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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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    CABBI Greenhouse Groundbreaking at Research Park

    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.

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    Community News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Sen. Tammy Duckworth Highlights Efforts to Promote Illinois Innovation at Research Park Visit

    U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth visited the Research Park on Friday, Sept. 8 for a lively fireside chat discussing innovation, global impact, and Illinois’s role in developing emerging technologies. The panel discussion featured Grainger College of Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir, Prof. Shaloo Rakheja, and moderator John Reid, a clinical faculty member at Illinois who has significant ties to two companies with deep roots at UIRP. “As a hub of agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and technology, Illinois is the ideal location for greater investment from international business, and I’m committed to helping bring home the kinds of investments that create good-paying jobs and strengthen our state’s economy,” Duckworth said. “As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am dedicated to promoting Illinois on a global level—which includes much of the groundbreaking research and innovation happening right here at U of I. Illinois is ready to help bring our world into the future—and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure the whole world knows it.” Senator Duckworth encouraged students to “blur [their] boundaries.” The idea of blurring boundaries is integral to Research Park, where students from various disciplines work together on project teams. Senator Duckworth continued this advice: “Don’t think of a specific area as ‘my area’…If you allow yourself the opportunity to follow your own interest wherever it leads you, that space is where  you will be the most productive.” The event also included a meet-and-greet with the Senator and s’mores by the Atkins Building firepit. The University of Illinois is one of America’s leading research universities, and the Research Park plays an instrumental role in the research sphere. “From the farm of the future to the wheelchair of the future, our scientists and engineers are hard at work, imagining what’s next,” said Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois and principal officer of the Research Park Board of Managers. To learn more about the event, read the full press release on Senator Tammy Duckworth’s website or the recap by the Grainger College of Engineering. See the photos on our media gallery. 

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    EnterpriseWorks Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    University of Illinois Ranked 15th in Top 100 Global Universities Ranked by Startup Founders

    The University of Illinois was ranked 15th in PitchBook’s annual university rankings list for alumni startup founders who have raised venture capital in the last decade. This list profiles global universities who have “truly exceptional track record of attracting and producing future entrepreneurs.” The rankings are determined based on PitchBook data analyzing more than 150,000 venture capital-backed founders. Additional ratings for the University of Illinois include: #3 in capital raised among U.S. public institutions #5 in graduate alumni founders among  U.S. public institutions #5 in undergraduate alumni founders among U.S. public institutions #7 in female alumni founders among U.S. public institutions UIUC alumni-founded companies have raised $20.8B through companies including Generate, GRAIL, Farmers Business Network, Heyday, and Plus. For more information and the complete list, visit the PitchBook website.

    University of Illinois Ranked 15th in Top 100 Global Universities Ranked by Startup Founders Read Post »

    Community EnterpriseWorks Investments News Research Park

    Research Park Seeks Support from Champaign City Council for Growth-Stage Wet Lab Project

    LabWorks, which will offer turn-key wet lab and office suites for growth-stage startup companies in Research Park, will be available for occupancy in January. News Channel 20 recently featured the project as the City of Champaign deliberates providing additional funding.  Executive Director Laura Appenzeller told News Channel 20/ FOX Illinois that the EnterpriseWorks building at Research Park helps startups launch, but they need more space and resources to scale.“The right facilities to allow them to grow and life science companies in particular need wet laboratory space,” Appenzeller said. LabWorks will enable startups to establish roots and continue to grow in the Champaign-Urbana community, creating jobs and inspiring innovation. The Champaign City Council conducted a study session on the project in early September. It will be reviewed again in October for a final vote.   The project has financial backing from both private and public sectors. In 2021, Research Park received a grant from the State of Illinois that propelled the project forward. It was then estimated to cost $1.1 million dollars, but the construction expenses rose to $1.3 Million due to inflation. Research Park is asking the city to provide $100,000 of the $200,000 difference. To learn more, read the full article on the News Channel 20 website.

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates Media Mentions News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Two EnterpriseWorks Graduates Included on Inc. Magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies List

    Two EnterpriseWorks graduates qualified for Inc. Magazine’s 2023 “5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America” list. Both continue to grow their companies in Champaign County.  Serionix, which is known as Colorfil on the list, placed at #752. Eden Park Illumination placed at 2,858.  “Given the tremendous growth we’ve experienced—going on almost 36 months at 13% CMGR (compounded monthly growth rate) —it wasn’t exactly a surprise but is nevertheless a great honor and recognition for our team,” said Jim Langer, Serionix co-founder and CEO.  Eden Park manufactures and deploys patented wafer-thin panels that deliver reliable, safe, and effective Far-UVC 222nm technology that continuously reduces and inhibits air and surface pathogens in densely populated spaces. It was co-founded by faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  During its days at EnterpriseWorks, Serionix focused on developing products for industrial air purification. The team also enlisted numerous Research Park resources and mentors, including EnterpriseWorks’ SBIR Technical Assistance Program, who helped with grant proposals – a process that CEO Jim Langer said further “helped refine our story and our goals.” The company’s  technology benefits everyone from astronauts to the average cat owner. Langer shared that the next step for the company is to fuel investment in people, channels, and product– investments that will collectively unlock the potential growth for Colorfil. For more information, visit Colorfil’s website. 

