Color-Variation-Orange-Block-I-Blue-Background-1

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Events

    Community Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    2023 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament

    The 12th Annual Research Park Table Tennis Tournament took place Tuesday, June 27, and Wednesday, June 28, 2023. It was a great success, with 64 participants from 17 companies across the Research Park playing in 3 categories (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) in a competition for the coveted Golden Paddle.   Here is the full list of winners from each individual bracket:  Beginner  1st: Suneeth Sathyanathan, Graybar  2nd: Bandhuli Maity, Synchrony  3rd: Tarun Bathini, Synchrony, and Linyao Li, Yahoo!  Intermediate  1st: Manav Das, Caterpillar  2nd: Pranav Gaka, Capital One   3rd: Hitesh Vijan, Country Financial, and Ryan Biju Sebastian, Country Financial  Advanced  1st: Fei Deng, Yahoo! 2nd: David Lomiashvili, Identomat  3rd: Neelan Coleman, Yahoo!, and Asim Chitre, Synchrony  The results of Round-Robin games on day one were used to seed participants for the single-elimination tournament played on day two. In these games, companies were awarded points based on the placing of their players. First-place winners received five points; second-place winners received three points; third-place winners received one point. Yahoo!, having received the highest number of points across all brackets, won the Golden Paddle for the 9th time.  More photos from the event can be viewed in our media gallery. Learn more about this event on the Table Tennis Tournament page.

    2023 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament Read Post »

    Community EnterpriseWorks Events News Research Park

    Puzzle Labs, Research Park Launch “Working in AI” User Group

    EnterpriseWorks startup Puzzle Labs, together with Research Park, is launching a new local meetup group to build community around AI. “Working with AI” is for anyone in the Champaign-Urbana area interested in exploring Artificial Intelligence and its real-world applications. It will meet on the second Friday of each month at EnterpriseWorks in the Research Park. Meetings are free and open to the public. The group aims to provide a platform for learning, networking, and collaboration among individuals and organizations working with AI or looking to get started in this field. Anyone interested in learning more about AI, including students, professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts, are welcome. The group will include those just starting out or have years of experience working with AI. “The primary goal is to foster a community of AI enthusiasts and experts, where we can share knowledge, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects related to AI. We aim to cover a broad range of topics related to AI, including machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, and more,” said Brad Miller, COO of Puzzle Labs. The Research Park hosts several technical meetups, including the Champaign-Urbana Data Science User Group, the Champaign Urbana Cloud Computing User Group, and the Champaign-Urbana Blockchain User Group. For the latest speaker lineup and to register for lunch, please check out the Research Park event calendar. Please contact Brad Miller, Ph.D., COO of Puzzle Labs, with any questions at brad@puzzlelabs.ai.

    Puzzle Labs, Research Park Launch “Working in AI” User Group Read Post »

    Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Eric Miller Awarded 2023 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism

