries for registrations are the U.S., U.K., China, India, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Brazil, and France, respectively.

Farnell this week announced the LiveEdge competition panel of judges, which includes the U.K. head of the government office for science, the president of Sharp Microelectronics, and a China Ministry of Information Industry section chief.

The LiveEdge winner will receive a $50,000 cash prize, as well as a support package valued at $50,000 to move the design toward production. Farnell will also actively market the end product to customers via the Web, their catalog and direct marketing. In addition, up to five entrants will be eligible for honorable mentions, each receiving a cash prize of $5,000. The closing date for registration is October 31, and entries must be submitted by November 30. The 2007 LiveEdge awards will be presented online Jan. 31, 2008. More information about LiveEdge is available at www.Live-Edge.com.