DENSO Fosters Future Generations of Mobility Professionals with its Commitment to FIRST Robotics and STEM Education

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DENSO, the world's second largest mobility supplier, announced today its continued commitment to shape the future of the automotive industry by getting young students interested in highly skilled careers in science, technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing. As such, DENSO is supporting 29 high school teams participating in FIRST Robotics Competitions in 2019.

For nearly 20 years, DENSO has supported FIRST Robotics through volunteer mentors, product and technology donations, and monetary funding. This year, DENSO is donating $144,500 to schools and competitions across North America.

"DENSO is at the forefront of developing innovations that are shaping what transportation and mobility will look like in the future. In order to realize our long-term vision, we know we need to make smart investments, not just in companies and technologies, but also in our most important assets, people," said Denise Carlson, vice president of the North American Production Innovation Center (NAPIC) Planning and NAPIC Material Engineering groups at DENSO. "It is our hope that today's student participants will become tomorrow's leading engineers working with and alongside DENSO to create safer work environments and higher-quality products through automation."

So far this year, DENSO-sponsored teams have seen great success. The JetStream FIRST Robotics Competition Team #2710, mentored by DENSO employee Barbara Tamura, took first place at the Long Beach/LA Port Fleet Week Competition. In Southfield, Mich., the Southfield A&T team, also mentored by DENSO, took first place at a heated competition in front of a large crowd of more than 2,000.

In addition to the FIRST Robotics high school teams, DENSO is supporting the following:

• 18 FIRST Lego League competitions across the U.S. and Mexico  
• Four FIRST Robotics regional competitions in Michigan and Iowa: Southfield Districts, Lakeview Districts, Iowa Regional and Smoky Mountain Regional
• Three Michigan middle school teams in FIRST Tech Challenges: Bloomfield Hills Middle School, Smith Middle School and Northville High School

FIRST Robotics has been compared to a varsity sport with hands-on training in science and technology to help students discover how rewarding a career in engineering or technology can be. STEM and mentoring programs like FIRST also give DENSO employees a chance to give back.

"Supporting youth involved in STEM-based activities teaches them that goals are easier to achieve through teamwork and collaboration," said Tamura. "DENSO mentors like me are teaching the young people on our teams about engineering, analytics, problem-solving, marketing and artificial intelligence, but more than anything we are helping them see the future opportunities a career in this field could offer them." 

About DENSO
DENSO is a $48.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 220 facilities in 35 countries to produce thermal, powertrain, mobility, electrification, & electronic systems, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company's 170,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. For more information about global DENSO, visit https://www.denso.com/global.   

In North America, DENSO employs 24,000+ engineers, researchers and skilled workers across 31 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,000+ employees across 13 states and 25 sites. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, in fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, DENSO in North America generated $10.9 billion in consolidated sales. Join us, and craft not only how the world moves, but also your career. For more information, go to https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/. 

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SOURCE DENSO