Speaker: Brooke Goedert, Culture & Operations Manager at Nebraska Innovation Campus
Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) provides opportunities for people with different skill sets to meet and socialize. NIC connects the talents of experts, companies, and the University of Nebraska to create a unique culture of innovation. Innovation Campus is run by a "small but mighty" team that also includes Executive Director Dan Duncan and Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communication Kate Engel.
Ground was broken for Nebraska Innovation Campus in 2012 at the former state fairgrounds, located adjacent to UNL city campus. The Innovation Advancement Suites make use of a shared office concept with dedicated desks that can be reserved, "hot desks" that cannot be reserved, single offices, and small office suites. Rent includes 24-hour access, as well as use of two conference rooms and a kitchenette.
Current facilities include a wet lab, dry lab, Innovation Commons, Food Innovation Center, Greenhouse Innovation Center, Rise Building, and the Nebraska Innovation Studio, a maker space where creators can innovate, collaborate, and fabricate with provided machinery. The Innovation Studio features a metal shop, wood shop, and rapid prototyping room.
The 25-year build-out plan involves adding an average of 80,000 square feet of facilities a year with a target of 2.2 million square feet. These plans include The Scarlet, a hotel currently under construction, that will serve as a teaching/research hotel and an educational space for the university's hospitality program. With this rapid growth, Nebraska Innovation Campus is focused on sustainability. They utilize a Centralized Renewable Energy System that uses reclaimed, non-potable water to efficiently heat and cool the buildings. This system allows Nebraska Innovation Campus to give off about half as much greenhouse gas as comparable commercial buildings.
