Cedar Rapids, ISU Partnership promotes innovation and economic development

In early August 2015, Iowa State University and the City of Cedar Rapids created a unique public-private partnership developed to foster increased interactions between faculty research and the City's agricultural, food and bioprocessing industries. The partnership supports companies in Cedar Rapids by providing a connection to the resources and research available at Iowa State.

Through this partnership, the University hired David Freeman, a research and development professional with industry and manufacturing experience, to serve as the Program Liaison. David's primary role is to identify opportunities for science-based collaboration between Cedar Rapids industries and Iowa State University scientists, engineers, extension and economic development specialists.

In the first six months of the program, David has met with nearly all of the food and bioprocessing companies in Cedar Rapids, along with other manufacturers outside the realm of food-feed-fuel production. A large majority of the companies have expressed immediate interest in collaborating with Iowa State, and a few have already initiated projects. It is these ongoing interactions that will lead to exciting future discoveries and advancements.

Along with developing a solid network and providing opportunities for collaboration on research, the partnership also will focus on education - providing relevant seminars, round-table discussions and forums. These events invite industry leaders to discussions covering industrywide topics presented by ISU faculty, government agencies and experts in respective fields.

Cedar Rapids is one of the leading bioprocessing and food ingredient centers in North America, as well as one of the largest ethanol producers in the world. The City also is home to international businesses involved in the production of yeast, dietary fiber and cellulose-based pharmaceutical ingredients. These agriculturally based industries are the backbone of our economy, and will play a key role in our future success. Through this partnership, we believe we can take these strong local industries to a whole new level.

The collaboration between the City and ISU is just one example of how Cedar Rapids is supporting and creating economic development opportunities in our community. This partnership shows our commitment, not just to new business growth, but also the growth and advancement of our current business community. I am very thankful to President Steven Leath and ISU for helping bring this idea to fruition. I look forward to sharing many success stories in the years to come.

' Jeff Pomeranz is Cedar Rapids' city manager. Comments: citymanager@cedar-rapids.org; (319) 286-5080