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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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    Community Events News Research Park

    University of Illinois Foundation Breaks Ground on Philanthropy Center at Former Feed Mill Site

    The University of Illinois Foundation will soon begin construction on a new Center for Philanthropy in the Research Park. The Foundation’s headquarters will move to the 60,000 square foot building. University leaders cited the building as an opportunity to serve as a hub of activity for its donors, partners and friends, as well as a home for its development professionals. Target completion of the project is expected in 2023. “We are thrilled that we will be neighbors to the Research Park,” said James H. Moore, Jr., Foundation president/CEO, at a groundbreaking ceremony on May 9. The building site is on the south side of the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign campus, where the old feed mill used to stand at the corner of Fourth Street and St. Mary’s Road. It sits next door to the I Hotel and Conference Center, and across the street from State Farm Center and other Illini athletics facilities. The Foundation’s workforce has grown from 14 employees in 1974 to more than 170 employees today.  Once the Philanthropy Center is open, the team will consolidate operations there. Most notably, it will vacate the historic Harker Hall — which sits next to the Illini Union on the main Quad — a building the Foundation restored in the early 1990s. Harker Hall will return to campus control. In addition to employee workspaces, the building will include facilities for hosting alumni and friends including a third-floor indoor/outdoor space with a terrace featuring an excellent view of campus. The building will also serve as a learning hub for the entire University of Illinois advancement community with space for peer-to-peer collaboration, training, and professional development. The project will be chronicled through photos and videos on the University of Illinois Foundation website.

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    Community Events News Research Park

    Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend Returns, With Courses Running Through Research Park

    Research Park will play a critical role in the Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend, April 29-30, which returns to the scene after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Course alterations for 2022 have given the Research Park a more prominent role in the races. Runners will spend a significant amount of time traversing the Research Park especially in the 10K and half marathon. All events, including the 5K on Friday night, will feature a starting line in the Research Park. Participants also will be parking in Research Park parking lots. Find race info here.  While Saturday mornings are typically quiet days in the Research Park, employees are advised that will be difficult to get in and out of the park on April 30. Want to participate? Find more info on how to run, and how to volunteer, on the Illinois Race Weekend website. 

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    Community Events News Research Park

    OnRamp Agriculture Conference Moves to Champaign-Urbana, Hub of AgTech Innovation

    Event Facilitates Matchmaking, Learning and Networking for Startups, Investors, and Industry Partners CHAMPAIGN – April 12, 2022 – A coalition of Central Illinois partners have banded together to bring one of the nation’s premier AgTech startup conferences to Champaign. gener8tor will host the third annual OnRamp Agriculture Conference on Tuesday, July 26 at the State Farm Center. The curated one-day event includes three programming tracks for attendees designed to facilitate deal making and strategic partnerships among startups, corporations, and investors in the ag and food space. This year’s conference is presented by Cooperative Ventures, the University of Illinois Research Park, Serra Ventures, and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “Moving the OnRamp Agriculture Conference to Champaign was a goal we have had for some time, as our community is a magnet for truly disruptive innovations in the ag and food industries,” said Dennis Beard, managing partner at Serra Ventures. “Collaboration and cooperation are innate to our community’s culture and represent two of our signature values. We look forward to bringing others into the fold.” The conference is expected to draw hundreds of attendees to Champaign, reaping a significant economic impact for the community. The OnRamp Agriculture Conference adds another dimension to the already robust AgTech ecosystem in Champaign-Urbana, which includes: A land-grant institution steeped in innovation, across the value chain of agriculture. Champaign-based VC firm Serra Ventures announced its $45 million AgTech Fund in February. The University of Illinois Research Park is home to multiple ag-centric corporate innovation centers as well as AgTech startups. Parkland College is recognized as the #2 Precision Agriculture community college in the country and has been awarded four National Science Foundation grants for their innovative AgTech programming. Each March, the community hosts its own AgTech week; the centerpiece of that week is the AgTech Innovation Summit, programmed since 2016. The Illinois AgTech Accelerator, which recruits internationally, is also a gener8tor program. Launched in 2020, it is now hosting its third cohort and its portfolio companies have raised $20M to date. Unique to OnRamp, the Startup Track features curated one-on-one pitch sessions between startups and corporations. OnRamp matches the selected startups with corporate venture capital and innovation executives from participating organizations to discuss potential customer relationships, strategic partnerships and, if appropriate, investment opportunities. AgTech investment continues to experience exponential growth. According to Pitchbook, the sector saw $10.5 billion invested in 2021, a 58.6% increase from the previous year and more than double the 2019 value. The capital was invested across 751 deals. To learn more about the 2022 OnRamp Agriculture Conference and to register for the event, visit https://onrampagricultureconference.com/. About AgTech in Champaign-Urbana: Champaign-Urbana has long been a hub for technology as well as agriculture. In the past decade, those two paths have converged, paving the way for the community to become an epicenter for AgTech. Champaign-Urbana’s robust AgTech ecosystem includes the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Parkland College, corporate innovation partners, startups, state-of-the-art facilities, student organizations, local ag companies, the Illinois AgTech Accelerator, and more. Learn more at https://yourewelcomecu.com/agtech/. About the OnRamp Agriculture Conference: The OnRamp Agriculture Conference brings together the agriculture and food industries’ leading corporations, investors, and startups. The conference highlights innovations disrupting agriculture and the future of food, the leaders making such innovations possible and how new technologies and business models will reinvent the industry. 

