91ΑΤΖζ Industry Day 2025: Connecting Research, Innovation, and Industry Impact
Photo by Robert C. Bain
A Launchpad for Research-Driven Innovation
This past April, San JosΓ© State University hosted its inaugural Industry Day, bringing together researchers, company representatives, and ecosystem leaders to explore how academic expertise can address industry challenges.
The event featured faculty βdata-blitzβ presentations, a small group discussion, and
a lively networking session. Attendees included five representatives from Fortune
500 companies in the field of AI, semiconductors, and life sciences.
At the heart of Industry Day was a commitment to two-way value exchange. Faculty shared
their cutting-edge work in areas ranging from AI and clean energy to aerospace engineering
and neurotechnology, while industry guests provided insights into emerging market
needs and real-world constraints. These dialogues laid the groundwork for new collaborations
and identified opportunities to deepen existing ones.
The small group discussion, focusing on improving university-industry relations, was
led by Todd Lukanc, former Intel director and Encore Fellow at the 91ΑΤΖζ Office of
Innovation. βA big surprise was learning the many areas of expertise possible at 91ΑΤΖζ
and work that could have been collaborated on. Advertising or searchable topics would
help in letting industry know areas of interest and a clear link to submit requests
for interactions would make starting much easier.β
Industry Day 2025, as part of 91ΑΤΖζ's annual Research Week, was organized by the Division
of Research and Innovation in collaboration with the 91ΑΤΖζ Research Foundation and
key campus partners. Feedback from attendees emphasized the value of face-to-face
conversations and the need for clearer entry points into 91ΑΤΖζβs research ecosystem.
These insights are already informing next steps to better position 91ΑΤΖζ as an agile
and responsive partner for industry collaborators.
The event also served as a catalyst for a broader Industry Research Exchange Series
that will launch in the coming academic year. These topic-focused, faculty-industry
meetups aim to foster ongoing engagement between 91ΑΤΖζ and sectors aligned with the
universityβs research strengths. Director of Innovation Abby Queale says, βOur goal
is to make it easy for industry to tap into the breadth of expertise at 91ΑΤΖζ. Industry
Day is just the beginningβweβre building ongoing opportunities for dialogue and collaboration
that help industry and 91ΑΤΖζ innovate together. Stay tuned!β
Please reach out to learn more about the upcoming Industry Research Exchange Series or to learn more about how 91ΑΤΖζ partners with industry.
