Advanced Technology International (ATI), TechConnect, and three partner consortia today announced final contenders in the National Infrastructure Innovation Challenge who will compete this fall for $50,000 in prizes. These top 18 innovators will also earn membership in Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (RISE) Consortium, National Spectrum Consortium (NSC), and Consortium for Rare Earths Technologies (CREaTe), which source solutions for the federal government at the speed of need.

“Aligned with the nation’s Infrastructure Law, the COMPETES Act and the US Innovation and Competition Act, the National Infrastructure Innovation Challenge validates shifts we’ve seen for some time: resilient infrastructure improvement will define the current generation, supported by funding that will impact many generations to come,” said Matthew Laudon, Vice President – TechConnect Division, ATI. “What better place to begin than with the innovation community? From energy to 5G, from sensors to rare earths, we’re proud to partner with the country’s leading technology consortia as they accelerate and fund top solution providers for the good of the nation.”

The Summit, co-located with the SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference, Operational Energy and Logistics Summit, Resilience Week, Smart Cities Connect Conference and more, boasts an audience rich with prospective buyers and deal-makers.

Finalists receive, in addition to the chance at funding, membership and engagement opportunities with all three partner consortia. RISE Consortium offers its affiliates access to greater opportunity to work with the Federal government, faster contracting speed, and market expansion into the Department of Defense. National Spectrum Consortium positions its members to: collaborate with senior government officials to shape requirements for electromagnetic spectrum sharing; conduct research and development; and provide technical input to policy, regulation and more. Consortium for Rare Earth Technologies members collaborate across rare earth supply chains, gain greater visibility into national supply chain needs, partner with companies large and small, and generate exposure to cutting-edge technologies.

For more information about this Challenge or to attend the pitch event, visit: https://events.techconnect.org/DTCFall/Infrastructure/.

About TechConnect
With 25+ years of experience connecting emerging technologies with unique funding and partnership opportunities, TechConnect boasts the most robust research and innovation network in the world. It employs a broad scope of tools to deliver top technologies, including open innovation programs, conferences, and open-access publications. Each year, TechConnect prospects, vets, and connects thousands of emerging technologies with corporate, investment, municipal, and national defense clients. TechConnect is a division of Advanced Technology International. techconnect.org

About Advanced Technology International
ATI, a public-service nonprofit based in Summerville, S.C., builds and manages collaborations that conduct research and development of new technologies to solve our nation’s most pressing challenges. Fueled by a community of experts from industry, academia, and government, ATI accelerates impact by using the power of collaboration to help the federal government quickly acquire novel technologies. ATI.org

About Consortium for Rare Earths Technologies (CREaTe)
The Consortium for Rare Earths Technologies (CREaTe) brings together the community of organizations that mine, process, and use Rare Earths, and connects them with organizations that can develop technologies to help them. CREaTe focuses on enabling collaborative technology development from pre-competitive roadmapping up through prototype development and production for the benefit of the entire U.S. industrial base. Representatives from the U.S. government, industry and academia are invited to join CREaTe.
https://www.rareearthtechnologies.org

About National Spectrum Consortium (NSC)
The NSC’s mission is to build bridges between key stakeholder groups — government and industry; industry stalwarts and startups; and civilian and military suppliers and users — to deliver two essential outcomes: breakthroughs in spectrum- and spectrum-using capabilities; and policy and regulatory insights to enhance, inform and sustain U.S. technical leadership. For more information, visit www.nationalspectrumconsortium.org.

About Resilient Infrastructure and Secure Energy (RISE) Consortium
The RISE Consortium works with innovators and experts to rapidly deploy technologies for installation and operational energy, integrate energy and climate resilience into performance contracting, and develop new business models to ensure those solutions are scalable. The RISE Consortium serves as an industry forum for manufacturers, technology startups, energy services companies, utilities, academic institutions, financiers, and legal, consulting, and engineering firms to engage with new federal energy and resilience policies, standards, and programs. Explore further: www.rise-consortium.org