The University of Illinois and AGCO announced today the opening of the AGCO Acceleration Center at University of Illinois Research Park. The Acceleration Center will advance technology innovation for AGCO’s grain, seed processing, swine and poultry production equipment brands, which include GSI, Cimbria, AP and Cumberland. At the Center, University of Illinois undergraduate and graduate students will be employed year-round to further the company’s capabilities in areas such as data science, web and mobile development, and machine learning.
The Center will focus on developing new-to-market solutions and advanced technologies to help farmers protect their harvest and their animals to feed a growing world population.
“With the global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, the world’s future depends on food security. Ensuring we have sufficient food to meet the demand of a growing population while addressing resource and environmental limitations are a global challenge that we are committed to solving,” said Tom Welke, Senior Vice President, Global Grain & Protein, GSI.
“A global industry leader such as AGCO represents a significant addition to the blooming Ag Tech sector in the Research Park,” said University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones. “This is a place that knows more about innovation and invention than any other, and does so at massive scale. AGCO’s interdisciplinary approach to innovation and finding solutions to feed the world aligns very closely with the university’s goals for its next 150 years.”
The Center opens with seven highly-skilled student interns and two full-time employees working to advance the use of mixed reality technology in the agriculture industry and bring next generation monitoring and management tools to market for grain and livestock producers.
“Not only will the Acceleration Center explore new ways to help farmers build smarter, stronger farms, but it also provides students with a valuable growth opportunity to work on real-life projects with a global agriculture company,” said Lena Swearingen-Head, AGCO Acceleration Center site director. AGCO will continue to recruit University talent and full-time staff as additional projects come to fruition.
The Acceleration Center extends AGCO’s presence in Central Illinois, where the global headquarters for its grain, swine and poultry divisions are also located.
Source : AGCO