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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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    Community Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Year in Review 2025

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Research Park leaders Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the Innovations at Research Park podcast to reflect on a milestone year celebrating the Research Park’s 25th anniversary. This episode, hosted by Tanmay Shah, explores the achievements that made 2025 unforgettable and the plans that will shape the next quarter century. When discussing the Research Park’s 25-year legacy, Appenzeller highlighted its lasting impact on student careers and the broader innovation ecosystem. “We’ve been able to employ thousands of students. The impact is really many people that have had some time that they’ve spent at the Research Park, whether that’s a startup or an intern or an employee that goes on to a successful career elsewhere,” Appenzeller said.  Looking to the future, Bleill discussed what’s ahead for Research Park, including plans for a new incubator facility and residential development. “We are at an inflection point. I think we have a lot of things that we are looking at as opportunities that could truly be transformational and, honestly, a generational opportunity for us looking forward,” Bleill said. To hear the full conversation about Research Park’s past, present and future, tune in to the Innovations at Research Park podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. The Innovations at Research Park podcast highlights Champaign’s thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture. It is hosted by Tanmay Shah, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus.  Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

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    Community News Research Park

    Synchrony and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Celebrate Major Expansion as Emerging Technology Center Surpasses 400 Internships, Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators 

    WCIA – Financial services company expanding operations at U of I (Sept. 18, 2025) PR Newswire- Synchrony and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Celebrate Major Expansion as Emerging Technology Center Surpasses 400 Internships, Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators (Sept. 18, 2025) Stock Titan- Synchrony and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Celebrate Major Expansion as Emerging Technology Center Surpasses 400 Internships, Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators (Sept. 18, 2025) University Leaders Join Ceremony to Unveil Expanded Center to Train Students in Tech Skills of the Future CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (September 18, 2025) – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.) and Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a premier consumer financial services company, this week celebrated a major milestone: more than 400 U. of I. students have gained hands-on technology experience through Synchrony’s internship program. At a ribbon cutting ceremony for the expanded Synchrony Emerging Technology Center in Research Park, university leaders, Synchrony executives, and students marked the opening of the nearly 11,000 square foot reimagined space dedicated to advancing innovation and preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow. First opened in 2018, Synchrony’s Emerging Technology Center (ETC) serves as a hub for collaboration between Synchrony and U. of I., advancing the company’s finance and technology capabilities while equipping students with real-world skills in engineering, data science, analytics, human-centered design, and other emerging fields.   The expansion doubles the center’s seat count and introduces new collaboration areas, including flexible huddle rooms, event spaces for town halls and networking, and a remodeled café. A commissioned mural from a local artist will pay tribute to both the state of Illinois and the university to uplift design in the heart of the space.   Through the ETC, interns partner year-round with Synchrony employees from more than 60 teams on projects that fuel business growth and enhance the customer experience. The center is a key talent pipeline, with dozens of interns accepting full time roles in areas such as technology, credit, analytics and more at Synchrony since the program began.   “The expansion of our Emerging Technology Center reflects the incredible talent of U. of I. students as well as the enduring strength of our partnership with the university,” said Tim Christensen, CIO, Synchrony. “Together, we’ve built a model that both enhances Synchrony’s innovation goals and provides students with opportunities to advance and grow technology skills. We are proud of the impact of this partnership and excited to grow this collaboration for years to come.”  “Synchrony has been a tremendous launchpad for students pursuing technological and analytical careers in consumer finance,” said Dr. Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at U. of I., “The company demonstrates how to bridge academic research with industry applications, which is a win-win for our campus that puts so much emphasis on the value of experiential learning. We are so grateful for Synchrony’s unwavering investment in our students and engagement in many campus programs.” Beyond internships, Synchrony and UIUC co-host events including hackathons, Datathons targeting students interested in the field of Data Science, and in-class lectures around topics like Generative AI, engineering, and credit modeling, strengthening a culture of innovation that benefits students, the university, and the company. This milestone builds on Synchrony’s broader education initiatives worldwide, which aim to build pathways to financial credit access and financial mobility for Americans. For more information about Synchrony’s impact in Illinois and beyond, visit:  https://synchronyimpact.com.    About Synchrony   Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country’s most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country’s #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.  About the Research Park at the University of Illinois  The Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations. Within the Research Park there are 120 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals. More information at researchpark.illinois.edu. Follow the company on LinkedIn at UIResearchPark.  Media Contact Tyler Allen Synchrony Tyler.Allen@syf.com  Laura Weisskopf Bleill University of Illinois Research Park lwbleill@illinois.edu