    Champaign, Illinois (March 7, 2023) — Eric Miller has been named the recipient of this year’s Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism, an award that honors a grower/producer/farmer who exemplifies an entrepreneurial spirit and advances innovation through their business practices. Miller farms 400 acres in Piatt County, where he works extensively with University of Illinois researchers. “Eric is passionate about conserving and efficiently using the resources that make Illinois agriculture so productive and envied. He’s not only given University of Illinois staff access to his entire farm, but for a sufficient period that allows longitudinal studies. This scale and timeframe help identify much more predictable and repeatable ‘proof of concept’ outcomes,” said his nominator, Daniel Schaefer, Director of Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association. The award was announced at the 2023 AgTech Innovation Summit, hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. Karl Barnhart, Chief Marketing Officer of BRANDT, presented the award to Miller. “Eric is exactly the kind of grower we envisioned that the GB Prize could support when we established it three years ago,” said Barnhart. “Just like Glen Brandt, Eric is a real entrepreneur in the field of production agriculture. On behalf of The BRANDT Foundation, congratulations, Eric.” Miller said he hopes partner with BRANDT as he deploys the award’s $10,000 prize. He recently entered an agreement to expand his farm’s facilities Miller has assisted the University of Illinois with large-scale on-farm research since 2014. During the past eight years, Miller has transitioned his Central Illinois farm into a dedicated crop production improvement site. He performs field operations and collects data per the requirements of projects that are assigned to the farm. The goal is to develop strategies that simultaneously improve yield, environmental and economic outcomes. This crop improvement site is helping to define the future of Illinois agriculture. Some examples of testing that is taking place at the site include long-term monitoring of soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, various soil health metrics and yield. The Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism was established in 2021 in honor of Glen “GB” Brandt, a legendary figure in the field of Illinois agriculture, who passed away in late 2020. The BRANDT Foundation partnered with the University of Illinois to provide the winner a $10,000 prize. Previous Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism winners include: Matt Riggs, 2022 Will Glazik, 2021 About the BRANDT Foundation  The BRANDT Foundation was established in 2012 as a philanthropic extension of BRANDT, Inc. The Brandt family has always stood with their communities and as their company grew, so did the opportunities to give back. The BRANDT Foundation offers donations, grants, and support to the charities, organizations, and communities that reside in the same area of the company; geographically and industry-related. About the AgTech Innovation Summit  The AgTech Innovation Summit is an interactive conference where participants learn and share knowledge about the current state of agtech and get a looking into the future through dynamic panels, inspiring keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. It is produced by the University of Illinois Research Park in partnership with the College of ACES and the Office of Corporate Relations. One of the premier AgTech hubs in the nation, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry for learning, networking, and advancing this sector.

    Eric Miller Awarded 2023 Glen “GB” Brandt Prize for Ag Entrepreneurism Read Post »

    Community Events News Partnerships & Acquisitions Recognition & Awards Research Park

    2023 Research Park AgTech Summit Attracts Global Audience, Speakers

    Research Park welcomed more than 600 registered participants from 200 companies for the 2023 AgTech Summit. Attendees hailed from across the Midwest and around the globe.  The agenda featured panels on hot topics including sustainability in agriculture, carbon strategy, opportunities in alternative proteins, the future of the agtech workforce, and the intelligent farm. The event concluded with a panel of growers and producers from across Central Illinois sharing their perspective on many of those topics addressed in earlier discussions. The moderators and panelists represented a range of the actors in agtech, including startups, investors, academics, industry, media, growers, government, and non-profit. The AgTech Summit is a free event that is open to the public, true to the land-grant mission of its host institution. Thanks to the 2023 AgTech Summit sponsors who made the event possible:  John Deere, World Business Chicago, Bayer, Corteva, Cargill, GDM, Sikich, and Kin + Carta. The AgTech Summit is hosted by University of Illinois Research Park with support from the University of Illinois, the College of ACES, and the Office of Corporate Relations. The AgTech Summit is the flagship event for Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week. 2023 was the fourth annual C-U AgTech Week. Save the date for next year’s AgTech Summit on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. NEWS BITES: March 7, WCIA: U of I kicks off AgTech Week March 6, WCIA: AgTech Week back for fourth year See below for the 2023 agenda.  7:30 AM REGISTRATION OPENS  8:00 AM WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS  Laura Appenzeller | Executive Director, University of Illinois Research Park  8:05 AM CHAMPAIGN-URBANA WELCOME WEEK PROCLAMATION Deborah Frank Feinen | Mayor, City of Champaign Diane Wolfe Marlin | Mayor, City of Urbana 8:15 AM THE JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABILITY Brad Arnold | SVP, General Manager Precision, AGCO Corporation Paul Hunter | Global Sustainability Manager, Kin + Carta Emily Heaton | Regenerative Ag Stakeholder Coordinator, UIUC College of ACES Moderator: Kim Kidwell | Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign 9:15 AM OPPORTUNITIES IN ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS Michelle Ruiz | CEO & Co-founder,  Hyfe Sean Madison | Director of North American Business Development, Innovafeed Michael Tai | Co-founder & CEO, Boston Bioprocess Moderator: Jack Marck | Managing Director, Illinois AgTech Accelerator 10:15 AM BREAK 10:30 AM CARBON STRATEGY IN AGTECH Dennis Beard | Managing Partner, Serra Ventures Nick Reinke | CEO, HabiTerre  Ross Bricklemyer | Modeling Strategy Lead, Bayer Crop Science Moderator: Lisa Ainsworth | Research Leader, USDA ARS 11:30 AM GLEN “GB” BRANDT PRIZE FOR AG ENTREPRENEURISM  11:45 AM LUNCH 12:30 PM THE FUTURE OF THE AGTECH WORKFORCE Laura Gerstner | Director of Precision Tech Enterprise Program Management, CNHI Maggie Brickerman | Partner,  gener8tor  Jen Quinlan | Food & Agtech Innovation Program Lead, Cargill Amy Funk | Director, Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center Moderator: Amy Fruehling | Sr. Director Corporate Relations, UIUC College of ACES 1:30 PM MOORE INNOVATION PRIZE AND STARTUP PRESENTATION  1:45 PM BREAK 2:00 PM THE INTELLIGENT FARM Brian Sutton | Founder and President, AirScout Mark Moran | Tech Innovation Leader, John Deere Connie Bowen | Co-Founder, Farmhand Ventures Jeff Klock | North America Digital Strategy Leader, Cargill Moderator: Germán Bollero, Interim Dean, UIUC College of ACES 3:00 PM PERSPECTIVE OF GROWERS & PRODUCERS Mark Scholl | President, J and M Scholl, Inc. Lena Head | Co-Owner & External Relations Manager, Head Bros. Land and Cattle LLC Matt Riggs | President, Riggs Beer Company Moderator: Sarah Michaels | Agriculture Reporter, WEEK 25 4:00 AGTECH SHOWCASE & NETWORKING RECEPTION  You’re invited to join us for the AgTech Showcase & Networking event immediately following the Summit at the Illinois Conference Center. The AgTech Showcase is an opportunity to connect with other attendees and see what innovations companies are working on. Snacks and beverages will be provided.  

