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News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

Dow Opens Innovation Center at the University of Illinois Research Park to Advance Computing and Informatics Applications

CHAMPAIGN, IL – January 14, 2013 – As part of its mission to solve challenging problems through innovation, The Dow AgroSciences announced a partnership with the University of Illinois to open the Dow Innovation Center, a research facility located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  The new Innovation Center will develop data management solutions to drive value and accelerate discovery in the Research & Development (R&D) organizations throughout Dow. “The opening of the Dow Innovation Center continues the strong relationship between the University of Illinois and Dow,” said Chancellor Phyllis Wise.  “We are pushing the edges of science and technology to explore new ideas in critical areas such as water, energy, coatings and agriculture. Solutions to increasingly complex societal challenges brought about by an expanding global population will be found in this kind of innovative partnership. The new center will draw upon the strengths in High Performance Computing (HPC), Informatics, and Computer Science at the University of Illinois to enhance technology and research within Dow.” At the same time, Dow has entered into an industry partnership with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), providing access to expertise and equipment which will accelerate Dow’s discovery processes. This partnership will enable Dow to leverage the center’s expertise and knowledge of best practices in high-performance modeling and simulation to gain a competitive edge. “We are very pleased to announce the opening of an IT development office that will build upon the University of Illinois’ tradition of groundbreaking computer science research and education,” said Roy Ladd, Director of Global Information Research at Dow. “With access to a highly passionate student body and NCSA’s valuable resources, we are confident that we can develop innovative IT solutions that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our customers and society today.” A team of sixteen students in computer science and related fields will work part-time at the new Dow Innovation Center, which opens in the spring 2013 semester. The operation is in the Research Park, which is located on campus to better connect industry with researchers and students. “This environment will provide students the opportunity to enhance their University of Illinois education with real-life experiences that impact industry and address major global product solutions,” said Lawrence Schook, University of Illinois Vice President for Research. The new Dow office is located at 2021 S. First Street in the Research Park. Fox/Atkins Development owns the building and successfully worked on an agreement for Dow to lease space in the faciltiy and begin operations quickly. Construction was completed within a one-month time period to prepare the suite and allow Dow to open the facility for the beginning of the spring semester. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is also part of the Strategic University Partnership launched by Dow in 2011 to focus research capabilities with 11 of the leading chemistry, materials science and chemical engineering departments in the country.  About DowDow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean Dow AgroSciences and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information can be found at www.dow.com. About the University of IllinoisThe University of Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching and discovery. Distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty, the University of Illinois has a commitment of excellence in teaching, research, public service and economic development. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign serves the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge. About the Research Park at the University of IllinoisThe Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides an environment where technology-based businesses can work with faculty and students at Illinois to take advantage of opportunities for collaborative research and easy access to University labs, equipment, and services. The Research Park is home to more than 90 companies and growing, employing over 1,400 people in high-technology careers.  At any given time, over 400 student interns are gaining valuable work experience while making real contributions to internal corporate R&D and product development programs. Publicly-traded firms in the Research Park include: ADM, Abbott Laboratories, Caterpillar, Deere & Company, Neustar, Pearson, Raytheon, Riverbed, Sony, State Farm, and Yahoo. It was named 2011 Outstanding Research Park of the Year by the Association of University Research Parks (AURP). The Research Park has been developed through a public-private partnership between the University of Illinois and Fox/Atkins Development, LLC.  About the National Center for Supercomputing Applications NCSA, located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provides powerful computers and expert support that help thousands of scientists and engineers across the country improve our world. For 25 years, NCSA has been a leader in deploying robust high-performance computing resources and in working with research communities to develop new computing and software technologies. Building on this history of leadership, NCSA and its partners are at work on the Blue Waters project, which will provide the national research community with a sustained-petaflop supercomputer.  

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Investments News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

Illinois Applied Research Institute Launched in the Research Park

The Illinois Applied Research Institute, which is now located in the Research Park, was featured in the (Champaign-Urbana) News-Gazette on Nov. 6. It is housed in space being leased by the Center for Advanced Design, Research, and Exploration, in the Caterpillar building. “The Illinois Applied Research Institute plans to work with agencies such as the Air Force Research Laboratory and Department on Energy on everything from radar technology and cybersecurity to hydrogen fuel cells. It could also partner with companies on a contractual basis to, for example, test products like fertilizers or design electronic devices.

Illinois Applied Research Institute Launched in the Research Park Read Post »

Events News Recognition & Awards Research Park

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon Performs Ribbon Cutting at Grand Opening of Weatherization Training Facility

The new Indoor Climate Research & Training (ICRT) program training facility held its Grand Opening Ceremony on October 16, 2012.  Dr. Manohar Kulkarni (ISTC Director) and Paul Francisco (Research Engineer and Program Leader for ICRT) kicked of the ceremony with welcoming remarks and short history of the ICRT program.  Special guest Lt. Governor Sheila Simon was given the honor of cutting the ribbon for the official opening of the training facility. In addition to the Lt. Governor, Naomi Jakobsson (Representative from the 103rd district) and Paul Faraci (local representative) were in attendance as well as Dr. Howard Guenther from the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research (UI), members from the Prairie Research Institute, the ISTC Advisory Board, the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), Business Innovation Services (UI), Masha Trenhalie (VP of Operations for Fox Development), Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (UI), Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department (UI), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO), Community and Economic Development Association (CEDA), and a number of training instructors and contractors. The new weatherization training facility is 6,700 square feet and is located at 2111 S. Oak Street, Suite 106 in Champaign.  The program  is the only one in Illinois that includes space for both classrooms and hands-on training opportunities for the home performance industry. It is expected to serve thousands of trainees. Funding for the training center was provided by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon Performs Ribbon Cutting at Grand Opening of Weatherization Training Facility Read Post »

News Research Park

Progress Continues in the Research Park Residential/Retail Project

The Research Park continues to make progress to develop an additional 160 acres on the east side of First Street, with the first project being the long-anticipated retail and residential component. The News-Gazette reported on the recent meeting of the Research Park Board of Managers, which featured discussion of the retail/residential amenities as well as information regarding broadband.