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    ATSP Innovations Selected by NASA to Provide Prototype Bearings

    Out of this world: Research Park graduate ATSP Innovations has been selected for a Phase II Sequential award from NASA to develop and produce prototype bearing solutions for the abrasive conditions on dusty lunar and Martain surfaces. In a blog on the company’s website, ATSP explains that “As missions are planned by NASA for the lunar surface, steps must be taken to mitigate damage caused by lunar dust.” The technology used on these missions must be protected from the elements, including the mechanical components of landers, rovers, experiments, and in-situ resource utilization implements. ATSP’s wear-resistant polymer tech designs provide adequate protections against the harshest of thermal, atmospheric, and abrasive dust elements in lunar exploration.

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    EnterpriseWorks Investments News Research Park

    Cache Energy Closes $4.5 Million Funding Round

    EnterpriseWorks clean energy startup Cache Energy closed an over-subscribed seed funding round, ultimately raising $4.5 million. The financial support is coming from Grantham Foundation, MUUS Climate Partners and Cantos Ventures. Cantos Managing Director Ian Rountree said, “Cantos is excited to invest in Cache to deploy its unique long duration energy storage solution. An industrial heat application that leverages existing infrastructure without significant storage investment is unmatched to what we’ve seen in the market.” Cache Energy developed a clean “solid fuel” which decarbonizes industrial processes and enables long-duration energy storage. Their technology adopts industrial processes to solve some of the hardest problems on the pathway to net-zero emissions. The low-cost solid storage material is safely stored at room temperature with near zero loss over months and can be easily transported to where energy is needed, providing the same dispatchability as fossil fuels but in a cleaner fashion. “This is a testament to the ever-growing support our grand vision at Cache Energy around decarbonization is receiving,” said CEO Arpit Dwivedi in a LinkedIn post sharing the company-changing news. “The speed at which we have moved is a result of discipline, capital efficiency, practicality of our technology but most importantly the people who continue to support us every day.” With the seed funding, the company plans to demonstrate a commercial pilot later this year. Many congratulations to Cache Energy, Dwivedi, and his team on the funding success. We are looking forward to seeing how Cache Energy grows and expands.

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    Investments News Research Park

    Innovate Illinois Advances iFAB Hub’s Federal Funding Proposal

    Innovate Illinois has put its muscle behind advancing the University of Illinois-based iFAB: Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub project as one of two Illinois proposals seeking federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) Tech Hub funding. iFAB: Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub aims to grow Illinois bioprocessing into a best-in-the-world hub for fermentation manufacturing. It leverages the Illinois AgTech Corridor, which stretches from Champaign to Decatur. The University of Illinos Research Park ranks among the iFab consortium’s wide range of partners, which includes industry, higher education, workforce development agencies, agribusiness, and producers. iFab leverages one of the most comprehensive bioprocessing scale-up facilities in the nation, the Integrated Bioprocessing Resource Lab (IBRL), based on the University of Illinois campus. It has the capacity to work with food ingredients, high-value industrial molecules, cosmetics, and more, providing access to infrastructure and equipment that otherwise wouldn’t be available. Innovate Illinois is a public-private partnership designed to secure more federal funding for the state of Illinois. It is led by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and chaired by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones. A report provided by KBV Research determined that the global precision fermentation market is expected to reach $11.8 billion by 2028. “Illinois is on the cutting edge of bioprocessing and quantum computing. Our continued leadership in these spaces will help address global challenges and drive economic growth.” – Governor JB Pritzker To learn more, visit the iFab website.

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    News Research Park

    Graham Grady, Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Appointed to Research Park Board of Managers

    Graham Grady, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and a University of Illinois alumnus, has joined the University of Illinois Research Park Board of Managers, as approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees in July. The Research Park Board of Managers consists of nine members and meets three times a year to discuss operations at Research Park. Grady replaces past board member Wilbur C. Milhouse III, who is now on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Grady advises real estate developers, investors, and property owners on land use entitlements. He helps secure necessary approvals for land developments in the Chicago metropolitan area. Grady is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Economic Club of Chicago, and is the founder of Chicago African Americans in Commercial Real Estate (Chi-AACRE). He received his B.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1980 and served as a student trustee. The Research Park is governed by the University of Illinois Research Park LLC Board of Managers, and its members are appointed by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.   Read on about Graham Grady’s appointment on the Taft Law website.

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    Features News Research Park

    New Podcast Episode: Alex Kosyakov of Natrion Talks Batteries For the Future

    While Natrion CEO Alex Kosaykov, 22, may not technically be a UOI graduate yet, he knows watts up. On the most recent episode of ‘The Innovations @ Research Park’ podcast, Kosaykov and podcast host Tanmay Shah discussed the young CEO’s startup journey, which stemmed from an early interest in batteries and electrical cars, and their renewable components. What started off as a hobby for Kosaykov turned into a startup that now employs 19 people and is gaining recognition worldwide, including backing from Mark Cuban. The two also detailed overcoming some of the challenges that Natrion has faced being a smaller battery startup competing with others with much deeper pockets, and what motivates the CEO to get out of bed in the morning. This is an episode not to miss. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights the thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture in Champaign. It is hosted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus Tanmay Shah. Subscribe to The Innovations @ Research Park to catch up on the latest innovations and news on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast network. Is there something you want to know about Research Park? Do you have an idea for a guest for the show, or a story we should pursue? Do you want to provide other feedback? Contact Laura Bleill (lwbleill@illinois.edu).

    New Podcast Episode: Alex Kosyakov of Natrion Talks Batteries For the Future Read Post »