    2023 Research Park AgTech Summit Attracts Global Audience, Speakers Read Post »

    Events Investments News Research Park

    ADM Makes Transformative Investment in Innovation at University of Illinois Research Park

    Champaign, Illinois (Sept 23, 2022) – ADM (NYSE: ADM) today celebrated the grand opening of the new ADM Science and Technology Center at the University of Illinois Research Park. The facility quadruples ADM’s footprint at the University of Illinois Research Park and reflects a significant expansion of its capabilities. In addition to its focus on process and financial modeling as well as business intelligence and business development, the new center’s portfolio will allow the addition of human nutrition research and development, wet chemistry, sensory science, data science, computational fluid dynamics, and customer interface and applications. “Our partnership with the University of Illinois has been a win for ADM, the university and its students, as well as the industries in which ADM operates, and we are so excited about this new facility and the future of our collaboration,” said Todd Werpy, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Science Officer at ADM. “University of Illinois students and visiting scientists have helped ADM tackle big challenges and have developed business cases for important research projects. For the university and its students, the new facility will provide hands-on experiences working on real projects that are making an impact not just on ADM, but also on the world. “The expansion strengthens our relationship with the university, leading to more value for ADM, more opportunities for students, and more innovation to unlock the power of nature in order to enrich the quality of life.” The ADM Science and Technology Center will create opportunities for students across campus including chemical engineering, chemistry, information science, computer science, food science and human nutrition, technology management, agricultural and consumer economics, animal science and business programs just to name a few. “The new ADM Science and Technology Center at Research Park is a tangible outcome of the depth and breadth of our institutional strategic partnership,”  said Robert J. Jones, Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “An alliance of this scale and scope is critical to the future of our region and our state. It also provides unique experiential learning opportunities for our students, which is critical for preparing our future workforce. It also further cements our campus and community as an epicenter of agtech.” ADM originally opened at Research Park in 2007. Then known as the Bioenergy Modeling Center, it focused on computational work, conceptual engineering, and modeling to evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing specialty chemicals. About ADM ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re a premier global human and animal nutrition company, delivering solutions today with an eye to the future. We’re blazing new trails in health and well-being as our scientists develop groundbreaking products to support healthier living. We’re a cutting-edge innovator leading the way to a new future of plant-based consumer and industrial solutions to replace petroleum-based products. We’re an unmatched agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. And we’re a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize our industry and safeguard our planet. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional and sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.adm.com. About the Research Park at the University of Illinois The Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a technology hub that cultivates startups and advances corporate innovation. Within the Research Park there are 120 companies employing both students and full-time technology professionals. More information at researchpark.illinois.edu. 

