Avnet Express' Drive for Innovation Marks Last Stop Highlighting Companies Innovating in VancouverYear-long program culminates with 30,838 miles traveled through 24 U.S. states and interviewed 750 people at 245 companiesJun 27, 2012 PHOENIX and SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As the Drive for Innovation makes its last pit stop on its year-long journey across North America this week in Vancouver, British Columbia, the success of the program proves that technology innovation is thriving. This week, Brian Fuller navigated his General Motors Chevrolet Volt towards Saturna Green Systems, Avigilon and Delta Controls. These three companies couldn't be more different and yet – they have one thing in common: they are innovating right here in North America. As the year-long program comes to a close, we look back on where we've been. In total, the Drive for Innovation has featured more than 750 stories shared by engineers, entrepreneurs, inventors, educators and students on www.driveforinnovation.com. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120627/SF31065-INFO) The Drive for Innovation is an inspired initiative in partnership between UBM Electronics, the daily source of essential business and technical information for the design engineering and electronics industry's decision makers, and Avnet Express, the e-Commerce engine for Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT). A few of the top innovations the Drive for Innovation discovered along its journey include:
"The Drive for Innovation has given Avnet Express the opportunity to reach a broader base of design engineers and expose its readers to innovation taking place right in their own backyards," said Beth Ely, senior vice president, Avnet Express. "As we make our final stop, Avnet would like to thank everyone who came along for the journey." "As we conclude our year-long quest for technology innovation on the road, it's been an honor and a privilege for me to meet and interview so many electronics engineers around the country, in a fun and creative way," said Brian Fuller, editorial lead, Drive for Innovation. "I look forward to continuing to uncover and celebrate innovation in the electronics industry by showcasing the breakthroughs and inspiring stories as we continue to fuel our audience with inspiring stories for the next year." Since July 2011, the Chevrolet Volt has been making periodic stops throughout the journey, where Fuller, the driver of the Chevrolet Volt, has been blogging and posting video updates about his experiences. Over the past year, Fuller has travelled 30,838 miles and through 24 states throughout the U.S. and Vancouver, British Columbia. Fuller has made 245 interview stops, interviewed 750 people at 245 companies. Additionally, he has completed 420 blog entries uploaded 180 videos as well as 520 images. To view an info-graphic of these milestones, click here. The Drive for Innovation program offered games and prizes throughout the year to fuel community engagement. Avnet Express awarded a new Chevrolet Volt to a sweepstakes winner. Seattle-based Engineer Ted T. Yan, at the Boeing Company, was selected as the winner of a new General Motors Chevrolet Volt. Click here to read a story about the sweepstakes winner. In addition, the Drive for Innovation hit its apex in January with the complete disassembly of a Chevrolet Volt. The three-day teardown highlighted the technology used inside the car down to the board and chip level. Removing about 600 components from the car, the team of engineers examined each part in detail, even taking note of circuit designs and individual integrated circuits used. Click here to see a time-lapse video of the Chevrolet Volt teardown. Avnet Express will give the Formula Electric Team from the Arizona State University Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering the keys to the disassembled Chevrolet Volt that was used in the teardown to further examine the vehicle, its parts and functionality at the conclusion of the Drive for Innovation program Earlier this month, Avnet Express announced plans to donate Fuller's Chevrolet Volt to Chances for Children Arizona, a nonprofit that gives children in low-income families a chance at a healthier lifestyle. To help further its commitment to improving quality of life by supporting partnerships and programs that provide access to sports, physical education, and character education or youth, Chances for Children Arizona will transform the car into the "Get Motivated" car, allowing families greater access to health education programs that they might not otherwise be able to attend. Avnet Express gives design engineers and purchasing professionals online access to the world's largest catalog of electronic component products, which tops five million parts. Avnet Express offers parametric searching capabilities and the ability to upload a bill of materials (BOM) for easier sourcing of products and a consistent global platform of localized content. The site can be accessed in nine languages and 13 currencies. The Drive for Innovation website (www.driveforinnovation.com) will continue to feature content from the road trip and new innovative stories. Additionally, it will offer a monthly newsletter to fuel community engagement. To sign up for the newsletter visit: www.driveforinnovation.com. To learn more about Avnet Express, visit avnetexpress.com. Follow the "Drive for Innovation" on Facebook and Twitter. About Avnet Electronics Marketing About Avnet, Inc. About UBM Electronics For more information, go to www.ubmelectronics.com; follow us at @ubm_electronics to get the latest UBM Electronics news. For more information on UBM Electronics please contact: For more information on Avnet Express please contact: SOURCE UBM Electronics |