Events

The 9th Annual AgTech Summit was a resounding success: with over 700 registered participants, Research Park hosted a diverse array of attendees from the Midwest and beyond. The summit’s agenda was packed with insightful panels covering trending topics including policy impact on AgTech, sustainability, and digital agriculture. Moderators and panelists represented a wide spectrum of AgTech, including startups, investors, academics, growers, government officials, and more. Keep reading for a recap of the AgTech Summit. The event kicked with opening remarks from our hosts, community leaders, and presenting sponsor. Laura Appenzeller, the Executive Director of the University of Illinois Research Park, opened the day with a recap of highlighting why Champaign-Urbana is the epicenter of AgTech. That was followed by a proclamation from the City of Champaign and City of Urbana mayors Deborah Frank Feinen and Diane Wolfe Marlin declared the week of March 4-8 as Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week. Intersect Illinois CEO Dan Seals took the stage to tell the “Why Illinois” story. Seals’ presentation discussed how Illinois is #1 in private food manufacturing R&D, #2 for food-related patents, and boasts the largest number of food processing workers in the Midwest. The day’s first panel focused on navigating digital agriculture, including obstacles and opportunities that data and analytics present to the end users. UIUC Crop Sciences Clinical Assistant Professor Elhan Ersoz moderated this discussion, featuring panelists Justin McMenamy, the VP of Disruptive Products at Precision Planting, Dave Knippenberg, the Director of Data Platforms at Elanco, Jared Fry, the Director of Modeling & Simulation at Mondelez, and Dominic Walkes, the Director of Technical Product Management at CNH. After Navigating Digital Ag, the first fireside chat started, spotlighting Corteva Agriscience Chief Technology and Digital Officer Sam Eathington. Eathington sat down with Kim Kidwell, the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The second panel, Policy Impact on AgTech was moderated by Stephen Wald, the Director of External Communications and Government Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The panel covered the intersection between government and agriculture, featuring University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Associate Professor Jonathan Coppess, United States House of Representatives Legislative Assistant Aleksi Knepp, and ADM Vice President of State Government Relations Greg Webb. “Conversations like this are important. We can write…all day long, but if it’s not going to actually be useful to the folks who need it, then that’s a problem.” -Aleksi Knepp That was followed by a panel highlighting the excitement around the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub, a regional partnership in the corridor between Decatur and Champaign which has been tapped by the Economic Development Administration as a federally designated tech hub. iFAB seeks to scale precision fermentation to convert underutilized corn feedstocks into high-value, customized alternative proteins, food ingredients, materials, chemicals, and more. The panel was moderated by Nicole Bateman, the President of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, and featured Boston Bioprocess CEO Michael Tai, Corn Refiners Association Senior Vice President of Advanced Bioproducts James Glueck, iFAB Regional Innovation Officer Beth Conerty, and Primient Director of Business Development Eric Lee. The program than shifted for the presentation of the 8th annual Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize, which recognizes a University of Illinois entrepreneur focused on agricultural innovations. The winner is Hypercell Technologies, an EnterpriseWorks startup that develops new methods to control infectious diseases. “We are proud to be the incubator location for this AgTech startup company, which is protecting livestock and our food supply,” said Laura Appenzeller, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Illinois. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VoR7mcc6ew0%3Ffeature%3Doembed The award presentation flowed into a fireside chat about Hypercell with its CEO, Bruno Jactel, and moderator Gerald Wilson, the Director of Entrepreneurship at the Research Park. Jactel discussed the “start there” paradox that is essential for successful startup members, necessitating they stay realistic when facing business problems but remember they will prevail in the end. After a break for lunch, the AgTech Summit continued with the third fireside chat, featuring GDM Global Strategy Lead Gastón Suardiaz. This chat was moderated by Germán Bollero, the Dean of the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, & Environmental Sciences. This fireside chat was followed by a series of lightning presentations, including: Andrew Leakey, the director of the University of Illinois Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), presented the capabilities of the new CABBI Greenhouse, including real-time phenotyping and a controlled growth chamber facility with tracer gas technology. Dennis Beard, Managing Partner at Serra Ventures, discussed venture capital in AgTech. Winners of the first AgTech Hackathon presented their work from the past weekend. The AgTech Hackathon was sponsored by Bayer and John Deere. The Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism was presented to Andrew and Karlie Bowman, the innovative minds behind the popcorn brand Pilot Knob Farms. “There is entrepreneurship, innovation, and excitement in this room,” said recipient Andrew Bowman. “Our journey is…a microcosm of all the wonderful things that we’re discussing today.” The Brandt Prize recognizes a grower, producer, or farmer who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation in agricultural practices. Dr. John Reid from the University of Illinois Center for Digital Agriculture sat down for a panel on sustainability with HabiTerre founder Kaiyu Guan, S2G Ventures Senior Associate Sumeeta Salvador, John Deere Head of Labs and Sustainability Solutions Alexey Rostapshov, and Bayer Ecosystems Impact Lead Charlie Foresman. “Sustainability is local. To work alongside growers, to learn as much as we can, is where we need to be.” -Charlie Foresman The final panel featured the perspective of growers and producers and was moderated by VP of TAG Farms at The Atkins Group, Jim Goss. Panelists included Hastings CCI Equipment Co-Owner Sarah Hastings, Roots Run Deep Farm Co-Owner Eric Miller, and Run Farms Owner Eric Rund. The 2024 AgTech Innovation Summit concluded with a Tech Showcase of local startups and area innovators during a networking reception. The AgTech Summit is free thanks to its generous sponsors Intersect Illinois, John Deere, Bayer, Corteva, AGCO, BRANDT, GDM, and the NSF I-Corps Hub. The AgTech Summit is hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park with support from the University of Illinois, the College of ACES, and the Office of Corporate Relations. Thank you to our AgTech Summit Planning Committee: Laura Bleill, Desiree Clayton, Pedro Fernandes da Costa, Amy Fruehling, Kim Kidwell, and Cathy McArthur. Special thanks to our mistress of ceremonies, Katheryne Rehberg. Save the date for next year’s AgTech Summit on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week kicked off with the first Research Park AgTech Hackathon,  engaging University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students from across campus to work on challenges presented by sponsors by Bayer and John Deere. Participants worked together to tackle prompts created by professional technologists. Hackathon participants came from five colleges (Grainger College of Engineering, Gies College of Business, School of Information Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences), and roughly two dozen majors. Participants were grouped into six student teams who presented to the judging panel on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Roughly 62 percent of the attendees had never participated in a hackathon previously. The Bayer prompt focused on creating evaluation systems to predict the performance of plants in varying environments, aiding plant breeders in decision-making. The John Deere prompt tasked participants with pitching new features or redesigning existing ones for the John Deere Operations Center Mobile App, aimed at farm management efficiency. On Sunday afternoon, the winning teams were announced, each receiving awards and recognition for their contributions. The top teams had the opportunity to present their pitch at the AgTech Summit on Tuesday, March 5. Support Thank you to our sponsors Bayer and John Deere, and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois for supporting this event.

