Here’s a look at recent news you may have missed from around Michigan’s innovation hubs:
—Wayne State University and Blackstone LaunchPad will host the HackWSU event in Detroit on May 23. The 24-hour hackathon is open to all current high school and college students interested in writing Web-based software, creating mobile apps, or designing computer programs addressing a need or innovation of their choice. Participants will gather at 10 a.m. and form teams, working until the event concludes at 3:30 p.m. the following day. The university suggests participants bring pillows and sleeping bags. To register, click here.
—Southfield’s 123Net announced last week that it has acquired Holland-based telecommunications company T2 Communications. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. 123Net has been active in the Holland-Grand Rapids area since 2000, where it has significantly invested in its fiber network, wireless point-of-presence (PoP) sites, and a data center. According to a press release, T2’s proprietary fiber and diverse customer base made it an attractive acquisition candidate.
—ArdentCause, the Troy-based software development startup that makes products for the nonprofit world, has partnered with the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) on a new project. Thanks to a $440,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control, ArdentCause will provide data management services to the GDAHC as it develops the Macomb County Partners in Prevention and Care Chronic Disease Coordinating Network, a four-year, community-wide initiative focused on improving community health by addressing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
—Jacobs Media, a Detroit-based media research and consulting firm, has released the findings from its annual survey of radio listeners to determine how four generations, from baby boomers to millennials, consume media. More than 41,000 listeners from 220 stations across 13 formats responded to the survey, and they made it clear that video and television are increasingly influencing radio. For instance, according to the survey, YouTube and Netflix are bigger with radio listeners than Spotify and Pandora, and consumers are clamoring for more on-demand choices. Other trends that are on the rise, according to the survey: mobile, content-streaming services, smart TVs, podcasts, connected cars, and wearable devices. Click here to read a more in-depth summary of the survey’s findings.
—Just in time for graduation ceremonies, General Motors (NYSE: [[ticker:GM]]) has announced its predictions for hot auto-related jobs of the future. As the auto industry transforms to incorporate and try to keep pace with consumer electronics and infotainment innovations, GM says the top in-demand job in 2025 will be electrical engineer. Rounding out the top 10 are analytics expert, interaction designer, Web programmer, autonomous driving engineer, customer care expert, sustainability integration expert (whatever that is), industrial engineer, 3D printing engineer, and alternative propulsion engineer.
