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<u>Hackathon</u>: The University of Minnesota has a thriving Computer Science and Computer Engineering community, and with that come student, as well as faculty and 3rd party, organized hackathons. These events take place most commonly over the weekends in the winter months, and focus on bringing an innovative or entrepreneurial atmosphere to a very technical study. Participants are presented with a real-world problem that can be solved through unique software developements. One such example is the University's 'Visualizing Neighborhoods' hackathon through the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. The 'hackers' worked on developing software that would more effectively monitor and optimize urban bus routes for inner-city primary and secondary schools. The resulting software was implemented and is in use in Minneapolis today.
== <br/>Innovation and Maker Spaces<br/> ==
<u>DigiFabLab:</u> Within the College of Design's Rapson Hall lies the state-of-the-art prototyping facility which carries the lengthly name 'The Digital Fabrication Laboratory,' shortened to DigiFabLab by it's unique flavor of staff and students. It is a makerspace available only to academic-based projects to which College of Design students have priority. It contains two Stratasys industrial-grade 3D printers, as well as self-serve laser-cutting machines and CNC laithes. It is staffed during regular office hours by a talented full-time technitian. It's main purpose is to assist design students with any design projects that they may come across in their coursework.
<u>Rapson Hall:</u> Second only to the design lab and workshops that lie within it, one of the most vibrant innovation communities at the University of Minnesota exists in the College of Design's Rapson Hall. On any given day, anywhere from a dozen to a hundred bustling design students can be found in it's main atrium. They use the vast space as a staging area for design projects of all shapes and sizes. The hall is often outfitted for presentations or design shows in which students present their capstone projects, and innovative group collaboration is the norm. However, when it comes to student I&E, Rapson Hall lacks the atmosphere of industry applicability as most of the projects are course specific, and not necessarily related to problems found in the real world.
<u>Co-Lab</u>: A student-led idea incubator founded last year through the Entrepreneurship Program's ''Enrepreneurship In Action'' capstone. Co-Lab has a dedicated staff of student Fellows who provide services ranging from website design, to graphics, to strategy, and accounting. In addition to helping students develop, start, and scale projects/businesses, Co-Lab sponsors numerous events, such as the Launch Pad and the Campus Innovation Contests, to promote innovative thinking amongst students.