    Synchrony and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Celebrate Major Expansion as Emerging Technology Center Surpasses 400 Internships, Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators  Read Post »

    Community Events News Research Park

    Research Park Summer Softball League: Caterpillar Wins 2025 Summer Championship

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Research Park Softball League concluded its season with a championship game on Monday, Aug. 4 where the Caterpillar Innovation Center would claim its second consecutive championship. The league ran throughout the summer, bringing together employees from companies across the Research Park for weekly games. Teams competed in a tournament-style bracket, with matches that mixed experienced players with newcomers still learning the rules. Caterpillar’s win marked back-to-back titles for the team, demonstrating consistent performance across two seasons. The championship game capped a competitive season where all 10 teams showed improvement from their early matches. “This year’s league was a blast,” said Bryan Goode, Talent Manager at Research Park. “Beyond the fun on the field, it created friendships across Research Park companies, gave interns a chance to build relationships outside their own teams and strengthened camaraderie within companies. It’s more than just a game, it helps employees old and new connect, encourages collaboration across organizations and builds the kind of trust and teamwork that carries back into the workplace.” The league has grown in recent years, drawing participants from various Research Park companies. Games are played on summer evenings, giving employees a chance to meet outside their usual work environments. We extend a special thank you to all the companies who participated in the Softball League: Champaign Caterpillar Innovation Center Motorola Solutions  U. of I. Community Credit Union Littelfuse Synchrony Emerging Technology Center Electric Power Engineers Center for Energy Innovation University of Illinois Research Park John Deere Technology Innovation Center COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab Mondelēz International

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    Community Events Internships News Recognition & Awards

