Research Park

Media Coverage: News-Gazette Ameren opens center in research parkSt. Louis Post-Dispatch Ameren opens Innovation Center at University of Illinois  CHAMPAIGN, IL (Feb. 10, 2015) – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced today that Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), a St. Louis-based Fortune 500 energy company, has opened an Innovation Center on campus. Ameren is the first major energy company to open an office at the University of Illinois Research Park. The Ameren Innovation Center will collaborate with university students and faculty and other companies across multiple industries at the Research Park. The goal is to foster an exploratory environment that focuses on innovations to help Ameren better meet the future needs of its customers. “By establishing an innovative and collaborative work center at a world-class research university with access to top students and faculty, we can better leverage information technology to seize business opportunities and improve our customer satisfaction,” said Mary Heger, vice president of Information Technology and Ameren Services Center and chief information officer, Ameren Services. “We also hope to develop a talent pipeline to help us continue to build a skilled workforce. This is important as we transition to smart grid technologies and explore future new energy services that may be wanted and needed by our customers.” The Center is hiring for several positions and eventually plans to employ up to 12 students. Undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines will work on a part-time basis on projects ranging from data analytics and mobile applications to projects that focus on the needs of the utility of the future. Some of these projects will leverage Ameren Illinois’ Technology Application Center in Champaign, an on-grid testing facility for smart grid technologies that opened in August 2013. A full-time Ameren site manager will supervise the students and serve as liaison between the Innovation Center and the University of Illinois. “The Ameren Innovation Center will give our students the opportunity to work on smart energy solutions for the Midwest and beyond,” said Chancellor Phyllis Wise. “Such real-world experiences are examples of the transformative educational opportunities at Illinois that grow from our leadership in engineering, computing and energy.” The Research Park, located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign, provides an opportunity for technology-based businesses to collaborate with students and faculty. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Engineering is among the highest ranked in the nation, and is a highly sought after as a partner for pursuing information security for the energy industry. About Ameren St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric delivery and transmission service as well as natural gas delivery service while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of 10,300 megawatts, and natural gas delivery service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp. For more information, visit Ameren.com.

Caterpillar Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary of Champaign Simulation Center at University of Illinois and Announces Expansion Plans Company to establish new  data analytics lab in support of innovation strategy URBANA-CHAMPAIGN , Ill. – As a tribute to years of innovation through collaboration, Caterpillar Inc. marked the 15-year anniversary of its Champaign Simulation Center today, located in Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In celebration of the milestone, the company is announcing plans to establish a new data analytics laboratory. The expansion will build upon the existing recruitment efforts with the university to engage future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent through additional research and development opportunities, and is a key component of the company’s innovation strategy. Caterpillar opened the simulation center on the Urbana-Champaign campus in 1999, working in conjunction with the University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Since then, the center has not only contributed to Caterpillar’s recruiting efforts, but  also serves as a leading engineering hub for virtual product development, advanced simulation and design solutions. Now, the company looks to the next phase of its research and development efforts on the campus by leveraging the university’s data analytics capabilities and resources. “Our Champaign Simulation Center has been a crucial component for our product development efforts by bringing in new talent – as evidenced by student teams working with our engineers – and through the use of new technologies to aid in research and development,” said Gwenne Henricks, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Product Development and Global Technology at Caterpillar. “Since the facility’s opening, we have been privileged to have more than 350 students involved with the center, either through the Caterpillar Practicum Program or as interns working at the center. We are proud to say that approximately 100 of those former students now work at Caterpillar. With today’s expansion announcement, we hope to inspire future innovators to dig into technology right in their own backyard.” “Caterpillar’s new data analytics lab will serve to strengthen an already close relationship between the company, the University of Illinois and the Research Park,” said Peter Schiffer, Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Caterpillar’s innovative approach to its Research Park operation started 15 years ago, when it pioneered the Research Park student employment model – one that has been replicated by many other companies. We are looking forward to more productive years ahead.” Caterpillar and the university will begin efforts for the data analytics lab expansion later this year. The new lab will foster real world innovation by bringing together university researchers and Caterpillar analytics professionals from engineering, computer science, statistics and economics to work on challenges and opportunities raised by technological and cultural change. This investment aligns with the company’s strategy to exceed customer expectations with outstanding products and solutions. About Caterpillar: For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. With 2013 sales and revenues of $55.656 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company principally operates through its three product segments – Resource Industries, Construction Industries and Power Systems – and also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