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    Events News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    2022 AgTech Summit has Successful In-Person Return

    The 2022 Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit was a success yet again, bringing together the biggest agriculture companies and brightest minds in agtech for the seventh year in a row; this time returning to an in-person convention and garnering local media attention.  This year, Research Park held its AgTech Student Career Mixer prior to the AgTech Innovation Summit on Tuesday, March 8. This event allowed agtech professionals to connect with University of Illinois students, and engage in meaningful discussion and networking with one another on the night before the summit.  This year’s event included remarks from university and industry leaders including Chancellor Robert Jones, who delivered the opening remarks. In his speech, Chancellor Jones emphasized that “whatever the future of agricultural innovation and development may lead this world, the path of that future is going to be running right through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and East Central Illinois.”  The 2022 panels included discussions on the agriculture supply chain, the ag sector’s role in carbon markets,  investment, and RIPE project updates. In addition to the unique mix of panel discussions, key individuals participated in fireside chats, where they could give brief presentations on their company, their technology, and their plans for the future.  The AgTech Summit is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Research Park, the University of Illinois College of ACES, and the Office of Corporate Relations. Thank you to all those from the local agriculture community as well as others from across the country that attended the event. Another thank you to the moderators and panelists for sharing your time and talents. Last but not least, thanks to the AgTech 2022 sponsors who made this year’s event possible:  John Deere, World Business Chicago, the Illinois Center for Digital Agriculture, Granular, Corteva, Bayer, ADM, AGCO, Sikich, and Cargill.  This year’s event garnered lots of local news attention: March 9, WCIA: AgTech Innovation Summit March 9, Brownfield: Vertical Integration has farmer/brewer less concerned about inflation February 23, Speaker RFD Profit Watch  For this year’s agenda, look below. And don’t forget to save the date for next year’s Agriculture Innovation Technology Summit on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. AGTECH 2022 AGENDA  7:30 AM REGISTRATION OPENS  8:00 AM WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS  Laura Appenzeller | Executive Director, University of Illinois Research Park  Chancellor Robert Jones | Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  8:15 AM OPENING REMARKS FROM ACES  Germán Bollero | Interim Dean, University of Illinois College of ACES  8:30 AM THE AG SECTOR’S ROLE IN CARBON MARKETS  Chris Harbourt | Chief Strategy Officer, Indigo Ag  Moderator: Jed Taylor | Executive Director, Technology Entrepreneur Center  9:00 AM MORNING FIRESIDE CHAT  Tami Craig Schilling | North America Knowledge Transfer Lead, Bayer  Moderator: Laura Appenzeller | Executive Director, University of Illinois Research Park  9:30 AM CARBON NEUTRAL FLOUR BUSINESS  James Scher | Director of Sales, Specialty Solutions, ADM  Maneephan Keeratiurai | Director, Food Science and Wholesome Nutrition. ADM  Moderator: Katheryne Rehberg | Director Of Business Development,  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  10:00 AM REALIZING INCREASED PHOTOSYNTHETIC EFFICIENCY (RIPE) UPDATE  Stephen Long | Director, Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE)  10:15 AM BREAK  10:30 FIRESIDE CHAT  Tim Hassinger | CEO & President, IntelinAir  Moderator: Kim Kidwell | Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, University of Illinois  11:00 AM GLEN “GB” BRANDT PRIZE FOR AG ENTREPRENEURISM  11:15 AM NAVIGATING THE AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN  Martha Montoya | CEO, AgTools  Moderator: Jack Marck | Managing Director, Illinois AgTech Accelerator  11:45 AM NAVIGATING THE AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN  Patrick McEniry | Vice President-Crops, Commodities & Ingredients, Treehouse Foods  Moderator:  Germán Bollero | Interim Dean, University of Illinois College of ACES  12:15 PM LUNCH  12:45 PM TECH STRATEGY TO DRIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE  Mark Theuerkauf | Director, Strategy and Transformation, AGCO  Moderator: Susan Martinis | Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, University of Illinois  1:15 PM AFTERNOON FIRESIDE CHAT  Bill Hamer | Carbon Strategy and Operations Manager, Corteva  Moderator: Gene Robinson | Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois  1:45 PM MOORE INNOVATION PRIZE AND STARTUP PRESENTATION  2:00 PM BREAK  2:15 PM LIGHTNING CHAT  Girish Chowdhary | Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, EarthSense  2:30 PM AFTERNOON FIRESIDE CHAT  Matt Hancher | Engineering Lead, Google Earth and Earth Engine, Google  Moderator:  Brendan McGinty | Director of Industry, National Center for Supercomputing Applications  3:00 PM INVESTMENT IN AGTECH  Dennis Beard | Partner, Serra Ventures  Moderator: Carly McCrory-McKay | Executive Director, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation  3:30  PM INVESTMENT IN AGTECH  Aaron Rudberg | Managing Director and COO, S2G Ventures  Moderator: Tom Parkinson | Senior Director, Illinois Ventures  4:00 – 5:30 PM AGTECH SHOWCASE & NETWORKING RECEPTION 

