Kentucky Innovator Challenge returns with expanded R&D Partnerships Week
The Kentucky Innovator Challenge returns this November with R&D Partnerships Week, an expanded three-day event bringing together University of Kentucky researchers and leaders from industry, government and local communities to explore new opportunities for research and development collaboration.
Hosted by UK Innovate, R&D Partnerships Week is Nov. 3-5. Each day will feature programming centered on a different area of research and industry: engineering, agriculture and life sciences.
Registration is free and now open for all three days.
Three days. Three areas of R&D partnership opportunity.
R&D Partnerships Week builds on the Kentucky Innovator Challenge’s focus on connecting UK researchers with organizations seeking innovative solutions and creates focused opportunities for participants to engage around shared challenges, emerging technologies and potential partnerships.
“We’re excited to host the Kentucky Innovator Challenge for the fourth consecutive year, with a new three-day format in response to our continued growth and feedback from our attendees,” said Landon Borders, senior executive director, technology development, product management and R&D partnerships. “Our aim is to nurture more R&D engagements between our industry partners and UK faculty, staff and students through highly curated discussions focused on our partners’ most pressing challenges that are best solved through research and development collaborations.”
Each day will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities with leaders from academia, industry and government.
Nov. 3 | Engineering
Kentucky Defense and Aerospace Ecosystems
The opening day begins with speakers across the industry who will provide updates on research and development collaboration across engineering, with a keen focus on federal priorities and the future of defense and aerospace sectors. Topics include technical challenges and priorities to further defense and aerospace ecosystems.
Nov. 4 | Agriculture
Harvesting Intelligence: Big Data and AI in Agriculture
Day two explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in agriculture and the opportunities it creates for research and industry collaboration. Programming explores how big data and AI are transforming agricultural retail and food systems, with the goal of fostering collaboration between researchers and industry leaders to accelerate innovation and address emerging challenges.
Nov. 5 | Life sciences
Vital Signs: Kentucky – “Measuring what matters. Partnering for change.”
The final day brings together researchers and Kentucky-based companies to explore opportunities for collaboration across the life sciences industry, spanning topics from virtual reality to innovative oncology treatments. Programming showcases a successful SBIR collaboration between a Lexington-based startup and College of Medicine faculty, highlights a new program built to bolster the life sciences industry within the state and examines research and innovation opportunities with Kentucky-based companies with the potential to address health challenges, advance new technologies and improve lives.
Creating connections that lead to collaboration
The Kentucky Innovator Challenge is designed to connect organizations facing real-world challenges with the research expertise and innovative thinking found across UK.
The expanded three-day format creates more opportunities for those conversations to happen, while allowing participants to engage with programming most relevant to their interests and take part in facility tours.
UK faculty, researchers, industry representatives, government partners, entrepreneurs and others interested in research and development collaboration are encouraged to attend.