    Research Park Celebrates Interns During the 19th Annual Intern Awards Ceremony

    The 19th Annual Research Park Intern Awards Ceremony, which celebrates the contributions of outstanding student interns at Research Park corporate innovation centers and startups, took place on July 24, 2025. The awards ceremony brings together interns representing diverse skill sets and industry sectors, as well as their managers and colleagues. It reflects the overall depth and breadth of excellence of intern work that occurs daily at Research Park. Awards were given in the following categories: Best Startup Intern Best Technical Innovation Best Business Innovation Most Outstanding Graduate Student Intern Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student Intern Most Competent and Collaborative Team Among the notable projects showcased was an intern who developed an in-house model that once deployed saved their company $60,000 in expenses. Another standout project involved a group of interns who developed XR prototypes that have been deployed and utilized in tech centers across three different continents and did so an entire year ahead of the original schedule. The ceremony and nominations highlighted the incredible talent within the Research Park community and underscored the vital role that internships play in fostering the next generation of industry leaders. Best Startup Intern  Hrishikesh Sarda | Earthsense | Mechanical Engineering Intern | Master of Science in Technology Management | Gies College of Business “Hrishi has very quickly demonstrated his value to our team. He takes on responsibility with the trustworthiness of a full-time engineer. He works independently, gives valuable design feedback, and shows comfort in the unknown. He found an error in my calculation, researched the topic to correct it, and brings a level of attention to detail rare at his experience level.” Finalists: Dongjoon Jeong | Hinetics | Mechanical Engineering Intern | Mechanical Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Daniel Ormsbee | Boston Bioprocess | Bioprocess Intern | Molecular Biology and Mechanical Engineering | Cedarville University Best Technical innovation Undergraduate winner: Om Mistry | Brunswick Boating Intelligence Design Lab | Data Engineering Intern | Industrial Engineering and Statistics | Grainger College of Engineering “During his internship, Om’s primary responsibility was to enhance our data ingestion pipelines across multiple projects. One of his most impactful contributions was improving our propeller recommendation tool, which helps customers select the right propeller for their boat and engine combination—reducing both customer and dealer stress and driving internal sales. He brought initiative, technical curiosity, and a structured mindset—researching machine learning, building a user-focused interface, and delivering high-quality code. His adaptability, collaboration, and impact on a high-visibility project stood out throughout his internship.” Graduate winner: Farid Ahmed | Rivian | Thermal Modeling Intern | Nuclear Plasma and Radiological Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering “In a context where mileage per watt is a key performance metric, Farid’s contributions are especially impactful. His initial studies indicated an 8–10% improvement in cooling efficiency compared to the current design. He is self-motivated, thoughtful, and collaborative. His technical rigor and clear communication have made him a valued team member influencing high-priority design decisions.” Best Business Innovation Shravani Bhupal | COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab | Project Manager/UI-UX Intern | Master of Science in Information Management  “Shravani led development of a Power BI dashboard for technology budget tracking, producing a tool now essential for strategic reporting. Her precision, innovation, and ability to bridge technical and business needs earned praise from leadership, who highlighted her fresh perspective and strong communication on complex financial data.” Finalists: Luke Peng | Synchrony Emerging Technology Center | Operations Analyst- Data Engineering Intern | Statistics Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student Intern Miguel Aenlle | PrairieLearn | Software Engineering Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering “As a freshman, he immediately led a full redesign of our navigation system—interviewing users, building an accessible UI, and engineering a staged rollout. His work is already in production. In 20 years of mentoring interns, Miguel is the best I’ve worked with. His impact has been extraordinary.” Finalists: Isabella Chou | Mondelēz International | XR Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Austin Carlen | Applied Pavement Technology | Engineering Technician Intern | Engineering Technology | Lake Land College Most Outstanding Graduate Student Intern Nanguan Lin | Boston Bioprocess  | Software Engineering Intern | Computer Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering  “Nanguan has been instrumental in building a new Lab Information Management System from scratch. He rapidly grasped requirements, led stakeholder interviews, and delivered a robust dashboard that’s now a cornerstone of operations. He balances professionalism and approachability—equally comfortable leading technical discussions and bringing positive energy to everyday team interactions.” Finalists: Charlie Du | Brunswick Boating Intelligence Design Lab | Computer Graphics Software Developer Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Kinjal Parekh | COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab | Project Manager/Software Developer Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Most Competent and Collaborative Team Mondelēz International XR Team Isabella Chou | XR Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Josh Sutanto  | XR Intern | Computer Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Roshni Dave  | XR Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering “The Mondelez XR team delivered both high-quality work and a remarkable number of prototypes, despite being new to XR. Their teamwork, adaptability, and dedication exceeded every brief—so much so, new ones had to be created. Their prototypes are now being deployed across three continents, with one fast-tracked for consumer research a year early. This accelerated timeline reflects the immediate business value of their work and is expected to drive faster ROI and greater digital adoption.” Finalists: Brunswick Boating Intelligence Design Lab Aashish Subramanian | Computer Graphics Software Developer Intern | Computer Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Charlie Du | Computer Graphics Software Developer Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Jaden Ambrocio Alcantara | Computer Graphics Software Engineering Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering Kaavya Vassa | Front End Development Intern | Computer Science and Bioengineering | Grainger College of Engineering Melody Breg | Mechanical Engineer Intern | Mechanical Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Swathi Sureshmoorthy | Computer Graphic Software Developer Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of Engineering  Ameren Innovation Center Jason Liao | Data Science Intern | Computer Science | Grainger College of

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    Community Events News

    COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab Wins 2025 Research Park Hackathon