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    Events News Research Park

    AGCO Announces Expansion of its Research Park Acceleration Center

    CHAMPAIGN — AGCO Corporation announced today that it has completed the expansion of its AGCO Acceleration Center at the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana Research Park. AGCO is a global leader and manufacturer of agriculture equipment and technology. AGCO Corporation delivers agricultural solutions to farmers worldwide through a full line of tractors, combine harvesters, hay and forage equipment, seeding and tillage implements, grain storage and protein production systems. The AGCO Acceleration Center employs undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of backgrounds and talents to focus on developing new-to-market solutions and advanced technologies. “Simply stated our passion for farmers is at the heart of everything that we do, that’s why we are so excited to deepen our connection to the AgTech hub of the Midwest in Champaign, Illinois through the expansion of the AGCO Acceleration Center,” said Eric Hansotia, Chairman, President and CEO, AGCO Corporation. The AGCO Acceleration Center started under the leadership of the company’s Grain & Protein division to help farmers protect their harvest and their animals to feed a growing world population. AGCO’s research and innovation in Champaign has since expanded to encompass all product areas. “Farmers are facing tremendous challenges and we believe Innovation is critical to helping them improve productivity and sustainability. It’s why I’m proud to see the AGCO Acceleration Center grow and flourish. The work done here will lead to the next generation of smart solutions to help farmers feed the world,” said Stefan Caspari, Senior Vice President, Grain & Protein, AGCO Corporation. The expansion increases intern capacity to 80 workstations with a cutting-edge Maker Lab for prototyping and collaborative work.  The AGCO Corporation Research Park facility first opened in August 2017 and has employed over 300 interns at the facility since its inception. “At AGCO are passionate about developing leaders and are lucky that so many of them are influenced by the remarkable thought leadership that takes place here in Central Illinois,” said Ivory Harris, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Office, AGCO Corporation. The site is managed by site director, Misha Shah, Senior Manager, Global University Relations for AGCO, and MBA alumna of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana who also oversees global internship programs and University Relations for the company. “The incredible growth of the Acceleration Center would not be possible without our local partners here in the Midwest. The innovation, research and development that takes place in this ecosystem is best in class and propels AGCO forward in many ways. I am humbled by the incredible AgTech community that Champaign has brought together and excited for the bright future of the AGCO Acceleration Center,” said Misha Shah.   About AGCO AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers customer value through its differentiated brand portfolio including core brands like Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®. Powered by Fuse® smart farming solutions, AGCO’s full line of equipment and services help farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of $11.1 billion in 2021. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNSA7ic4Ie0

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    Community Events News Research Park

    AgTech Innovation Summit Returns to the “Epicenter of AgTech”

