Here at OCR, the UW College of Engineering’s Office of Corporate Relations, we believe we are stronger when we work together. Last fall, to advance this mission and the Wisconsin Idea, we engaged industry through more than eight events and visits, strengthening existing partnerships while exploring new opportunities for shared research ventures and connections. Interactions like these help foster our open communication with industry, create opportunities for joint solution-building, and enable the development of lasting, reciprocal partnerships.

Energy Storage Day | August 17
Held in partnership with the Grainger Institute for Engineering, this all-day event brought engineering faculty together with 15 different organizations interested in emerging energy storage solutions. Energy Storage Day initiated new collaborations for future research ventures by providing networking opportunities for stakeholders within this sector, advancing the external and internal partnerships necessary for a competitive edge in future funding opportunities.
Sekisui Campus Visit | September 6
OCR and UW’s Office of Business Engagement (OBE) hosted a campus visit with Sekisui’s Strategic Business & Domain Development team to discuss potential collaborative research related to robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, sustainability, and advanced materials and processes. College of Engineering researchers Ying Li, Ramathasan Thevamaran, Xudong Wang, Gong Zhang, Christine Lucky, and Thomas Mackie presented their current research projects to assess combined areas of interest.
CNHi Campus Visit | October 12

In a two-day campus visit, CNHi met with OCR, OBE, and the Grainger Institute for Engineering to cultivate existing fee-for-service partnerships with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and develop new relationships within the College of Engineering. CNHi representatives met with various research groups and individual researchers—including the UW E-Business Consortium, the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing, and Xiaopeng Li from the Connected & Autonomous Transportation Systems Laboratory—to identify potential overlapping initiatives.
Midwest Materials Innovation Consortium (MMIC) Visit | October 16-18
MMIC gathered at the Caterpillar facility in Peoria, WI to connect and foster collaboration within the consortium’s regional network with an array of stakeholders including corporations, research groups, venture capitalists, technical schools, universities, and startups. This event allowed attendees to share insights related to materials sciences technologies, helping them achieve their common goal: identifying and commercializing industrial material science innovations.

GE Healthcare Visit | October 19
OCR, OBE, and representatives from the College of Engineering visited GE Healthcare in Waukesha, WI, to explore new technology, review upcoming research opportunities, and touch base on ongoing relationships related to UW’s Biohealth Technology Hub. GE Healthcare, alongside the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and BioForward, was instrumental in supporting the creation of this hub. This visit enabled a discussion of the Biohealth Tech Hub proposal’s Phase 1 results and allowed attendees to evaluate next steps for UW and GE Healthcare’s ongoing collaboration.
Kohler Campus Visit | October 27
10 representatives from Kohler, including Kitchen and Bath Group President, Larry Yuen, came to UW to review progress on ongoing sponsored research projects with the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Science, as well as identify future partnership opportunities surrounding kitchen and bath design and technologies.
PFAS: Impact on the Planet and Solutions for the Packaging Industry | November 2
The Green Bay Innovation Group, in partnership with the Grainger Institute for Engineering and the Iowa State University Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, hosted more than 85 attendees to analyze the effects of PFAS chemicals, specifically in reference to packaging materials. This forum allowed participants to evaluate the causes and extent of the issue, discuss current and impending PFAS regulations, and analyze emerging solutions to the problem.
Northstar Visit | November 14
Chancellor Mnookin; College of Engineering Dean, Ian Robertson; Assistant Vice Chancellor for Industry Engagement, Chris Kozin; and the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Jon Audhya, visited Northstar’s facilities in Beloit, WI. This visit was a celebration of Northstar’s strong and enduring partnership with UW and included discussions on planned and future partnership ventures in radioisotope research and development.

As we ramp up for 2024, OCR is excited to continue developing these connections, as well as new ones. By ensuring consistent engagement with the innovative industrial partners across our region, we can accelerate the implementation of cutting-edge research in our community and demonstrate our strength as a leading institution. Our goal is to continue these conversations, sponsored research projects, and fee-for-service agreements in ways that coincide with both industrial and academic goals while developing even more relationships throughout our state.
By Katie Amdahl