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – 11 teams of 65 total participants competed in the 2025 Research Park Hackathon on Tuesday, July 1. Teams had 16 hours to create a project aligned with the theme “Innovation in a Day.” The Hackathon held a science-fair style exhibition session where judges and guests could learn more about participants’ projects. Finalists demonstration and presented their work to the judges, who scored them in three categories; business viability, creativity and execution. Judges were highly impressed with the team’s outcomes. Not only did projects perform well in the Hackathon, but judges believe they would yield successful results if integrated into internal production. “Participating in Hackathons like this from a judging perspective helps me get an understanding of some of the newest tools and technologies out there and where the younger talent is focusing their efforts,” said Jarai Carter, Senior Manager of Data Science at the John Deere Technology and Innovation Center. “I saw some really cool ideas where I’m like, ‘this is actually something that could be used in a variety of different settings.’” 2025 Research Park Hackathon Winners: COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab won first place for “Party Mode,” a real-time Spotify voting feature allowing users to upvote and downvote the songs in a communal queue. Groups are democratically able to choose what song plays, leading to better music experiences and reduced conflicts. Mondelēz International won second place for “Labyrinth”, a platform designed to easily connect students with professors based on academic interests, skill level, availability, and academic compatibility. COUNTRY Financial DigitaLab also won third place for “Wrist Play”, a smart watch that establishes a seamless communication channel between the watch itself, and smartphones. Wrist Play using Google Play Services’ Wearable Data API to enable gesture recognition and motion-based control applications. Mondelēz International also won the “Fan Favorite” award for “UniTion”, which allows students to place their homework, exam, and lab deadlines in one central location such as Google Calendar or Notion by taking data from any course website allowing one place for all deadlines to be organized. The Kohler Innovation Center won the “Most Creative” award for “Duolingo World”, a VR program allowing users to be places in realistic environments where they can interact with NPCs, ask questions, check out at a store, and solve spontaneous challenges all while learning a language of their choosing. The John Deere Technology Innovation Center won “Best Business Potential” for “Real Useful Life Prediction,” a software used to predict the estimated life remaining on John Deere equipment. The software can alert users of where issues may appear, and can point them in the direction of getting repairs. The judges included: More photos from the event can be viewed in the Research Park media gallery and on the Research Park Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages. Learn more about the event on the Research Park Hackathon page. To participate in similar events, visit the Research Park calendar.

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    Community EnterpriseWorks Events Investments Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards

    Eight Cozad New Venture Challenge Startups Receive Awards from EnterpriseWorks

    Eight student startups who competed in the 2025 Cozad New Venture Challenge received awards from Research Park and EnterpriseWorks. The CNVC is a campus-wide program run by the Technology Entrepreneur Center that provides mentoring to teams through the phases of venture creation, and resources in idea validation, pitching skills, and customer development.  EnterpriseWorks Catapult Award: includes up to $5,000 in professional support services to assist in new venture formation, in addition to student startup tenancy. Catapult recipients are:  Instinfo, a website where attendees can press a single button to get more information about a live presentation in real time Pinata Diagnostics, a startup that is using proximity aptamers for point-of-care ultrasensitive protein detection, allowing for rapid testing for traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and more The Student Startup Tenancy award, which includes access to EnterpriseWorks entrepreneurship resources including professional consulting, co-working space, and more, was awarded to: Earlynosis, an AI-powered wearable biosensor for real-time sepsis detection Sensiboo is building the future of human development with a playtime planning app and wearable device that empowers parents to optimize early brain growth through personalized, enriching, real-world experiences Sprout, the first balloon-expandable RV-PA conduit that will replace right ventricular outflow tracts for congenital heart disease patients Tandemn, a software company that combines idle GPUs into a high-performance network for AI compute YoTally, a startup that is developing a smart stitch counter to prevent miscounting stitches while crocheting   Research Park is proud to be of the sponsors of the newly launched Dr. P. Street College Innovation Prize. The Dr. P Street College Innovation Prize was created to honor the memory of Dr. William Patterson, a beloved member of the University of Illinois innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem who passed away in 2024. This prize recognizes student entrepreneurs using technology and education to empower the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of under-resourced communities. EnterpriseWorks contributed $2,500 of in-kind business incorporation professional services. Strand Logic is the winner of the inaugural Dr. P Innovation Prize. Strand is revolutionizing Black hair care with innovative technology, automating synthetic hair separation to eliminate prep time.     EnterpriseWorks Student Memberships Available  EnterpriseWorks is pleased to offer student memberships to select Cozad teams who are continuing to work on their businesses and are interested in being part of the broader Champaign-Urbana startup community. Interested teams are encouraged to apply by filling out this form, mentioning participation in CNVC. Past participants of the program include EnterpriseWorks graduates Cast21, DeepWalk, Mesh++, Prenosis, Psyonic, and Serionix, in addition to current EnterpriseWorks startups Natrion and ZiteAI. Learn more about Cozad on the TEC website.

