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    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.

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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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    EnterpriseWorks Investments News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Network Perception Secures $13 Million in Series A Funding

    Network Perception, a cybersecurity startup, recently secured a $13 million Series A funding round. The company, which graduated from the Research Park’s EnterpriseWorks incubator in 2019, translated university research into a commercial product. The funding round was led by The Westly Group with participation from Energy Impact Partners and other existing investors, including Champaign’s Serra Ventures. The Series A funding brings Network Perception’s total venture capital funds raised to $15.73 million. “The security of critical OT assets is essential to public safety and the operation of everyday services that we all rely on – from energy delivery to manufacturing and transportation,” said Robin Berthier, Network Perception CEO and Co-Founder. “This infusion of funding will allow us to take network security to a new level, bringing greater control and visibility to administrators, and eliminating potential weaknesses before they are exposed. In today’s operational technology environment, this is not only important, but imperative.” Network Perception has a long history in Champaign-Urbana. The company began receiving startup support services from EnterpriseWorks in 2012.  located at the EnterpriseWorks incubator from 2014-2019 and now resides in Chicago. During its startup journey Network Perception received I-Start funding, SBIR funding, and EIR support. Network Perception came about as a result of work conducted through the Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid project, funded from 2009-2015 by the Department of Energy with support from the Department of Homeland Security. Additional grants helped faculty co-founders David Nicol , ECE professor, and former UIUC professor William Sanders, now Dean of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, transition the technology from academia to the marketplace. Read the full news release here.

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    Features News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Genective’s Qiaoni Linda Jing Named Entrepreneur Of The Year Finalist

    Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced this week that Qiaoni Linda Jing, President, CEO and Board Director of Genective was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 Midwest Award finalist. Entrepreneur Of The Year is a competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who “think big to succeed.” Jing was selected by a panel of independent judges according to the following criteria – entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact – among other core contributions and attributes. Genective is a technology joint venture of Groupe Limagrain and KWS Group, the largest seed companies in France and Germany, respectively. Its offices and labs are located at the University of Illinois Research Park in Champaign. “I am thrilled for this great recognition, not only for myself, but for all the team members at Genective,” said Jing. “Three years ago, I embarked on a journey to reestablish Genective in the U.S. Midwest, putting us at the heart of one of the most vibrant AgTech innovation communities in the world.” “Genective has been on a tremendous growth trajectory over the past three years, despite the challenges of COVID-19. Our team continues to live and breathe our mission of providing novel and sustainable biotech solutions to farmers across the globe,” said Jing. The award recognizes “audacious, game-changing business leaders” who have “ushered in innovation while lifting up their employees and communities.” Genective is dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of transgenic traits, focusing on insect resistant corn. Regional award winners will be announced on June 14, 2022. The regional winners will then be considered by the National independent judging panel, and National awards will be presented in November at the Strategic Growth Forum. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2023. For over 35 years, EY US has celebrated the unstoppable entrepreneurs who are building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all. The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 10,000 US executives since its inception in 1986. 

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    Community EnterpriseWorks Features News Research Park

    Research Park Podcast Features EnterpriseWorks Startup Reconstruct

    Episode 11 of the Innovations @ Research Park podcast features Reconstruct, a venture-backed  startup company that launched and incubated at EnterpriseWorks led by a team of faculty and graduate students from the Grainger College of Engineering. The company — which builds artificial intelligence and  software for the construction and real-estate industries — has more than 1,000 projects underway. Host Tanmay Shah interviews Reconstruct co-founder Dr. Mani Golparvar, associate professor of civil engineering, computer science, and technology entrepreneurship at the Grainger College of Engineering. Golparvar discusses how the early-stage tech startup has “revolutionized” the planning, monitoring, and management of large construction projects around the world. The Innovations @ Research Park podcast highlights the thriving entrepreneurial and corporate innovation culture in Champaign. The host, Tanmay Shah, is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grainger College of Engineering alumnus. 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).

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    EnterpriseWorks Graduates News Recognition & Awards Research Park

    Inprentus Makes Final Four in ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’ Contest

    EnterpriseWorks graduate company Inprentus Inc. made it to the final four of Makers Madness, a bracket-style tournament that celebrates the work and diversity of the manufacturing sector in Illinois presented by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Although Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck was awarded the title of the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’, Inprentus was also feted by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker during a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. The contest highlights innovative products from across the state. 450 products were entered into the contest this year, and over 200,000 votes were cast by the public to nominate the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’.  Inprentus makes custom blazed diffraction gratings. These highly precise gratings are utilized in x-ray and ultraviolet experiments at various scientific research institutions. They are also used in optical components for semiconductor manufacturing, augmented and virtual reality glasses, and in materials, chemistry, and life sciences research. Inprentus competed against General Mills’ Fruit by the Foot, the Rivian Automotive electric truck, and Ingersoll Machine Tools’ components for the Orion spacecraft capsule in the final four of the bracket-style tournament. Following its graduation from EnterpriseWorks, Inprentus opened a corporate headquarters in Champaign. It designs and manufactures diffraction gratings sold to Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Inprentus was started in 2012 by University of Illinois physics professor Peter Abbamonte. The company was created with the mission to advance the manufacturing of precision optics using proprietary nano-scale contact-mode lithography techniques. To read the full article, click here.

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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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