    ADM Makes Transformative Investment in Innovation at University of Illinois Research Park Read Post »

    Events News Research Park

    Genective Expands Lab Space, Opens Phase 2 Champaign Headquarters

    Less than three years after its initial opening, agtech company Genective celebrated its Phase 2 expansion at Research Park with a celebration, tours and open house on Aug. 24. The company has increased its lab space by 30 percent to continue its focus on the research, development, and commercialization of transgenic traits, focusing on insect resistant corn. In his remarks recognizing Genective’s latest milestone, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones reflected on how the company contributes to the growth of the Research Park ecosystem, as the university seeks to double the size of UIRP. “I can tell you that Genective’s presence is a big part of the achievement of that strategic goal,” said Jones. A joint venture between leading European seed companies KWS Group and LIMAGRAIN, Genective moved its global headquarters to Champaign from Paris, France in 2019. The company celebrated its grand opening in March 2020, days before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Yet that was no hindrance. Under Qiaoni “Linda” Jing‘s leadership, the company has quadrupled in size, recruiting scientists and crop experts locally and from around the country. “Only if you are successful do you justify further investment from your stakeholders. …It was obviously a great decision to move here,” said bogegeard member Thomas Ehrhardt, of KWS Group.

    Genective Expands Lab Space, Opens Phase 2 Champaign Headquarters Read Post »

    Events News Research Park

    Illinois AgTech Accelerator Seeks Early-Stage Startups for Fall gBeta Cohort

    Applications are now open for the Fall 2022 gBETA AgTech program, run by the Research Park-based Illinois AgTech Accelerator. gBETA AgTech is a seven-week accelerator for early-stage AgTech and Agriculture startups. Each gBETA AgTech program is capped at five teams innovating in AgTech and Agriculture. While the Illinois AgTech Accelerator recruits globally, the Fall 2022 gBETA AgTech will be a hybrid program with some in-person components. Illinois-based teams are strongly encouraged to apply. The Illinois AgTech Accelerator is operated by the nationally-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor and powered by Champaign-based Serra Ventures. The benefits of the gbeta AgTech program include: Individualized coaching and mentorship from the team of nationally-ranked accelerator gener8tor on company growth and investor readiness Facilitate introductions to over 50 mentors and investors $1M+ in deals and perks from vendors like IBM Cloud, Rackspace, Amazon, Paypal, Zendesk, Hubspot and Microsoft This program is completely free for the startup; there are no fees and no equity is taken. gBETA AgTech takes a broad view of food and agriculture technologies and is committed to supporting early-stage companies. With this in mind, its selection process will consider the following: The Illinois AgTech Accelerator works with startups across the Ag and food sectors, favoring enterprise solutions over consumer products gBETA AgTech recruits internationally but heavily favors Illinois-based startups While an MVP/Beta is definitely helpful, there are no revenue/traction requirements. We just need to know that you are committed to building a high-growth company. Key Dates: Applications Due: September 9 Kickoff: September 23rd Program Conclusion: November 11 Got questions? Contact Illinois AgTech Accelerator Managing Director Jack Marck at jack@gener8tor.com, or sign up for office hours via this link. There will be in-person office hours at EnterpriseWorks on Aug. 23.

    Illinois AgTech Accelerator Seeks Early-Stage Startups for Fall gBeta Cohort Read Post »

    Community Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    The Return of the Research Park Table Tennis Tournament: Yahoo! Reclaims the Golden Paddle

    After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Research Park Table Tennis Tournament returned and celebrated the 11th annual event. The event was a huge success filled with impressive players and enthusiastic spectators. This year, the tournament field included 64 participants and split into two days of competition.  The first day consisted of round-robin games where the participants of each bracket played four rounds of one individual game. The results of day one were used to seed participants for the single-elimination tournament played on the second day. After two evenings full of intense competition, showcased skills, and lots of fun and excitement, the tournament came to a close and the winners earned their titles. Yahoo reclaimed the Golden Paddle from AbbVie, this being Yahoo’s 10th year of earning the most points for their company. Here is the set of winners from each bracket: Beginner Mohammed Malik – Country Financial Edward Tomlins – Ameren Rohan Simha – AviatrixMohit Mayank – Aviatrix Intermediate Nikhil Shenoy – Motorola Solutions Mingzhe Zhao – Yahoo! Danny Koch – SynchronyVed Shah – Country Financial Advanced Anh Nguyen – Yahoo! Asim Chitre – Synchrony Fei Deng – Yahoo!Rishabh Tripathi – Country Financial You can find the full final bracket standings on our Research Park Table Tennis webpage.

