Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, has opened its 2015 Entrepreneurial Challenge to applicants.
Contestants can enter to submit disruptive technology concepts in four technical focus areas within the vertical flight market:
- Ruggedized, wireless sensing,
- Real-time augmented reality for complex systems,
- Aerospace quality additive manufacturing and
- High energy density and high power performance energy storage.
"These four focus areas represent technology needs that we have today, right now, for production aircraft and processes," says Jonathan Hartman, Entrepreneurial Challenge lead. "A great example is wireless sensing. We have immediate needs to deploy capabilities on our fleets of thousands of aircraft, if someone can or has solved the issue of reliability in high vibration and tough environmental conditions."
Sikorsky Innovations has opened applications to anyone with an innovative spark, “whether working in a garage or in a Fortune 500 company,” according to the events webpage.
“We are looking for the technology intersections between industries as different as biomedical and aerospace," says Chris Van Buiten, vice president of Sikorsky Innovations. "What we want entrepreneurs and innovators to look for is that win-win application of emerging technology that was not originally envisioned for the Sikorsky rotorcraft space but directly addresses one of our focus areas."
Sikorsky will host a public webinar in June. Potential applicants can gain additional insight and ask questions of the panel. Details of the webinar and the cash prize will be available on the Entrepreneurial Challenge website in June and July.
Applications are due by 5 pm EDT on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015.
To take the challenge or find more information, visit sikorsky.com/echallenge.