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

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Research Park

    Events

    Events News Research Park

    Genective Opens Global Headquarters at University of Illinois Research Park

    Champaign, Illinois (March 6, 2020) – Genective, a joint venture established between Limagrain and KWS to develop transgenic traits for corn, opened its global headquarters today at the University of Illinois Research Park. “We have been expanding investment and team in the U.S. with the vision of growing Genective into a globally impactful contributor to agriculture through biotechnology,” said Qiaoni Linda Jing, President and CEO of Genective. “Today’s grand opening of our global headquarters is a major milestone.  When it comes to agtech, few ecosystems are more progressive than the one at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We look forward to being part of and contributing to this vibrant community.” “This university was a foundational force in plant sciences, molecular genetics and genomics for agriculture. Those strengths were really at the core of our expansion into the engineering and technological aspects of ag research that have been so important in these past decades. So, it is exciting to have a major force in those disciplines take up a new residence,” said Robert J. Jones, Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Genective’s Champaign facility includes state-of-the-art labs as well as open office space. Its field research facility will remain in Weldon, Ill., about 30 minutes away. About Genective Genective is a 50/50 joint venture between Limagrain and KWS, two of the world’s largest seed companies. With entities and activities in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, Genective is currently dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of transgenic traits.  For more information, visit the Genective website.

    Genective Opens Global Headquarters at University of Illinois Research Park Read Post »

    Events Features News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    AgTech Innovation Summit a Success Once Again

    The AgTech Innovation Summit was a success again this year. The 2020 AgTech Summit brought together the brightest minds in agtech for the fifth year. This year’s event included remarks from industry thought leaders including Bayer’s Senior Vice President of Open Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Allen Christian who said, “The future of agricultural innovation lies in the hands of the next generation of talented students. The AgTech Summit is a great example of how bringing people from across scientific disciplines together can help shape a more sustainable future for one of the world’s most important industries. At Bayer, we are proud to partner with the University of Illinois through our Innovation Center in the Research Park and as a sponsor the AgTech Summit.” The 2020 panels included discussions on investment, collaboration, and digital disruption in the agtech industry, including a discussion from growers and producers at the front lines of farming in a digital age. In addition to the unique mix of panel discussions, startup companies gave brief presentations on their technology, their company, and their plans for the future. The day concluded with the AgTech Showcase and Networking Event, a first for the Summit. The showcase not only allowed agtech companies to show off their technology, but it also provided the opportunity for the community to connect with Research Park companies, discover innovative technologies and network with industry leaders. 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 the generous sponsors who make this year’s event possible:  Bayer and The Climate Corporation, John Deere, Kin + Carta, Google Cloud, Corteva, COUNTRY Financial, AGCO, Land O’Lakes, and the Illinois Center for Digital Agriculture. 2020 Agenda Wednesday March 4, 2020 7:30 AM: REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 8:00 AM: WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS Laura Frerichs | Executive Director, University of Illinois Research Park Chancellor Robert Jones | Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 8:10 AM: PLATINUM SPONSOR REMARKS Sam Eathington | Chief Science Officer, The Climate Corporation 8:25 AM: MORNING KEYNOTE ADDRESS Keith Narr | Vice President, Digital Labs and Data, Cargill 9:15 AM: COMPANY PRESENTATION Chinmay Soman | Co-Founder & CEO, EarthSense 9:30 AM: INVESTMENT IN AGTECH: A MATURING INDUSTRY? Moderator: Harlee Sorkin | Managing Director, Common Place Holdings Dennis Beard | Managing Partner, Serra Ventures Nancy Sullivan | CEO & Managing Partner, Illinois Ventures Dean Didato | Partner, Innova Memphis Abby Taubner | Partner, Gener8tor 10:20 AM: BREAK 10:35 AM: COMPANY PRESENTATION Rex Hess | Director of Science, Epivara 10:50 AM: COMPANY PRESENTATION Gabriel Burks | Senior Polymer Scientist, FrostDefense Envirotech 11:05 AM: DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN AGRICULTURE: MODERNIZING THE VALUE CHAIN Moderator: Vikram Adve | Co-Director, Center for Digital Agriculture Mark Moran | Director, John Deere Technology Innovation Center John Rahiya | Senior Manager, Business Development Global Fuse at AGCO Scott Hermes | Senior Director of Solution Delivery, Kin + Carta 12:00 PM: LUNCH 12:20 PM: AFTERNOON KICKOFF 12:35 PM: MOORE INNOVATION PRIZE 12:40 PM:  COMPANY PRESENTATION Kaiyu Guan | Chair, Aspiring Universe 12:55 PM: AFTERNOON FIRESIDE CHAT Moderator:  Laura Frerichs | Executive Director, University of Illinois Research Park Teddy Bekele | Chief Technology Officer, Land O’Lakes 1:30 PM: BREAK 1:45 PM: GROWERS AND PRODUCERS: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Moderator: Holly Spangler | Editor, Prairie Farmer Michael Ganschow | Farmer & Co-Owner, Ganschow Farms Jake Nims | Agricultural Engineer, Frank & West Environmental Engineers Leslie Cooperband | President & Co-owner, Prairie Fruits Farms & Creamery Jason Lakey | Farmer, Lakey Farms Brian Corkill | Owner, B.A. Farms Michael Haag | Past President, Illinois Pork Producers Association 2:45 PM: COMPANY PRESENTATION Daphne Preuss | Co-founder & President, BlooMD Shawn Carlson | Senior Scientist, BlooMD 3:00 PM: CORPORATIONS AND COLLABORATION: INDUSTRY LEADERS ON THE STATE OF AGRICULTURE Moderator: Dean Kim Kidwell |  Dean, University of Illinois College of ACES Allen Christian | Senior Vice President, Open Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Bayer Crop Science Neal Gutterson | Chief Technology Officer, Corteva Agriscience Paul Bloom | Vice President of Process & Chemical Research, ADM Aaron Schacht | Vice President of Innovation Regulatory & Business Development, Elanco Animal Health 3:55 PM: CLOSING REMARKS 4:00 PM: AGTECH SHOWCASE AND NETWORKING EVENT

