While it is said that good things come to those who wait, often those who push the envelope benefit most. Minnesota has a rich history of envelope-pushers, with the likes of 3M, General Mills and Best Buy. Industry leaders recognize they have to be on the front line of developing products that meet consumer demands.
AURI has a 20-year track record of implementing agricultural innovations. From ag-based biofuels and industrial products to value-added uses for ag-processing leftovers, AURI has provided scientific and technical assistance, industry-wide research initiatives and targeted networking to move ideas to implementation.
Now we plan to take the next step and actively pursue innovation. AURI proposes to create a New Generation Innovation Center to jump-start local economies by generating, selecting and implementing rural innovations. The Center will actively bring together communities
of innovation, such as researchers, businesses, economic development specialists, bankers and others, and capitalize on their collective intelligence.
The New Generation Innovation Center concept will be used to develop communities of innovation in bioenergy, bio-based products, coproducts and food production. These categories offer the most promise for novel ventures in rural communities where there is an abundance of raw materials, processors, knowledge base and other assets. Communities of innovation will share information and resources to positively impact rural economies.
AURI is proposing this as a way to support homegrown innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas. Efforts like this are vital to creating jobs and business with rural communities’ existing assets.
While good things may come to those who wait, sometimes there is just no time to wait.