CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Deere & Company is investing $1 million to create a John Deere Technology Innovation Center with the University of Illinois to leverage the skills and knowledge of faculty members and students in the areas of agriculture, business, engineering, and information technology.
The new facility, which is expected to be ready by July, is in the Research Park in Champaign. It will be an environment in which Deere can work on advanced electronics, mechatronics, advanced sensors and control-systems technology.
"This investment dovetails perfectly at Illinois with our 140-year history of addressing the most critical needs of society," said Richard Herman, the chancellor of the Urbana campus. "Furthermore, it will enhance the knowledge and skills of faculty and students as we continue to prepare our graduates to compete and succeed in the global marketplace."
Robert Lane, the chairman and chief executive of Deere, said: "This important effort will extend our leading investment in research and development on behalf of our customers. Our efforts to apply innovation in our products and services result in increased productivity for those who use John Deere equipment."
The center will expand Deere's capabilities to respond to the rapidly changing environment for Deere's customers and businesses by leveraging the capabilities of the university.
The center will be a satellite to Deere's Moline Technology Innovation Center, located on the campus of the company's world headquarters in Moline, Ill. The Champaign center will intensify Deere's efforts to track key technology developments affecting the company.