The 2012 North American International Auto Show features the very latest in vehicle design, technology and innovation. What better place is there to announce the winners of the Ford Motor Company Fund - Lawrence Technological University “Designing for the Future” Competition?

More than 150 students from 20 countries competed in the contest in hopes of winning one of the Ford scholarships totaling $75,000. The winners were announced at the auto show by Lon Zaback, creative operations manager of Ford North American Design. "We at Ford believe that fostering the development of top creative talent through quality institutions like LTU is a priority and critical to our objective of Design Leadership."

The objective of the competition was to define American Luxury for a 20-30 year old in the futuristic setting of the year 2025. Students were asked to use inspirational images and market research to develop products that meet the needs of this customer.

So, what might the future hold? Let's look at the winning entries.

First place went to David Acosta from Florida for his FordBoard, a skateboard type transportation device with styling cues from surfboards and the Blacktip Shark.

Second place went to Florida's Deven Row - the only student able to attend the presentation - for his Euphoria concept vehicle, a sophisticated transportation experience.

Third place was Nicholas Daiber of Illinois for his Moto Sport Shoe. He drew inspiration from motorcycles and the high-flying shoes of basketball great Michael Jordan.

Education is a top priority of the Ford Motor Company Fund and more than $1 million in scholarships are provided by Ford each year.

"This is why we have supported the Transportation Design program from its inception," said Zaback. "I'm happy to say we have benefited from our efforts as two of the programs graduates are working as designers at Ford."