Progress Continues in the Research Park Residential/Retail Project Read Post »

Investments News Research Park

Research Park Expansion Update: Fourth Street Extension Paved

One of the key factors in the expansion of the University of Illinois Research Park is the extension of Fourth Street to connect St. Mary’s and Windsor Roads. The concrete for this road was poured on Thursday, Sept. 13. From the News-Gazette: “For 12 hours on Thursday, workers poured, smoothed and worked the concrete that will become a 4,100-foot segment of a street that officials hope will spur the continued development of the University of Illinois Research Park.”

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EnterpriseWorks News Partnerships & Acquisitions

Enterpriseworks graduate, Pattern Insight, technology acquired by VMware

Pattern Insight was founded by former University of Illinois Computer Science professor YY Zhou and the company’s first employee was Jed Taylor, who now advises EnterpriseWorks clients as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Pattern Insight was located at EnterpriseWorks from 2007 to 2011. Pattern Insight is a data mining technology company that enables real-time analysis of source code, changing how software-intensive products are developed, tested and supported. Log Insight, a log analytics product, aims at management and real time operational analytics for IT data regardless of scale. On August 7, 2012 it was announced that Log Insight, together with its technology and team, have been acquired by VMware. EnterpriseWorks is pleased for this successful acquisition by one of its former clients. Pattern Insight will continue to have its Code business. http://patterninsight.com/blog/blog-post/2012/08/07/log-insight-has-been-acquired-by-vmware/

Enterpriseworks graduate, Pattern Insight, technology acquired by VMware Read Post »

Internships News Recognition & Awards Research Park

Research Park Honors Most Valuable Interns of 2012

  Outstanding student interns working for companies in the Research Park were honored Aug. 2 at the annual Intern Recognition Event. Supervisors nominated a broad spectrum of interns for this year’s awards; all the awardees are students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At any given time more than 400 highly-skilled student interns work for Research Park tenants, gaining valuable experience while making real contributions to internal corporate research and development programs. The judging team received 38 nominations this year, almost double last year’s total. Five awards were given out, with finalists honored in each category. The winners are: Most Valuable Marketing/Business Development Intern: Anne Wessel, junior in industrial design, IPT: Anne designed dramatic innovations in the sewing components of IPT’s prosthetic arm. (Finalists: Carol Grzych, State Farm; Jon Striegel, State Farm)   Most Valuable Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Startup: John Stratton, PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, MulticoreWare: He has been the primary developer of a new product line that has been getting consistently high interest from clients. Finalists: Sam Rappeport, Serionix; Philip Jurik, 4D Teleport; Christina Korp, Dioxide Materials   Most Valuable Tech Innovation in the Research Park: Daniel Herber (pictured with manager Hank Roark), graduate student in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, Deere & Co.: Created a significant computational simulation and developed a method for calibration of the models. His work will be the basis for a patent application and/or submitted for publication. Finalists: Josh Eckhardt, Caterpillar; Hee-Seok Kim, MulticoreWare   Most Valuable Graduate in the Research Park: Jibo He, Psychology graduate student, State Farm: Developed a high functioning smartphone prototype that has the potential to prevent thousands of drowsy driver-related crashes. Finalists: Saurav Mohapatra, PowerWorld; Rohit Naini, Neustar   Most Valuable Undergraduate in the Research Park: Anna Oldani, recent graduate, Caterpillar: Anna’s modeling and structural analysis work is very comparable to the work done by full-time engineers, and allowed her team to serve more customers that it could otherwise serve. Finalists: Zack Stone, Waterborne Environmental; Alex Ratcliff, MulticoreWare  

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Community News Research Park

Rantoul Business Incubator Now Open

The Rantoul Business Incubator, which celebrated its grand opening on June 28, is now accepting applications for tenants. Services available in this community incubator include free space for entrepreneurs as well as several support programs, including access to the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at EnterpriseWorks and the counselors at the Small Business Development Center. Enterpreneurial education, first in the form of the FasTrac course, will be offered at this location. Here’s a photo gallery from the grand opening. Thanks to all who attended.

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News Partnerships & Acquisitions Research Park

Bytemobile Acquired by Citrix

Citrix today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Bytemobile, a leading provider of data and video optimization solutions for mobile network operators. This acquisition gives Citrix a key strategic foothold in the core infrastructure of more than 130 mobile operators in 60 countries around the world, significantly extending the company’s market reach, and enhancing the broader Citrix strategy of powering mobile workstyles and cloud services. Bytemobile has deep University of Illinois roots. University of Illinois Electrical Engineering professor Constantine Polychronopoulos’s research in multithreading computer architectures and wireless network performance optimization at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) formed the core of Bytemobile technology. The company was founded in 2000, and it is a graduate of the Technology Commercialization Lab, the incubator facility that was the predecessor to EnterpriseWorks.  It opened a research and development facility in the Research Park in 2006. Citrix is publicly traded on the NASDAQ, and becomes the 14th publicly traded company to have an operation in the Research Park.

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