Kohler Co., a global leader in the innovation and manufacture of plumbing products; tile, cabinetry and lighting; and engines, generators and clean energy solutions, today celebrated the grand opening of the new Kohler Innovation Center at the University of Illinois Research Park. The new center is a reflection of the company’s objective of positively impacting current and future generations through design, craftsmanship, and innovation. The center’s portfolio focuses on areas of interest to Kohler including supply chain optimization strategies; investigating and adapting technology for the factory of the future; and developing a pipeline of engineering and data analytics talent for the company tapped from its student intern program.   “Our partnership with the University of Illinois is a win for Kohler, the university, and students. We are excited about this new facility and the future possibilities of our collaboration,” said Norb Schmidt, Senior Vice President of Kitchen & Bath Operations for Kohler.  “Our commitment here is a genuine investment in our [Kohler’s] future, added Schmidt. Specifically, Kohler’s Research Park location supports research and design efforts related to robotics, electro-mechanical systems, machining, and pneumatic and hydraulic functions. “The Kohler Innovation Center at UIRP provides our students the opportunity to work on solutions for the Midwest and beyond,” said Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Such real-world experiences are examples of the transformative educational opportunities at Illinois that grow from our leadership in engineering, data science, and industrial design.”   The center is hiring several positions and eventually plans to employ up to 25 students. A full-time site manager, Will Newton, supervises the students and serves as liaison between the Kohler Innovation Center at UIRP and the University of Illinois.  Initiatives to cultivate a culture of innovation, including the new campus innovation center at Illinois, supports why Kohler Co. recently landed as a finalist on the Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators list. Download the full press release here. About Kohler Co. For 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in design and innovation, dedicated to providing gracious living through kitchen and bath products; luxury cabinetry, tile and lighting; distributed energy solutions – home energy, industrial power systems, and powertrain technologies – and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Kohler’s Whistling Straits golf course hosted the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.Learn more at kohlercompany.com.

