In a move to better connect with top engineering talent at the University of Illinois, Motorola Solutions is opening an innovation center at the school's Research Park.
Chicago-based Motorola announced Friday that it has opened an innovation and design center at the University of Illinois Research Park, where undergrad and graduate students will work with Motorola to help develop products, apps and other technologies. Areas of focus will include command center software and video security and analytics.
It's Motorola's first innovation center on a college campus, the company said.
“The new innovation center will provide an opportunity for the next generation of students and employees to make valuable contributions to the company and broader tech community," Motorola Executive VP Kelly Mark said in a statement.
The innovation center officially opened for the fall 2019 semester, and it has the capacity to work with up to 40 interns, who'll be eligible for full-time employment, the company said.
Motorola's U of I team will be led by Craig Ibbotson, a member of the Motorola's technical staff and an alumnus of the university.
Motorola joins around 120 other businesses that employ students and full-time technology professionals at U of I's Research Park. Last month, agricultural giant Cargill also announced it was opening an innovation lab in Research Park. And earlier this month Procter & Gamble announced plans to open a Smart Lab at Research Park.
The University of Illinois consistently ranks among the top 10 engineering schools in the country, though many grads still leave the state for tech opportunities on the coasts. Having local companies connect with top talent early in their career development could help boost Chicago's tech talent pipeline.
