The Kentucky Innovator Challenge brings together leaders from business, service organizations and higher education for a one-day summit to identify the most pressing challenges facing Kentucky and discuss collaborative solutions through research and innovation.
This in-person event, hosted by UK Innovate, aims to cultivate new relationships and lay the foundation for innovative solutions that address the issues faced by our business partners.
Program Highlights
- 15-minute TED Talk-style talks by leaders, with Q&A panels concluding each track.
- Kentucky Leadership and Funding Opportunity Keynotes
- Multidisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare panel.
- Networking throughout the day and an evening reception.
- Free!
2026 KENTUCKY INNOVATOR CHALLENGE PRESENTS: R&D PARTNERSHIPS WEEK
Kentucky Innovator Challenge returns November 2026 with R&D Partnerships Week, an expanded three-day format designed to create new opportunities for research and development partnerships.
Each day will feature programming focused on one of three areas: engineering, agriculture and healthcare, bringing together leaders from academia, industry and government for keynote presentations, panel discussions and networking.