The 2023 EDA University Center Showcase stretched over two days, Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13, at the Big Ten Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign EDA University Center. The showcase featured guest speakers and discussions about broadband access, mapping and building gender-inclusive ecosystems, and coordinating federal, state, and local resources and planning. Monday, September 12: Introductions and networking were conducted over breakfast in the morning, followed by welcoming messages by Susan Brehm, the Regional Director of EDA’s Chicago regional office, and University of Illinois Research Park Executive Director Laura Appenzeller. The remainder of the morning included presentations from a variety of universities including Michigan State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Cleveland State University, and Purdue University. Afternoon speakers comprised of speakers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Minnesota, and Bowling Green University, as well as a panel discussion ‘Expanding Community Broadband Access,’ moderated by Desiree Clayton, Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Research Park. Joe Thiel, CEO of Innovate Marquette Smartzone and Executive Director OF Invent@NMU, closed out the day with his presentation ‘Innovate Marquette and the Future of Regional Hubs,’ followed by a reception at Crust Brewery. Tuesday, September 13:  The second day of the conference kicked off with announcements from Brehm and Appenzeller, followed by a facilitated panel discussion on ‘EDD, EDO, UC, State Agency Economic Development Coordination’ lead by Appenzeller (also a panelist). Later that morning, presenters from the University of Michigan-Flint and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville spoke. Post-lunch, the afternoon commenced with speaker Michael Fassnacht, Chief Marketing Officer for The City of Chicago and President and CEO of World Business Chicago. Next, Research Park’s Appenzeller and EDA University Center Program Manager Cheri Soliday teamed up to discuss technology-based economic development and high-growth entrepreneurship efforts in Illinois. Yittayuh Zelalem of the Unviersity of Illinois Chicago then presented on regional strategies to enhance green economic vitality, followed by Shannon Discroll of the Cleveland State University Center for Economic Development discussing policy highlights in U.S. innovation districts. The showcase concluded with a panel hosted by Brehm, detailing U.S. Economic Development Administration Program Updates.

On Wednesday, September 28, 2023, officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new greenhouse that will support CABBI research at the construction site located at 1902 South Fourth Street on the Research Park campus. CABBI is a $252.5M U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center.  It aims to provide the scientific discoveries and new technologies to develop an economically viable and ecologically sustainable domestic biofuel and bioproducts industry from dedicated bioenergy crops.  The greenhouse was designed with energy efficiency at the forefront and will create research and teaching opportunities for faculty and students across three colleges, including: the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), the Grainger College of Engineering, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). The planned structure will feature a solar panel array, a plant phenotyping facility, and walk-in growth rooms, plus room for potential future expansion. “It will benefit an incredibly diverse group of people — from experts in gene editing and plant physiology to artificial intelligence and crop breeding — as they work together to develop a profitable and sustainable future for agriculture in Illinois and the Midwest,” said CABBI director Andrew Leakey. Undergraduates will also benefit through CABBI’s Research Internship in Sustainable Bioenergy (RISE), targeted at students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields, Leakey added. Remarks at the ceremonial groundbreaking were given by Leaky, Susan Martinis (Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation), and Laura Appenzeller (University of Illinois Research Park Executive Director). The state-of-the-art greenhouse is expected to be completed by summer 2024.

Ten teams complied of Research Park interns competed in the first Research Park Hackathon. Five companies participated including State Farm, John Deere, Rivian, Capital One, and COUNTRY Financial. John Deere data scientist Jarai Carter, PhD, and software engineer James Kabbes created the structure for the event and developed the idea for the prompt. The Hackathon challenge was to develop a retro video game, a nostalgic project close to Kabbes’ heart.  “When I was 10 years old, my brother bought me a book on learning the Python language by recreating old video games…I thought it would be a great to bring that as a competition to Research Park companies,” – James Kabbes, John Deere Senior Software Engineer The event kicked off  on Wednesday, July 19 in the morning at EnterpriseWorks, where participants enjoyed a continental breakfast and were briefed on the retro video game prompt. Teams had until midnight to submit a game and video to the judges. Eight of the 10 participating teams completed the prompt. Judges included tech professionals Matt Ahrens (NVIDIA), Anna Chi (Brunswick), Ben Kimmel (Cargill), and Jarai Carter. Games had to include elements of their company and industry. For example, electric vehicle company Rivian made an adventure racing game where vehicles had to collect batteries along the road. The team incorporated Rivian’s value of keeping the world adventurous with a special feature.  “One of our main focuses is that you can go off the road and go ‘camping’ and that will also get you some battery,” said Rivian intern Asher Mai. The judges played the games on Thursday to select winners for six awards. The finalists and winners were announced at the Fire at Five event on Thursday, July 20. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Hackathon:  1st Place: Rivian, “Rivian Adventure” 2nd Place: John Deere, “Crossy Tractor” 3rd Place: Capital One, “Capital Clash” Best Company/Industry Incorporation: Rivian Most Original Concept for a Game: COUNTRY Financial Best Gameplay: Capital One Thank you to everyone who helped to organize and participated in this event. Watch Rivian interns demonstrate their winning racing game below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WL72N0womw&feature=youtu.be