Rapid commercial and technological progress in telecommunications today places unprecedented challenges on companies, universities, and researchers who seek to maintain technical leadership. As major companies and world-class universities strive to increase their technical edge, alliances with other key players are becoming increasingly essential. These trends, coupled with historically strong ties and geographic proximity, have led Motorola Corporation and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to form a new alliance, the Motorola Center for Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Motorola Center for Communication is adminstered by the Coordinated Science Laboratory.

The scope of the Center spans the full range of technologies related to communications, reflecting the tremendous depth and breadth of strength in relevant disciplines in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois and at Motorola. A central focus of the program is the support of approximately fifteen research projects conducted by Motorola-sponsored graduate research assistants with faculty advisors in the Center and close contact with leading Motorola engineers.

The Motorola Center for Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign represents a unique opportunity to forge a closer alliance between communications-related research at Motorola and the University of Illinois, resulting in great benefits to both.

Advantages to University of Illinois students and faculty include guidance in identifying industry-relevant research directions and curricula, an avenue for technology transfer, and enhanced internship and permanent employment opportunities for students, while Motorola benefits from greater access to top-tier students, faculty, and research results in communications, further strengthening the company's position in advanced communications technology.

The Center also supports visits and other events which foster close, on-going interaction between large numbers of University of Illinois students and faculty and Motorola engineers, thereby enhancing their research, education, and technological and professional development.