Center for Digital Agriculture
Industry Partners Program
The Center for Digital Agriculture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign unites researchers, educators, and agricultural producers to advance global food and resource sustainability. We collaborate with academia and industry, offer multidisciplinary workforce development programs, and provide access to top-tier research and instructional facilities.
Complex challenges require cutting-edge solutions.
A shortage of skilled personnel is limiting the growth of global agricultural, food, and commodity finance companies. At the same time, these industries seek advanced computing and engineering solutions to drive innovation.
Partnering with the CDA Industry Partners Program accelerates research and development while providing access to top students, internships, and workforce training programs. CDA also fosters fundamental and applied research for large-scale deployment, ensuring industry-ready solutions.
Questions about the CDA Industry Partners Program?
John Reid
Executive Director of CDA
digitalag@illinois.edu
Sign up for email alerts to stay up-to-date on news and opportunities
Become a CDA Industry Partner and gain access to a suite of benefits:
Memberships start at
$20,000
Flexible engagement pathways to match your company’s priorities
- A robust network of collaborators from academia and industry
- Priority engagement with CDA technologies, tools, and datasets
- Specialized education, training, and professional development programs
- Experimental research facilities
- Free registration for the annual CDA Industry Conference and special pricing for CDA events
CDA Partnership Benefits Breakdown
Robust Network from Academia and Industry
Gain priority access to a pipeline of highly skilled and motivated students who are shaping the future of agriculture through cutting-edge training in data science, engineering, and ag technology. These students bring technical expertise, creativity, and fresh perspectives, ready to tackle complex challenges and contribute to sustainable growth across the agri-food value chain.
Build direct connections with world-renowned faculty who are leading advancements in precision agriculture, automation, sustainability, and digital transformation. By collaborating with these experts, your company can leverage deep academic insight, co-develop solutions, and influence emerging research directions tailored to your unique industry challenges.
Join a vibrant community where academia and industry converge to explore new ideas and test innovative applications. Through collaborative research with faculty and interdisciplinary teams, your organization can accelerate the development of practical solutions, foster knowledge exchange, and stay at the forefront of digital agriculture.
Access Exclusive Technologies, Tools, and Data
Stay ahead of the curve with exclusive early access to groundbreaking research from the Center for Digital Agriculture. As an industry partner, you’ll receive confidential, high-impact insights into emerging trends, enabling your business to anticipate market shifts, adapt strategies, and remain at the forefront of agricultural innovation.
Tap into the University of Illinois’s robust pipeline of innovations to accelerate your company’s R&D and foster a culture of innovation within your organization. By leveraging university-developed technologies, your business can shorten the path from discovery to application, transforming breakthrough ideas into practical, market-ready solutions.
Gain priority access to emerging open-source platforms and digital tools designed for agriculture and food systems. As a partner, you’ll benefit from early adoption opportunities along with free or discounted technical support to help you seamlessly integrate new technologies and maximize their impact across your operations.
Harness the expertise of the National AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence for Future Agricultural Resilience, Management, and Sustainability (AIFARMS) to drive digital transformation in your business. From computer vision and robotics to generative AI, CDA partners can apply advanced AI solutions to real-world agricultural challenges—unlocking greater efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.
Access university-developed intellectual property through existing licensing channels. Partners will have early awareness and CDA concierge support to ensure your business has a smooth, cost-effective path to commercialization—turning cutting-edge research into competitive advantage.
Education, Professional Development, and Research Facilities
Enhance your team’s expertise and productivity with training programs tailored to your company’s specific needs. Through customized courses and hands-on learning opportunities, CDA helps you build a workforce equipped with the latest digital agriculture skills—empowering your employees to adapt quickly and drive innovation from within.
De-risk your innovations by taking advantage of CDA’s expansive 110-acre agricultural testbed. This unique resource allows your company to conduct field trials and experiments under real-world conditions, providing valuable data and practical insights before scaling new technologies to market.
Unlock the full potential of your data with access to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)’s high-performance computing infrastructure. From modeling and simulations to advanced analytics, CDA partners can harness world-class computing power to generate deeper insights and support smarter, data-driven decision-making.
Accelerate technology development by prototyping and testing new solutions in CDA’s innovation ecosystem. With access to cutting-edge tools, facilities, and interdisciplinary expertise, your company can validate emerging ideas in a real-world environment, staying at the forefront of agricultural advancement.
Highlight your organization’s innovations to prospective clients, partners, and investors through CDA-hosted events, industry collaborations, and networking opportunities. By showcasing your solutions within the CDA community, your company can strengthen visibility, build strategic relationships, and position itself as a leader in digital agriculture.