    AgTech Innovation Summit a Success Once Again Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Aspiring Universe Corporation Awarded 2020 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize

    Champaign, Illinois (March 5, 2020) – Aspiring Universe Corporation, a company that provides in-depth intelligence and cost-effective assessments of farmland, is the recipient of the 2020 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize. The award, generously funded by University of Illinois alumni and their families, rewards University of Illinois entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. Ed Moore and Penny DeYoung, members of the Moore family, presented the award to Aspiring Universe Corporation founder Kaiyu Guan during the Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit on March 4 in Champaign. Aspiring Universe’s technology takes a modern approach to risk management integrating artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and financial risk models to create customized risk modeling assessments for farm-related businesses. The company occupies an office at EnterpriseWorks, the technology incubator in the Research Park. Guan is a Blue Waters Assistant Professor in ecohydrology and remote sensing in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s technology incubator. Its goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in development of new innovative technologies that may lead to increased productivity and/or efficiency in farming, or to create new agricultural opportunities, including new processes, new crops, and new food production systems. Previous winners include, TellTail (2019), EarthSense (2018) and Soil Diagnostics (2017). In addition to the prize given at the AgTech Innovation Summit, a second Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund award is at stake as part of the Cozad New Venture Competition, the university’s signature competition for student startups. It will be awarded in April. About the Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize The award honors the legacy of Edwin E. Moore (1924), who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and began farming in Will County. Throughout his agricultural career, he and wife, Iva, used innovative farming practices for both crop production and livestock management. Two of their four children became farmers, Edwin and Thomas (1953, College of Agriculture), and continued use of innovative farm practices. Subsequent generations of Edwin Moore’s family have continued to pursue farming and ag related careers capturing the same innovative spirit. 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 researchpark.illinois.edu.

    Aspiring Universe Corporation Awarded 2020 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize Read Post »

    Events Features News Research Park

    SBIR Road Tour to Make Champaign-Urbana Visit in June

    UPDATE: This event has been postponed until Thursday, October 22. More information is available on the SBIR Road Tour website https://www.sbirroadtour.com/. The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today the launch of its 17-state SBIR Road Tour, which includes a stop in Champaign-Urbana on June 3-4, hosted by University of Illinois Research Park at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. The Road Tour will connect entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to one of the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. “SBA is focused on helping small businesses grow and expand. The $4 billion in federal early stage funding is often a critical piece to maturing an entrepreneur’s research idea into a product or service. The Road Tours bring the federal managers to the entrepreneur and target areas and individuals that are underrepresented when it comes to receiving federal R&D funding,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “This tour reflects our continued commitment to ensure those innovators are aware of SBIR/STTR program resources.” This will be the sixth year of the SBIR Road Tour, led by the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation together with 11 participating federal agencies. More information, including a detailed agenda and registration, will be released in March. NATIONAL SBIR ROAD TOUR SCHEDULE 2020: The Midwest Tour will run from June 1-5, with stops in Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis, Missouri; Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and Bloomington, Indiana. The Southeast Tour will run from April 13-17, with stops in Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and Atlanta/Athens, Georgia. The Rockies Tour will run from August 10-14, with stops in Bozeman, Montana; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Laramie, Wyoming. Finally, the Central Southern Tour will run from November 2-6, with stops in Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; Dallas, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. Small technology firms, innovators, scientists or researchers seeking more information on the SBIR Road Tour, including a schedule of stops and participating agencies should visit: https://www.sbirroadtour.com/. For more information about SBIR/STTR programs, please visit https://www.sbir.gov/. About SBIR/STTRSBA coordinates the SBIR/STTR programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund, which each year provides more than $3.7 billion in early stage seed capital totaling over 5,000 awards to small businesses. Eleven participating federal government agencies announce funding opportunities as either grants or contracts to address their research and development needs. Companies supported by the SBIR/STTR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S.  Additional information about the programs, as well as past and current topics can be found at www.sbir.gov. About the U.S. Small Business AdministrationThe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and is a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.  The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses, and recover from disasters.  Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. To learn more about SBA, visit www.sba.gov.

