SJSU Industry Day 2025: Connecting Research, Innovation, and Industry Impact

Photo by Robert C. Bain

A Launchpad for Research-Driven Innovation

This past April, San José State University hosted its inaugural Industry Day, bringing together researchers, company representatives, and ecosystem leaders to explore how academic expertise can address industry challenges.

The event featured faculty “data-blitz” presentations, a small group discussion, and a lively networking session. Attendees included five representatives from Fortune 500 companies in the field of AI, semiconductors, and life sciences.

At the heart of Industry Day was a commitment to two-way value exchange. Faculty shared their cutting-edge work in areas ranging from AI and clean energy to aerospace engineering and neurotechnology, while industry guests provided insights into emerging market needs and real-world constraints. These dialogues laid the groundwork for new collaborations and identified opportunities to deepen existing ones.

The small group discussion, focusing on improving university-industry relations, was led by Todd Lukanc, former Intel director and Encore Fellow at the SJSU Office of Innovation. “A big surprise was learning the many areas of expertise possible at SJSU and work that could have been collaborated on.  Advertising or searchable topics would help in letting industry know areas of interest and a clear link to submit requests for interactions would make starting much easier.”

Industry Day 2025, as part of SJSU's annual Research Week, was organized by the Division of Research and Innovation in collaboration with the SJSU Research Foundation and key campus partners. Feedback from attendees emphasized the value of face-to-face conversations and the need for clearer entry points into SJSU’s research ecosystem. These insights are already informing next steps to better position SJSU as an agile and responsive partner for industry collaborators.

The event also served as a catalyst for a broader Industry Research Exchange Series that will launch in the coming academic year. These topic-focused, faculty-industry meetups aim to foster ongoing engagement between SJSU and sectors aligned with the university’s research strengths. Director of Innovation Abby Queale says, “Our goal is to make it easy for industry to tap into the breadth of expertise at SJSU. Industry Day is just the beginning—we’re building ongoing opportunities for dialogue and collaboration that help industry and SJSU innovate together. Stay tuned!”

Please reach out to learn more about the upcoming Industry Research Exchange Series or to learn more about how SJSU partners with industry.