The UNT Collab Lab, a new collaboration space, will officially open in 2017 for students and faculty from all areas of the university and community members to move bold ideas from concept to reality.

Combining inspiration with state-of-the-art technology, co-working spaces and mentoring from industry leaders, the Collab Lab will provide students experiences to help make them competitive in today's workforce. Program offerings will be focused on big data, providing networking opportunities with entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, and emphasizing the powerful impact of collaborations between art and science.

"The Collab Lab will be at the intersection of technology and creativity," says Michael Monticino, special assistant to the UNT president. "The most innovative discoveries arise from combining ideas across disciplines. The Collab Lab will be where creative recombination fueled by technology happens."

A Nov. 10 kick-off event in the University Union open to the public will offer insight into how the Collab Lab can help students and faculty, as well as foster a connection to the community. The event will feature speaker Jeffrey Baxter, Grammy Award-winning guitarist for The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, who is now is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense on biological warfare, next-generation technology and unconventional strategies. It will be followed by the launch of competitions including big data and business idea challenges and inspiration awards to recognize the outcomes of innovative collaborations.

"We have an exciting line-up of Collab Lab activities planned this year, providing our students, faculty and community with opportunities to tackle challenging problems and learn from one another," Monticino says. "I looking forward to seeing the great ideas that emerge."

For more information, call 940-565-4280 or email michael.monticino@unt.edu and follow the lab on Twitter via @UNTCollabLab.