    SBIR Road Tour to Make Champaign-Urbana Visit in June Read Post »

    Community Events News Research Park

    Illinois Conference Center Expansion Celebrated with Groundbreaking Ceremony

    Representatives from campus and community gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Illinois Conference Center expansion on Monday, Nov. 25. The Conference Center expansion will add 32,500 square feet to the facility, nearly doubling its size. The $13 million project will include a 12,500 square foot exhibit hall and add roughly 140 parking spaces. The expansion will provide the campus and community with a dynamic event space that can hold more than 600 attendees at one time. The building is scheduled to be completed in September of 2020. “The expansion of the Illinois Conference Center is the result of the university’s commitment to serve our students, staff, faculty, and the Champagin-Urbana community,” said Danita M. B. Young, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.  “The expanded Conference Center will serve as a gathering, learning, and networking space for a larger number of patrons than we have ever been able to engage with previously. The new modern facility will provide students with the opportunity to display and discuss what they are learning in classrooms and labs, gain access to expert speakers, and discover chances to expand their knowledge, thanks to the access the larger conference space will provide.” Located adjacent to the I-Hotel, the Conference Center has been a fixture in Champaign-Urbana since 2008. A public-private partnership, the Conference Center is owned and operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, while the hotel is owned and managed privately. “The first exposure many people have with the Research Park is the iHotel and Conference Center, which makes it an important part of our outreach,” Research Park executive director Laura Frerichs said. “In addition to hosting companies and organizations for collaboration, conferences, and events, it is a place that bridges the university and the community.” Currently the Illinois Conference Center hosts over 3000 events per year, and there are already 2000 on the books for 2020. The project addresses the concern that the community has been unable  to cater to large conferences of 700+, including meetings of interest to Illinois faculty as well as meetings for Illinois-based associations and business. “To this point we’ve been selling a concept,” said Jayne DeLuce, President and CEO of Visit Champaign County. “After today it’s a reality. We are ready to bring in more and more business.” The project is being constructed by Fox/Atkins Development, the development partner of the University of Illinois Research Park. This story was featured in the News Gazette. Read their coverage here.

    Illinois Conference Center Expansion Celebrated with Groundbreaking Ceremony Read Post »

    Events News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

    Greenhouse Groundbreaking at the University of Illinois Research Park

    Representatives from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation broke ground Wednesday, October 23 on a new, state-of-the-art greenhouse in the Research Park. The planned greenhouse will support a research project, “Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency” (RIPE) for sustainable increases in crop yield, led by Illinois researchers Steve Long and Don Ort. RIPE is funded by the Gates Foundation, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, and the UK Government’s Department for International Development.     The greenhouse will be a modern plant phenotyping facility and joins a growing agtech cluster in the Research Park that includes major global seed companies, equipment manufacturers, retailers, and bioprocessing leaders. “The RIPE project is a spectacular example of the way Illinois is leading forward to sustainably feed our growing global population. Advancements in the digital agriculture space, including this phenotyping facility and our new Center for Digital Agriculture, are needed to make that goal a reality. We’re grateful to the Gates Foundation, as well as Drs. Long and Ort, for their commitment,” said Kim Kidwell, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois.     Located on Fourth Street, just south of St. Mary’s Road, the building will be owned by the University of Illinois and operated by the College of ACES in collaboration with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. Fox/Atkins Development will construct the greenhouse, with September 2020 as the projected completion date.