    Champaign — A unique blend of industry leaders, investors, academics, growers/producers, and startups will convene for the seventh annual AgTech Innovation Summit on Wednesday, March 9, hosted by the University of Illinois Research Park. This daylong, free conference includes speakers across each one of those areas who contribute to advancements in agtech. This year’s event features in-depth conversations designed to extract ideas from multiple thought leaders. Attendees will explore how technology solutions are addressing some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing agriculture today, including investment in startups, supply chain, carbon, workforce, and more. “We are thrilled to welcome our conference guests back to Champaign-Urbana,” said Laura Appenzeller, executive director of the University of Illinois Research Park. “This is a location that has cemented its place in the history of agriculture innovation like few others. More significantly, it has agtech at the heart of its future.” What started as a regional conference has grown into an event that attracts participants nationally and globally. Registrants hail from 26 states as well as representatives from other countries. The event will be held Although the conference is in-person this year, a livestream will be available via Research Park’s YouTube channel. Some highlights of the agenda include fireside chats with: Chris Harbourt, Chief Strategy Officer of Indigo Ag, discussing carbon markets; Tami Craig Schilling, North America Knowledge Transfer Lead, discussing her career journey into agtech; Tim Hassinger, CEO of IntelinAir, discussing the company’s growth from EnterpriseWorks startup graduate; Aaron Rudberg, Managing Director and COO of S2G Ventures, discussing agtech investment trends. The generous sponsors who make the AgTech Summit possible include John Deere, World Business Chicago, AGCO, Bayer, Corteva AgriScience, ADM, Cargill,  Sikich LLP, and the Center for Digital Agriculture. The AgTech Innovation Summit is programmed by the University of Illinois Research Park in partnership with the Office of Corporate Relations and the College of ACES. About the Research Park at the University of Illinois The Research Park at the University of Illinois at 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 researchpark5.wpenginepowered.com. Find the Research Park on Twitter at @UIResearchPark.

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    Community Events News Research Park

    Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week Returns with In-Person and Virtual Events

    CHAMPAIGN, IL – The annual Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week, presented by Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois Research Park, and You’re Welcome CU, will return for its third event in 2022 with both in-person and virtual events.  The five-day event, March 7-11, celebrates Champaign-Urbana’s robust AgTech ecosystem, including the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Parkland College, corporate innovation partners, startups, state-of-the-art facilities, student organizations, local ag companies, the Illinois AgTech Accelerator, and more. “As one of the nation’s premier AgTech hubs, Champaign-Urbana is uniquely positioned to convene entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry leaders for learning and networking, which results in more connectivity across this sector,” said Laura Bleill, Director of External Engagement at University of Illinois Research Park. Participating organizations include Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois Research Park, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Serra Ventures, Parkland College, Illinois AgTech Accelerator, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), Early College and Career Academy (ECCA), UIUC’s College of Aces and Corporate Relations, gener8tor, and many others. The schedule of events includes: Women in AgTech Panel Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) – One-on-One Tours & Meetings AgTech Student Career Mixer AgTech Innovation Summit Parkland College AgTech Showcase Lunch & Learn: How to Get Involved in the Illinois AgTech Accelerator “Parkland College is pleased to contribute to and support the vibrant AgTech ecosystem in Champaign-Urbana,” said Stephanie Stuart, Vice President for Communications and External Affairs for Parkland College and Champaign County Economic Development Corporation Board Chair. “Working in partnership with the EDC and the University of Illinois, Parkland College’s Midwest Center for Precision Agriculture supports the needs of industry and local growers by providing the most innovative community college curriculum in the region. Whether students arrive from the family farm or urban center, they will gain hands-on experiences in the field and on the latest equipment in our programs. We look forward to showcasing the next generation of ag workforce training as part of next week’s celebration.” Champaign-Urbana has long been a hub for technology as well as agriculture. In the past decade, those two paths have converged, paving the way for the community to become an “epicenter for AgTech.” “Champaign County comprises approximately 1,000 square miles, the majority of which are involved in agriculture,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “With resources like the College of ACES, Parkland College, direct access to large grower networks, and access to incredible talent, it’s no wonder companies like John Deere, AGCO, Cargill, Nutrien, and many others choose to locate here – and why companies start here. We look forward to celebrating our AgTech industry next week and working with our many community partners to further advance Champaign-Urbana as a premier AgTech destination.” The full schedule of events can be found online at www.cuagtechweek.com. Registration is required at many events, but all are free to attend.

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    EnterpriseWorks Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    FrostDefense’s Gabriel Burks Advocates for More Startup Resources During Congressional Testimony

