The Fall 2024 NextGen Cohort is underway!

Hands-on design and engineering internships

The goal of Hardware Park’s NextGen programming is to fuel the growth of the design, engineering, and manufacturing of physical products in the state of Alabama.

Summer 2024 Cohort

The Summer 2024 full-time interns were from Auburn University, Tuskegee University, and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  The interns concentrated on assistive technology and various medical devices. Recap video coming soon!

Fall 2024 Cohort

The Fall 2024 interns are from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The Cohort begins August 29th. More details about this cohort are coming soon!

Innovate Alabama and Hardware Park - nextgen programming

Hardware Park's NextGen Education Programming is sponsored by Innovate Alabama.

Urbreath - medical device

Students design cutting-edge medical devices in our NextGen programs

Our programs let high school and college students explore the vast space of the medical device business category. Students take cues from external prompts, their own family health struggles, or common diseases.

Work with 3D printers and other engineering tools

Work with prototyping software and AI imaging software  

Student testimonials

"Being able to participate in this type of program to have the opportunity to build a medical device that could save millions of people throughout the world was perfect for me."
Jeremy Harper

Jeremy H

Student, Ramsay High School

"The instructors taught us that if we change one variable or one thought process and critically think about your goals, you’ll see how monumentally different the final product can turn out."
Caren Smith

Caren S

Student, Woodlawn High School

"I want to create similar medical device technology as what we created through the program and look for problems in current devices to discover new methods to fix them."
Isaiah Williams-Scott

Isaiah W

Student, Restoration Academy

Check out our press coverage

"The goal of Hardware Park’s NextGen cohorts: to fuel the growth of the design, engineering and manufacturing of physical products within Alabama."
Alabama political reporter and hardware park
"In those two weeks, students have designed two main projects while working on side passion projects. The main projects are a new crutch with a structure that eases stair use and a wrist-wearable inhaler holder usable in sports."
Birmingham Times and Hardware Park
"During the first week, students were split into two groups of four and were charged with developing an idea for and prototyping a new medical device which required that students thought about both marketability and practicality"
Gov't technology article
"The two-week summer program was designed to give students from various backgrounds the opportunity to collaborate on medical device prototype creation with the guidance of established innovators in the mechanical engineering industry"
Alabama newscenter and hardware park
"The Innovate Alabama grant will significantly amplify Hardware Park’s ability to provide educational programming for budding medical device engineers in high school and college, according to Conner."

Want to intern at Hardware Park?

If you're interested in interning at Hardware Park and are a college student in Alabama, please reach out to us. We'll keep you in mind for future opportunities.

Isaiah Williams-Scott at Hardware Park
Enoch Booher at hardware park
lloyd cooper at hardware park
medtech at hardware park
Jeremy Harper at Hardware Park
Medtech at hardware park
Enoch Booher at Hardware Park
Molly Elmore at Hardware Park