    Greenhouse Groundbreaking at the University of Illinois Research Park Read Post »

    Events News Research Park

    2019 AgTech Summit a Success

    The 2019 Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit was a success yet again, bringing together the biggest agriculture companies and brightest minds in agtech to discuss new ideas that will revolutionize the farming industry. 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. This year’s panels included those such as “Investment Landscape”, “Animal Health and Nutrition”, and “Digital Agriculture.” They were mediated by Champaign’s agtech experts, including Mark Moran, Director of the John Deere Innovation Center. In his keynote speech, Moran said that there “has been more change to ag in the last 100 years than the 10,000 years before that. Those of us that do it every day maybe don’t realize how different it is from just a century ago” (Brownfield Ag News). It’s true–the talks throughout the day explored brand new technologies such as robots and artificial intelligence and explored how they are rapidly changing farmers’ approaches to production and sustainability issues on their farms. Another talk included University of Illinois professor Angela Green-Miller. The idea for her pig production company TellTail “originated from the idea of taking university research and translating that into tools that are immediately accessible and easily used by producers,” similar to other EnterpriseWorks startups (Brownfield Ag News). Startup TellTail was the winner of the Moore Innovation Prize this year. Thank you to all those from the local agriculture community as well as others from all over the Midwest 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 2019 sponsors–Bayer/The Climate Corporation, John Deere, ADM, and COUNTRY Financial–for your generous support of AgTech Summit 2019. For this year’s agenda, look below. And don’t forget to save the date for next year’s Agriculture Innovation Technology Summit on March 4, 2020. Tuesday March 5, 2019 EnterpriseWorks Atrium, 60 Hazelwood Drive, Champaign 8:00am-12pm | USDA SBIR Workshop 5:30-7:00pm | Opening Reception Wednesday March 6, 2019 I-Hotel & Conference Center, 1900 South First Street, Champaign 7:45am | Registration & Continental Breakfast 8:10am | Welcome & Opening Remarks Laura Frerichs, University of Illinois Research Park Adam Davis, University of Illinois ACES Frank Dohleman, The Climate Corporation 8:30am | Morning Keynote Address Mark Moran, John Deere Technology Innovation Center 9:15am | Collaborations Between Startups & Corporations Learn more about the important symbiotic relationship between entrepreneurs and established companies in order to implement new products. Roger Vanhoy, University of Illinois Corporate Relations Mark Fincham, John Deere Tim Kuehlorn, Nutrien Ag Solutions Kirsten Skogerson, Bayer Crop Science Scott Wilkin, University of Illinois National Center for Supercomputing Applications 10:15am | Break 10:30am | Investment Landscape AgTech investments are growing rapidly. Key elements include biotech, software & IoT, robotics and automation and commodity platforms. This panel will cover how this is impacting the agricultural industry. Nancy Sullivan, Illinois Ventures Connie Bowen, The Yield Lab Tim Foote, Flyover Capital Kevin McCurren, Michigan State University Corbett Kull, Tillable David Pierson, Syngenta Ventures 11:30am | Animal Health & Nutrition Industry leaders will highlight the teamwork between academia, startups and businesses to advance new ways to ensure a safe food supply and enhance the well-being of animals. Rod Johnson, University of Illinois College of ACES Angela Green-Miller, TellTail Lena Head, AGCO/GSI Ryan Lane, ADM Bruce Taillon, Elanco 12:30pm | Lunch Buffet 12:50pm | Afternoon Kickoff Sponsor remarks, Ryan Lane, ADM Moore Innovation Prize Presentation 1:05pm | Lunchtime Fireside Chat Laura Frerichs, University of Illinois Research Park Dennis Beard, Serra Ventures Dave Stanko, Nutrien/Agrible 1:45pm | Digital Agriculture Now is the time to discuss the technologies that provide the agricultural industry with the tools, data and knowledge to make better on-farm decisions and improve productivity and sustainability. Robert Brunner, University of Illinois Lance Brown, AGCO Grain & Protein Eric Barnard, Granular Kelly Gillespie, Bayer Crop Science Chris Dempsey, Case IH Robert Lubben, Rabo AgriFinance Chinmay Soman, EarthSense Rebeccah Stay, Cargill, INC. 2:45pm | Break 3:00pm | Growers Talk Back Leading farmers and key customers for new technology developments will discuss the challenges they face, the technologies helpful to their businesses and what types of products they’re looking for as they continue to advance. Chris Harbourt, Research Park Entrepreneur In Residence Jason Little, Nutrien Ag Solutions Matt Barnard, Barnard Farms Heath Huisinga, Huisinga Farms Ken Dalenberg, Scattered Acres Farm Josh Plunk, Plunk Brothers, Inc.