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    Community Events News Research Park

    Mondelez International opens Innovation Center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (April 9, 2025) – Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest snack companies, has opened an innovation center at the University of Illinois Research Park, its first on a college campus.    Mondelēz FutureLab aims to leverage forward-thinking perspectives from students across multiple disciplines. By leveraging the abilities and unfiltered imagination of students, Mondelēz seeks to identify disruptive concepts, experiment with emerging technologies, and challenge conventional product development processes.   FutureLab provides interns with campus resources, flexible innovation processes, and support to help materialize their innovative ideas, and to test their magical hypotheses.  “By embracing unconventional collaborations, Mondelēz reinforces its position as leading the future of snacking, driving superior innovation that meets the evolving needs of consumers in a rapidly changing world ,” said Marylena Meza, SVP R&D Strategy & Excellence of Mondelēz. “This initiative not only strengthens Mondelēz’s commitment to fostering innovation, it also provides students with invaluable hands-on experience, mentorship, and the chance to see their ideas come to life.”    FutureLab opened with a small team of research and development professional leaders from within the company. When fully occupied, FutureLab will host a team of University of Illinois student interns working year-round.  “Mondelēz is eager to tap into student insights to develop products and experiences that resonate with emerging consumer preferences, and where better to do that than our land grant institution – a state focused on ag and food innovation,” said Dr. Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “With Mondelēz’s Chicago roots, there’s all the more reason to be optimistic about the future of the state’s booming bioeconomy.”   Students will have the opportunity to work on new and evolving research projects that will bring together traditional sciences and other disciplines such as music and arts, leveraging digital approaches. Interns will gain industry experience while making real contributions to internal corporate R&D programs, skills that will benefit students as they move forward in their careers.   The site is led by Michelle Firrell, who has over 17 years of progressive experience in leading scientific and technical teams, shaping research programs, and driving operations for global organizations.  About Mondelēz International Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2024 net revenues of approximately $36.4 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate’s Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on LinkedIn at Mondelēz International: Overview | LinkedIn  About the Research Park at the University of Illinois  The Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations. Within the Research Park there are 120 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals. More information at researchpark.illinois.edu. Follow the company on LinkedIn at UIResearchPark. 

