ASU Next Lab student worker Alexander Kim is excited to research electric vehicles with his professor.

We explore the next technologies, nurturing the next skills, and helping students succeed in the next careers. We're ASU's applied innovation lab, where student teams work directly with industry and institutional partners to prototype the technologies that shape how we live, work, and learn. Our student guilds don't just study emerging tech — they build with it: digital twins and immersive AR/VR experiences, practical AI tools designed with equity and privacy at their core, and data visualization systems that turn complexity into clarity. From rapid scoping sprints to full-scale projects, we move at the speed of curiosity — giving students real project experience and partners a low-risk way to explore what's next before committing to what's built. We've collaborated with partners including Zoom, Verizon, Logitech, and Unity, and we work with regions and local cities including the City of Surprise, San Tan Valley, and Maricopa County — actively expanding into digital twin platforms, immersive simulation environments, and AI-powered tools for education and community impact. We accomplish this by empowering a community of future-focused thinkers and creators to imagine, build, and play with technology to positively shape society. At Next Lab, students aren't just preparing for the future of work — they're building it, one prototype at a time.