June 23, 2014, Seoul – STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company contributing to customers across various electronic applications and a leading technology provider in the emerging wearable market, is once again participating as the title sponsor of the 2014/2015 Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup.

ST possesses a hardware and software ecosystem along with a broad product portfolio capable of aiding the rapid growth of the relevant market, and views the Wearable Technology Innovation World Cup as an opportunity to provide a springboard for encouraging the emergence of next-generation innovative wearable devices and further inspire creativity. ST supports developers by providing STM32 Nucleo boards, BlueNRG shields, and BlueNRG-based Bluetooth Smart USB dongles along with STM32Cube development software, and plans to offer these tools for free in any combination to the first 100 participants who request them. One of these kits is the BlueNRG shield, recently released by ST. This product is an affordable Bluetooth Low Energy development kit that utilizes the STM32 Nucleo open microcontroller platform and supports Arduino connectivity. Furthermore, while the ecosystem for specialized shields is growing, it is the first product to actually support and accelerate development projects.

“I hope you take a look at the cool devices people around you are wearing. ST is a leading provider of technology including sensors, microcontrollers, power management, analog, connectivity, and security, enabling bracelets, watches, glasses, and other wearable devices that augment our lives,” said Adrea Onetti, General Manager of ST’s Analog and Audio Systems Business Unit. “Therefore, it is only natural to participate in this event as a title sponsor for the second consecutive year, and this year, we will help sustain the growth of the wearable market by giving away some of our excellent development tools for free to the first 100 participants to register.”

Christian Stammel, CEO of Wearable Technologies and Navispace, said, “ST is a world leader in RF and sensor technology and fits perfectly into the rapidly growing wearable technology market. The Wearable Technologies Group is proud that ST is once again participating as the title sponsor of the Wearable Technologies Innovation World Cup,” adding, “We will develop next-generation wearable devices with these excellent development tools.”

ST has a complete and comprehensive product portfolio for the wearable market, including low-power, high-performance sensors, connectivity ICs, audio amplifiers, op-amps, analog switches, and battery gas gauge chips, and can also provide the industry-leading STM32 ARM® Cortex®-M based microcontroller family and excellent development tools. With this, ST is ready to continue its success in the wearable market and will continue to grow its ecosystem with specialized shields.

This Innovation World Cup plans to seek out and support innovative solutions and applications that are worn close to the body, in close contact with the body, or inside the body. From June 1 to November 15, 2014, any developer worldwide may submit innovative solutions with real market potential as wearable technology in the fields of sports and fitness, healthcare and wellness, safety and security, and gaming and lifestyle. The winners will be announced at the Innovation Cup Awards ceremony in February 2015 during the Wearable Technologies' Conference Europe.

The 2013/2014 Wearable Technology Innovation World Cup, sponsored by ST, received over 350 final solutions from approximately 600 participants.