    Dr. Gabriel Burks, vice president and head of research and development of EnterpriseWorks startup FrostDefense Envirotech, recently delivered testimony in front of the United States House of Representatives Small Business Committee to advocate for more federal investment in programs that support innovation and entrepreneurship. “Our major successes as a company have come as a direct result of timely funding and support from several sources, including the university, incubator, private and federal,” Burks said. EnterpriseWorks won funding in 2019 from the Small Business Administration’s Growth Accelerator Fund Competition to support the AWARE Proof of Concept program. The SBA innovation initiative provided $50,000 grants.  FrostDefense applied and received funding from the incubator to support research and development critical to the advancement of the company’s frost prevention and mitigation technology. The award allowed the company to pivot at a critical time in its development. “At the time of the award, our company had recently completed a field trial, where we did not obtain the results that we expected.  What we did discover what we thought would be several key factors moving forward,” Burks said.“AWARE funding allowed us to quickly test our new hypotheses over a three-month time period, and develop a new version of our product that we found to be a success shortly after. “That success would go on to serve as the backbone for our petition for new funding.” FrostDefense subsequently applied for, and received, an SBIR Phase I Award from the National Science Foundation. Late spring frost causes more economic loss to agriculture than any other climate-related hazards, costing growers more than $10 billion annually, Burks said. FrostDefense’s technology minimizes the impact of frost on delicate fruit. Its first target is grapes. Burks’ testimony starts around the 42-minute mark of the session, done remotely via videoconference, and lasts for about five minutes. View the video below or see it here. 

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    Events Media Mentions News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    Synchrony: “You Have to Go Where the Talent is”

    Synchrony’s efforts targeting University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students to fulfill its needs to recruit tech talent was featured in the Wall Street Journal on May 6 (subscription required). The article cited Synchrony’s partnership with the Datathon at Illinois, a competitive event that exposes students to real-world problem solving in analytics, as one of the creative ways it engages talent. Synchrony has been a lead sponsor for the event and an active host since the event’s inception, engaging with the statistics department and its very active student organization. “You have to go to where the talent is,” said Carol Juel, executive vice president and chief information officer at Synchrony Financial, in the Wall Street Journal’s article, “Companies Get Creative in Hunt for AI Talent”. The partnership came about thanks to Synchrony’s highly engaged Research Park innovation center, where the company  has hired dozens of students. The Synchrony Emerging Technology Center opened at Research Park in 2018. In 2019, it doubled its physical space and intern team, pulling from students from a variety of disciplines, including computer science, math, statistics, business, information sciences, and more. See more about the 2020 Datathon here. 

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    EnterpriseWorks Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Natrion Sweeps Grand Prize Winnings at Cozad New Venture Challenge

    Natrion, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student startup developing advanced battery technologies, captured the grand cash prize of $20,000 and other rewards at Wednesday’s Cozad New Venture Challenge Awards Ceremony. During Cozad, Natrion announced its plans to move into EnterpriseWorks, the tech incubator at Research Park. Natrion will start advanced technology development in a first-floor lab as of May 1. Natrion was founded by Alex Kosyakov, a Materials Science and Engineering undergraduate. The startup engineers and manufactures advanced batteries and battery components that make renewable energy and hybrid power systems safe and cost-efficient. Natrion also received the Dr. Paul Magelli Innovation Prize of $10,000 from Illinois Ventures; the best pitch award winner prize of $5,000, from Cozad Asset Management; and a package of legal services from Meyer Capel. AgriWater also received the I-Start prize from EnterpriseWorks. This prize provides new companies with professional services such as legal, business strategy, and more. Agriwater’s smart, clean water technology is a device that purifies and monitors the most polluted water empowering farmers in real-time to track, visualize and store turbidity, pH, and temperature via IoT enabled sensors that communicate data to the AI Cloud. With the help of the Illinois FAST Center, Natrion recently received SBIR grant funding from the United States Air Force to develop a plug-and-play solid-state electrolyte component for existing lithium-ion batteries that would improve battery life and eliminate fire risk. “Natrion was started by two college students out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who wanted to break away from the standard mold of how battery companies are built. After seeing too many of our peers take academic research findings and try to find a market for them (only to run out of time and money), we pioneered our own R&D approach that is customer-centric, lean, and pivotable.” VALUE PROPOSITION: To mitigate fire risk in batteries, many companies are attempting to implement electrolytes made from either pure solid ceramic or pure solid polymer. However, there are problems with this binary approach.Pure ceramics deliver high performance but use exotic materials and processes that are expensive to scale. Ceramics can also crack inside batteries from internal stresses during operation, compromising them completely. Polymers are durable, flexible, and cheap to produce, but perform poorly. To its knowledge, Natrion is the only company in the world commercializing a ceramic-polymer composite solution. To make LISIC, they start with a proprietary aluminosilicate ceramic that’s processed with the one-step heating of a raw material that costs just $160/ton and is already used in the paper and cosmetics industries. They then turn the ceramic into microparticles and embed it into a polymer that is already used as fire insulation in buildings. LISIC is thus stable to over 600°F, eliminating inherent fire risk in cells. This, in turn, improves battery pack-level performance because manufacturers no longer have to try to use active cooling systems or extensive battery management system (BMS) electronics.

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