Nebraska Innovation Campus will open its doors to the public Oct. 9 to celebrate its grand opening

Nebraska Innovation Campus will hold a public grand opening at 4 p.m. Oct. 9. The event will include Football Friday, a Nebraska Alumni Association celebration held on Fridays before home football games.

NIC works to connect private business partners with the talent of university faculty for the purpose of transforming ideas into innovations. NIC has established a collaborative and innovative culture that nurtures dynamic, creative energy.

Campus tours begin at 4 and 4:30 p.m. From 5 to 7 p.m., the Nebraska Alumni Association will host Football Friday at NIC in anticipation of the Oct. 10 football game against Wisconsin.

At full build-out, NIC will be a 2.2-million square-foot sustainable campus with uniquely designed buildings and amenities that inspire creative activity and engagement. The core buildings now open include:

Innovation Commons, a state-of-the-art office complex and the hub of the campus;
The Food Innovation Center, a world-class structure that is all about food on every dimension, from taste and texture, to human health and digestion; and
The Greenhouse Innovation Center, with a high-tech phenotyping system that allows researchers to gather useful information about individual plants throughout their growth cycle.

Nebraska Innovation Studio, a new maker space, occupies part of the first floor of the commons. Manufacturing-grade equipment in this new maker space provides membership access for UNL students, faculty, staff and community members as well as workshops and training.