    2019 AgTech Summit a Success Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    TellTail Honored with 2019 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize

    Champaign, IL — TellTail, a startup that uses predictive and forecast algorithm technology to improve the management of pig production systems, is the recipient of the 2019 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize. The award, generously funded by University of Illinois alumni and their families, rewards University of Illinois entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. Members of the Moore family presented the award to TellTail co-founders Angela Green-Miller, Andy Miller, and Chris Harbourt during the Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit on March 6 in Champaign. TellTail’s primary goal is to improve pig management in a way that reduces mortality, encourages desirable production traits, and increases profitability of production facilities. Its technology directly addresses its customer’s desire to produce more pork with fewer resources; its algorithms improve efficiency as well as animal welfare. The team who developed TellTail’s includes Green-Miller, an associate professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The company just moved into its own office at EnterpriseWorks, the technology incubator in the Research Park. The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s technology incubator. Its goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in development of new innovative technologies that may lead to increased productivity and/or efficiency in farming, or to create new agricultural opportunities, including new processes, new crops, and new food production systems. Previous winners include EarthSense (2018) and Soil Diagnostics (2017). In addition to the prize given at the AgTech Innovation Summit, a second Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund award is at stake as part of the Cozad New Venture Competition, the university’s signature competition for student startups. It will be awarded in April. The award honors the legacy of Edwin E. Moore (1924), who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and began farming in Will County. Throughout his agricultural career, he and wife, Iva, used innovative farming practices for both crop production and livestock management. Two of their four children became farmers, Edwin and Thomas (1953, College of Agriculture), and continued use of innovative farm practices. Subsequent generations of Edwin Moore’s family have continued to pursue farming and ag related careers capturing the same innovative spirit.

    TellTail Honored with 2019 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize Read Post »

    Events News Research Park

    2018 Table Tennis Tournament Was a Hit

    The 2018 Research Park Table Tennis Tournament was a great success yet again. There was a huge turnout of 96 participants as well as many spectators who cheered on their coworkers, family members, and friends. After hours of playing with high tensions and high stakes, Oath came out victorious and took home the coveted golden paddle. Congratulations to everyone who participated and to all of our winners. Here is a full list of winners from each category: Beginner: Aneesh Mysore (Country Financial) PoHeng Chen (Oath) Yong Jin (YJ) Kim (Syngenta) Intermediate: Kedar Gundlupet (Oath) Xi (Daisy) Chen (Oath) Abish Abraham (Gartner) Advanced: Allie Wafta (Oath) Nilam Sharma (Oath) Yong-Bin Kim (Caterpillar) Golden Paddle Winner: Oath  

    2018 Table Tennis Tournament Was a Hit Read Post »

    EnterpriseWorks Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    EarthSense Receives 2018 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize

    Champaign, IL — EarthSense, a company that develops ultracompact autonomous robots for crop breeders, agronomists, and growers, is the recipient of the second Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize. The award, generously funded by University of Illinois alumni and their families, rewards University of Illinois entrepreneurs focusing on agricultural innovations. Family members Penny DeYoung and Ed Moore presented the award to EarthSense during the Agriculture Technology Innovation Summit on Feb. 28 in Champaign. EarthSense provides herbicide-free superweed eradication using TerraSentia, an ultracompact autonomous robot. TerraSentia also delivers under-canopy plant health and trait information. In 2018, more than 25 TerraSentia robots are in paid trials. The team who developed the TerraSentia’s robotics and machine-vision technology includes CEO Chinmay Soman and CTO Girish Chowdhary, an assistant professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The company occupies a lab at EnterpriseWorks, the technology incubator in the Research Park. The Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund was established in 2016 with a generous gift to EnterpriseWorks. Its goal is to encourage startup companies engaged in development of new innovative technologies that may lead to increased productivity and/or efficiency in farming, or to create new agricultural opportunities, including new processes, new crops, and new food production systems. In addition to the prize given at the AgTech Innovation Summit, a second Edwin Moore Agriculture Innovation Fund award is at stake as part of the Cozad New Venture Competition, the university’s signature competition for student startups. It will be awarded in April. The award honors the legacy of Edwin E. Moore (1924), who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture and began farming in Will County. Throughout his agricultural career, he and wife, Iva, used innovative farming practices for both crop production and livestock management. Two of their four children became farmers, Edwin and Thomas (1953, College of Agriculture), and continued use of innovative farm practices. Subsequent generations of Edwin Moore’s family have continued to pursue farming and ag related careers capturing the same innovative spirit.

    EarthSense Receives 2018 Edwin Moore Family Agriculture Innovation Prize Read Post »