Yahoo’s Research Park site and its extensive relationship with the University of Illinois is the focus of a Aug. 11 Chronicle of Higher Education article (available online but subscription required). The story reflects on the growing relationships and collaborations between academia and industry leaders across the computer science landscape. The article features of a photo of Yahoo site director Cathy Singer, who was part of the team Yahoo hired when it came to campus in 2007 in the wake of Motorola closing. In February, Yahoo broke ground on a 40,000 square foot building in the University of Illinois Research Park; the building will open by the end of 2014. Reports Avi Wolfman-Arent: “(In 2007), Yahoo was simply hoping to score some ready-made talent. Less than a decade later, the company has developed a multifaceted relationship with the university’s computer-science department that extends into both student recruitment and coursework.” The entire article can be read here (without photo).

Silicon Valley-Based Turn Opens First Innovation Center at University of Illinois Research Park CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois today announced that Turn, the marketing software and analytics platform, will open an Innovation Center on campus for the research and development of new data-driven marketing technologies. The center is the company’s first outside of its Silicon Valley headquarters, and engineering work will focus on the full technology stack of the Turn platform. Along with attracting engineering talent excited by the prospect of joining a leading player in the fast-growing marketing software industry, Turn plans to collaborate with research faculty on joint R&D projects and to contribute to campus life through education outreach and seminar opportunities. “The Turn Innovation Center will give our students the opportunity to be at the forefront of the intersection of digital marketing and big data,” said Chancellor Phyllis Wise. “Such real-world experiences are an invaluable part of their education.” “The Turn Innovation Center at the University of Illinois brings us directly into the center of one of the nation’s top engineering campuses,” says Ali Dasdan, senior director of engineering, Turn. “We are building the smartest global enterprise technology company dedicated to solving the data problems marketers face. Some of the excellent talent here will help us to meet new challenges in solving those problems.” The Turn Innovation Center will be located within the University of Illinois Research Park, home to innovation centers for multinational corporations and publicly traded firms including Yahoo!, Anheuser-Busch InBev, John Deere, Caterpillar, Dow, Neustar, State Farm, Citrix, Raytheon, and Abbott. Ross Bundy has been appointed by Turn to lead the Turn Innovation Center at the University of Illinois. He has an extensive engineering background gained through his 20 years of experience at IBM, Motorola, Yahoo!, and Riverbed Technology.  About the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. Located on campus, 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 more than 90 companies employing students and full-time technology professionals. About Turn Turn delivers real-time insights that transform the way leading advertising agencies and enterprises make marketing decisions. Our integrated cloud platform enables data management, cross-channel advertising, and advanced analytics from a single login, along with point-and-click access to more than 130 integrated technology partners. Turn is headquartered in Silicon Valley and provides its products and services worldwide. Turn provides three real-time marketing applications: Audience Suite, an enterprise data management and audience planning platform; Campaign Suite, a digital media execution platform for video, mobile, social, and display advertising; and DataMine Analytics, a data exploration, discovery and warehousing solution purpose-built for marketers. Turn works with the world’s top brands, agencies and trading desks, including Accuen, Aegis, AMNET, Chrysler, Experian, Foursquare, Microsoft, OMD, StubHub, Thomas Cook, Toyota, Travelers, Verizon, VivaKi and Zales. For more information, follow @turnplatform.