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    Community Events News

    Nutrien Ag Solutions Opens Innovation Farm in Champaign County

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Nutrien Ag Solutions has opened a cutting-edge Innovation Farm in Champaign County. The farm celebrated its grand opening on March 20, showcasing the latest agricultural technology and sustainability practices. The new 250-acre state-of-the-art facility is designed to serve as a testing ground for advanced farming solutions, offering a hands-on space to explore real-world applications of agtech and data science. It is the newest addition to Nutrien’s Innovation Farm Network, and the fourth of its kind nationwide. The Tolono site is transitioning the company’s operations into the broader Champaign community, from its previous location in the University of Illinois Research Park. Nutrien Ag first entered the Research Park in 2018 after acquiring Agrible, a digital agriculture company specializing in advisory tools and data science for farmers. The EnterpriseWorks graduate’s growth from fewer than 10 employees to nearly 50 in under a year highlighted its growth, development, and outreach potential. Maintaining its presence at Research Park, post-acquisition, Nutrien Ag leveraged the university’s ecosystem and talent pipeline to further its sustainability, data science, and digital agronomy innovations. “We call this ‘research at the speed of farming,” Jeff Tarsi, Nutrien executive vice president and president of global retail, told the News-Gazette. “It’s our ability to do replications to fiscally sound experiments on real farms and in real farm environments to collect the data and allow our growers to replicate it on their own farms.” The Champaign Innovation Farm has a weather studio, a green screen, and media capabilities to deliver localized forecasts to growers through YouTube and social media. The site also has 10-mile panoramic views and can generate regionally relevant forecasts for global markets such as South America and Asia. The multi-purpose site will cover a range of focuses, including equipment testing, agronomic trials, environmental science, and hands-on demonstrations. “I think the whole idea about community, we could do this technology innovation anywhere, but you get the most value out of it when you’re in the same locations as where your products are going to actually provide value,” Kent McDaniel, Cornbelt regional manager, told the News-Gazette. In addition to supporting local farmers, the Champaign Innovation Farm aims to engage the broader community. Nutrien leaders have invited area schools, the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and the Illinois Soybean Growers Association to use the space for education and outreach. This transition marks a new beginning for the company and the broader Champaign County community, building on its legacy of innovation and growth at the Research Park.  Nutrien Ag Solutions In 2018, Nutrien Ag Solutions acquired EnterpriseWorks graduate Agrible. Agrible celebrated its grand opening in 2015. Agrible’s products include Morning Farm Report®, Spray Smart®, Nutrient Engine, and Find My Seed®, which are accompanied by numerous other complementary digital and mobile offerings. Nutrien Ag Solutions is committed to being the leading provider of agricultural inputs in each of its markets. Advancements in technology have allowed for more effective growing methods while minimizing environmental impacts. As they have welcomed more operations and expanded product and service offerings, their reach has extended globally.

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    Community EnterpriseWorks Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Yummy Future

    In the November Innovations @ Research Park podcast episode, host Tanmay Shah talked to Yummy Future CEO Jack Cui about the company’s journey, Cui’s entrepreneurship journey, working with autonomous robots, and more. Jack Cui is the CEO and co-founder of Yummy Future, an autonomous coffee shop that offers a taste of the future by servicing customers through an autonomous robot.  The company also provides robotic solutions for food and beverage businesses, lowering costs and enhancing efficiency. “I couldn’t imagine a robot able to do such a delicate task. So I showed him [Garrett Yan, Yummy Future co-founder], and  I said, ‘Why don’t we start a business, a robots servicing business,’ Cui said when describing how the idea of Yummy Future started. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights the thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture in Champaign. It is hosted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus Tanmay Shah. Subscribe to The Innovations @ Research Park to catch up on the latest innovations and news on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show or a story we should pursue? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

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    Community News Research Park

    Research Park Seeks Rezoning to Meet Industry Needs and Capabilities

    CHAMPAIGN — In response to dynamic market conditions, the University of Illinois Research Park filed a rezoning application with the City of Champaign to reclassify two properties  currently zoned CO, Commercial Office to the I1, Light Industrial. The City of Champaign’s Plan Commission will meet on Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. to approve the request and forward it to the City Council. This reclassification will position UIRP to meet evolving industry needs through future land development, Research Park Executive Director Laura Appenzeller told The (Champaign) News-Gazette. “We want to be able to have the right type of development for our future to respond to both business attractions that is interested in being part of our tech community here in Champaign-Urbana, but also to be able to support our entrepreneurs,” she said.  The rezoning request covers two development parcels within the Research Park, encompassing areas east and west of Fourth Street between Hazelwood Drive and Gerty Drive. “Most of the growth of the research park has been office space and we are seeing a growth of new types of industries,” Appenzeller said. “And increasingly, these small businesses that we’re working with are looking to scale technologies to get closer to manufacturing.” The rezoning will enable the Research Park to support startups transitioning from incubator spaces to small-scale manufacturing and remove competitive disadvantages to attract new companies. “It does allow us to be more conducive to flexible users that might be in these new emerging technology areas,” Appenzeller said. “When you’re in multi-state competitions, you’re always trying to make sure that you’re prepared, and that was what led to this.” At the public hearing on Nov. 20, the commission will then forward its recommendation to the City Council, The City Council is tentatively scheduled to take final action on this rezoning at its Dec. 3 meeting.

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