U News | Cirrus deploys a fleet of SR Series G7+ aircraft at Texas Southern University
Georgia Tech recently celebrated the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory.
From Texas Southern University:
Cirrus®, which has a major operation in Knoxville, has announced the fleet delivery of SR Series G7+ aircraft to Texas Southern University, the world’s first university with a fleet of aircraft equipped with Safe Return™ Emergency Autoland by Garmin®. The SR Series G7+ fleet complements Texas Southern University’s current SR Series G7 fleet as well as the recent school expansion, augmenting a highly sought-after flight training program for its students.
In an emergency situation, anyone in the cabin can easily activate Safe Return Emergency Autoland with the push of a button to engage the system and initiate a safe, autonomous landing. Once activated, Safe Return Emergency Autoland uses advanced algorithms and sensors to autonomously fly to the nearest suitable airport, notify air traffic control, communicate with passengers, navigate terrain, obstacles and weather, and then safely land the aircraft, bringing it to a full stop and shutting down the engine.
The SR Series is the best-selling high-performance single-engine piston aircraft with over 10,000 deliveries and 19 million flight hours. Cirrus is known for inventing and incorporating advanced safety systems such as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®) in every aircraft. Now with the SR Series G7+, Safe Return Emergency Autoland joins the safety envelope as standard equipment on all aircraft.
From the Georgia Institute of Technology:
Georgia Tech recently celebrated the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, a facility dedicated to advancing research in electric and autonomous flight in collaboration with academic, government, and industry partners.
“This facility demonstrates Georgia Tech’s long-term commitment to pioneering the technologies that will shape the future of aviation,” said Ángel Cabrera, President of Georgia Tech. “Aerospace products are Georgia’s #1 export, and the Institute’s top-ranked Guggenheim School produces some of the nation’s top aerospace engineering talent. With this advanced laboratory, we’re making strategic investments that will grow our state’s and our Institute’s national leadership in aerospace innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
The 10,000-square-foot facility, located in Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Research Area, has been purpose-built to accelerate innovation in electric and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion as well as autonomous flight systems. Designed as a hands-on research and teaching environment, the Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory includes a suite of specialized laboratories: an electric powertrain lab, a propulsion system test cell, an avionics lab, a composites fabrication area, and a high-bay integration space capable of housing prototype aircraft with wingspans up to 20 feet.
From the University of Michigan:
The University of Michigan’s (U-M) Innovation Partnerships program has announced a new collaboration with WAVE Ventures through its WAVE Ventures Studio that is opening in Ann Arbor, MI. The new studio will collaborate with Innovation Partnerships to identify potential start-up opportunities in the Deep Tech sector.
The new studio will pair select technologies from the university’s discovery pipeline with WAVE’s company-building playbook and hands-on operators, seasoned executives, and strategic venture capital. Start-ups built and launched from the studio will receive venture funding, benefit from U-M startup resources and WAVE’s national network of entrepreneurial executives.
“We are pleased to provide another resource for our University of Michigan community of innovators as we support their efforts to scale the impact and reach of their innovations through commercialization,” said Kelly Sexton, Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation Partnerships, and Economic Impact. “We believe this collaboration is a powerful addition to our portfolio of commercialization support and will lead to many incredible stories of impact as we expand our ability to shepherd U-M innovations beyond campus for the betterment of society.”
New start-ups built in the studio will license university intellectual property and receive funding from WAVE Ventures, adding to the growing number of start-ups launching each year from U-M. In fiscal year 2025, which ended on June 30, Innovation Partnerships helped launch 31 startup companies, marking the second time in the office’s history it launched 30 or more start-ups in a year.
From the University of Cincinnati:
The University of Cincinnati (UC) secured a $158 million donation of geosciences software from global energy technology company SLB. The generous gift provides students and faculty with access to the same digital platforms used by leading energy companies worldwide.
“Subsurface energy sources, both conventional and unconventional, satisfy over 80 percent of total U.S. energy needs and mastering the subsurface is central to the nation’s energy future,” said UC Professor of Hydrogeology Reza Soltanian, who helped secure the donation.
“This is an impactful donation that will provide an opportunity for our students to get real-world experience while pursuing their degree at UC,” UC College of Arts and Sciences Dean James Mack said.
From the University of Nebraska-Lincoln:
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Entrepreneurship welcomed 33 students into the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator this fall. The cohort represents seven colleges and 23 undergraduate and graduate programs, with 25 first-year participants and eight students returning for a second year.
Now in its second year, the accelerator has expanded programming to support entrepreneurs across multiple stages of business development, laying the foundation for a three-year model. First-year participants receive guidance and resources to launch and grow their businesses, while second-year participants focus on scaling operations through workshops on funding, streamlining processes and building sustainable systems.
“The Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator is unique because it grows with students as they and their businesses develop,” said Lindsay Thomsen, Assistant Professor of Practice in Management and Director of Student Business Development for the center. “By building three years of accelerator programming, we’re not only helping students launch ventures, but equipping them to complete their college degree while preparing to operate their business following graduation to contribute to the economy and their community.”
From Johns Hopkins University:
During the recent Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures Innovation Summit, researchers at the university gathered to continue the tradition by pitching research and development projects to potential investors looking to further fuel the national pipeline of progress that runs from federal grants to university research to commercialization that benefits the public.
The summit’s keynote speaker, Victor Velculescu, a Johns Hopkins Oncology Professor and successful entrepreneur, told the nearly 200 attendees that artificial intelligence and “next generation diagnostics will completely change how medicine is practiced in the future.” Velculescu, who first arrived at Johns Hopkins as a combined doctoral-medical degree student in 1992, said the institution has rapidly expanded its abilities to help scientist-entrepreneurs.
Today, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures touts a portfolio of 131 start-ups that have raised $4.8 billion in capital and achieved 45 company exits.
From Florida Atlantic University:
The Runway at Florida Atlantic will merge under Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, a move designed to strengthen the synergy between entrepreneurship initiatives and the college’s core mission.
The transition includes not just The Runway accelerator, but also programs like Florida Atlantic Wave, aimed to broaden the entrepreneurship brand housed within the College of Business. The programs have collaborated for years across the university, while sharing resources, co-developing startups and operating under the same mission.
“We are pleased to have The Runway return to its roots here at the College of Business. It started in the college 12 years ago and has since played an integral role in the launch of numerous successful startups and business ventures,” said Daniel Gropper, Dean of the College of Business. “This new partnership allows us to serve more companies, founders, and students on a new level.”
The Runway at Florida Atlantic is a South Florida public-private partnership that serves as a hub to accelerate technology development and incubate startup companies. The Runway’s companies can access mentoring, introductions to early-stage capital, grants, and seed funding. In addition, they are provided with tools to become successful entrepreneurs, including a rigorous boot camp, access to business and technology events, and connections to a thriving regional innovation network. The Florida Atlantic Wave Program is a student-focused applied research and entrepreneurial program that challenges undergraduates and graduates to submit and develop innovative ideas.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!