A leader in the use of integrated intelligence in the agri-food sector will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming New Uses Forum April 11, 2023. The fifth annual event will be held at the Minneapolis Marriott West hotel in St. Louis Park, Minn., and is presented by the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), Compeer Financial and Georgetown University’s Rural Opportunity Initiative.
Scott Caine, president of Aimpoint Research, has expertise in the areas of strategic operations, marketing research, competitive intelligence, organizational development and business modeling. Through custom intelligence solutions and research services, Caine and the Aimpoint Research team work with a broad range of agribusinesses across the U.S.
Founded and led by former military intelligence officers and agricultural experts, Aimpoint Research is driven by the core belief that the success of the U.S. agri-food industry is essential to national security. It is this belief that also drives the team’s dedication to its thought leadership work, including Farmer of the Future, American Food Power and Next Gen Consumers. These platforms offer a unique view and insights on the trends, innovations, and disruptive forces impacting the future.
This year’s New Uses Forum will feature a diverse range of speakers representing some of the region’s most influential companies like Cargill, General Mills and UnitedHealthcare. The theme for this year’s event is Exploring the Intersection of Innovation and Investment in Food and Agriculture. Discussion will spotlight critical and emerging issues like industrial fermentation, the impact of processing on the healthfulness of food and how the global economy is impacting farmers and agricultural processors.
In addition to Caine’s keynote address, the event features diverse and informative programming. At the Bold Open Reverse Pitch, Minnesota companies and commodity groups will present specific industry challenges they face and solicit solutions from innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses around the world. AURI will also present the organization’s annual Ag Innovator of the Year award to a Minnesota company or entrepreneur making a substantial impact in the areas of product innovation, uniqueness and commercialization potential. The day concludes with a Smash the Senses networking reception.
The New Uses Forum brings together some of the most knowledgeable voices in business, agriculture, nonprofits, commodity groups and academia for in-depth discussions, informal knowledge sharing and networking. Registration is now open. Organizers are offering an in-person and virtual option for speakers and participants. To register, learn more information and see a detailed schedule of events, visit the event website.
The program partners extend their gratitude to the 2023 New Uses Forum sponsors: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Avisen, Cargill, Gislason & Hunter LLP, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Faegre Drinker, Northern Crops Institute, Initiators Fellowship, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Corn, CoBank, Vanguard Renewables, West Central Initiative, AgriGrowth, Schwan’s Company, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Rock Hutchinson Business Litigation & Counsel, Naturally Minnesota, MBOLD, epac flexible packaging, the Government of Canada and MinnWest Technology Campus.
About AURI
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute’s mission is to foster long-term economic benefit through value-added agricultural products. It accomplishes this by using science and technology to help develop new uses for agricultural products. It partners with businesses and entrepreneurs to generate economic impact in Minnesota communities by helping businesses take advantage of innovative opportunities in four focus areas: biobased products, renewable energy, coproducts and food. AURI provides a broad range of services, including applied research and development, scientific assistance and a targeted network of resources to develop value-added uses for crops and coproducts.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $27 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agricultural industry.Compeer Financial is one of the largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.
About the Rural Opportunity Initiative Center
The Rural Opportunity Initiative (ROI) aims to serve rural American communities by driving financially and socially-sustainable rural development. It has been well-established that rural businesses lag behind their urban counterparts in terms of venture and early growth capital investment and accessing debt and operating capital. At the same time, private investors are eager to identify and support rural growth opportunities. However, most are not aware of what’s available, and often the deals are misaligned with traditional investment models. The investor experience in U.S. rural communities in some ways mirrors that of impact investors in search of deals overseas in developing regions, where the amount of capital is more robust than the pipeline of deals, and a mismatch exists between the levels and kinds of returns investors seek, and what small and growing businesses can offer.