    The Return of the Research Park Table Tennis Tournament: Yahoo! Reclaims the Golden Paddle Read Post »

    Community Events Features News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Cozad 2022 Winners: Nephra, Ferritiva, and Haylon Technologies Showcase Success on “Innovations” Research Park Podcast

    The newest episode of the Innovations @ Research Park Podcast features the top 3 finishers from the Cozad New Venture Challenge, a University of Illinois event where student teams can compete to win funding for their startups. Tanmay Shaw first speaks with Jonathan Politzki, CEO of EnterpriseWorks startup Nephra, whose team won $20,000 worth of funding and the I-Start prize at Cozad. Nephra is revolutionizing kidney dialysis by engineering a software embedded in ECGs. This allows patients to monitor potassium levels through fingerprints. When reflecting on his success, Politzki offers up his own advice to those inspired by his company’s success, “I encourage everyone out there to just give it a shot, try new things, learn a lot, spend a lot of time and focused effort, and you will make changes.” The future of Nephra involves investing in hardware that will facilitate more deep learning, allowing Nephra to accelerate its developments and continue to bring groundbreaking technology to the medical world.  Next in the podcast, Shaw brings on Jeffrey Lu, co-founder of Ferritiva, a startup that is developing a noninvasive method to detect iron deficiency. At Cozad, Ferritiva won more than $45,000 in funding as a second place winner. The creation of Ferritiva started from Lu’s observations as a cross country coach, leading him to attend Carle Illinois College of Medicine and ultimately work on bringing his idea to life. Lu shares how the Cozad New Venture Challenge played a role in his startup’s journey, “Cozad reminded me how difficult entrepreneurship is…but once things got rolling and we had some data to report, it was just very fun to share our story and share our vision with people.” Finally, Shaw introduces Namin Shah, founder of Haylon Technologies, the startup that won the grand prize at Cozad, the I-Start prize, and acceptance into multiple accelerators. Haylon Technologies’ goal is to improve battery life and functioning for various businesses that rely heavily on battery usage.  As someone who competed in Cozad multiple times, Shah highlights the most consistent and helpful aspects of the process. “Cozad does a really good job of highlighting the importance of doing proper customer discovery before you even engage in anything.” To listen to more of the conversations that Tanmay Shaw had with Jonathan Politzki, Jeffrey Lu, and Namin Shah about their experiences at Cozad, tune in to the Innovations @ Research Park Podcast. To listen to the podcast, visit iTunes Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to download your podcasts. 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).

    Cozad 2022 Winners: Nephra, Ferritiva, and Haylon Technologies Showcase Success on “Innovations” Research Park Podcast Read Post »

    Events News Research Park

    French Government Delegation Visits Research Park to Glean Best Practices in AgTech

    A delegation of French senators visited the EnterpriseWorks incubator and Research Park in late April as part of a mission to glean best practices in agtech. The delegation visited early-stage startups at the incubator and spent time with the team behind EarthSense, a University of Illinois spinout building AI-enabled robots that plant cover crops and perform other tasks. Called the United States Interparliamentary Friendship Group, the delegation of five French senators stopped in Central Illinois as part of a larger multi-state tour dedicated to learning about emerging technologies around AI, wrote Farm Week Now.   The group’s members include Sénateurs Antoine Lefèvre, Laure Darcos, Jérôme Durain, Fabien Genet and Sylvie Vermeillet. The senators’ visit to the University of Illinois Research Park also featured a tour of Genective, a biotechnology company specializing in corn genetics. Genective, a joint venture between two European seed corporations, moved its headquarters from Paris to Champaign in 2019. Read the entire story at FarmWeekNow.com.

    French Government Delegation Visits Research Park to Glean Best Practices in AgTech Read Post »