CARMEL, Ind. & AURORA, Ohio. (October 6, 2026) — SEPRO Scientificand Oase today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a strategic partnership to expand access to innovative surface water technology solutions for customers across the United States and Canada.
The partnership brings together Oase’s technology and product knowledge with SEPRO Scientific’s field and technical expertise, proven capabilities, and long-standing commitment to water stewardship.
Together, the companies will focus on helping customers address complex surface water challenges with technologies supported by practical expertise and science-led management strategies. The initial collaboration will focus on professional water management applications that support the protection and restoration of surface water.
“Our focus is helping customers make informed decisions and achieve better outcomes through science-led solutions,” said Tyler Koschnick, president and CEO of SEPRO Scientific.“Oase brings strong technological and manufacturing capabilities, while SEPRO Scientific brings decades of water management experience and a practical understanding of how solutions perform in real-world conditions. Together, we expand the tools available to water professionals and provide the technical support needed to implement them effectively.”
The partnership is designed to evolve alongside customer and environmental needs. As the relationship develops, SEPRO Scientific and Oase plan to evaluate additional technologies and applications that can help water professionals address emerging water quality and aquatic ecosystem challenges.
“SeDox Max and SchlixX Plus give us a strong starting point, but the real value of this partnership is helping even more customers accelerate improvements in water quality and sediment health,” said Jeremy Sweet,Chief Sales Officer, Water Technology, Oase. “SEPRO’s technical expertise and established field network bring our restoration solutions directly to the professionals who manage lakes and ponds every day. Together, we can extend the benefits of waterbody restoration across North America.”
Purpose-built research, incubator and laboratory space will leverage Purdue’s R1 capabilities and Elanco’s animal health leadership to advance One Health innovation in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (October 6, 2026) – The One Health Innovation District today unveiled plans for the One Health Research Institute, a new hub for research, collaboration and innovation within the District. Anchored by Purdue University and Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN), the Research Institute will accelerate One Health discovery, diagnostics, translational science and commercialization through advanced research, incubator and laboratory space.
The planned 150,000 square foot, shared-use facility will include advanced research laboratories, shared research infrastructure and equipment and collaboration space, and facilities supporting animal health and veterinary partners. Purdue will serve as the Research Institute’s academic and research anchor – connecting faculty, students, researchers and University capabilities with industry and entrepreneurial partners. Elanco will serve as the industry and innovation anchor – bringing animal health expertise, scientific talent and a direct connection to the development and commercialization of new One Health solutions.
Aligned with Purdue’s strengths in One Health, translational science and data-driven innovation, the One Health Research Institute will create a collaborative environment focused on the interconnected health of people, animals, plants and the environment. The building is designed to bring researchers, clinicians, industry partners and entrepreneurs together to help accelerate the translation of discoveries into new therapeutics, diagnostics, digital health solutions, sustainable agricultural technologies and commercial products.
“The One Health Innovation District fits squarely into both Purdue’s historic land-grant mission and our present-day position as the state’s research and technology flagship university,” said Mitch Daniels, interim president of Purdue University. “And it represents the next big step in expanding Purdue’s presence in Indianapolis and contribution to Indiana’s economic vitality.”
Located adjacent to Elanco’s global headquarters along the White River, the One Health Research Institute represents an important next step in the physical development of the One Health Innovation District and in establishing Indianapolis as a global destination for One Health research, talent, investment and innovation.
“Just one year after Elanco opened our new global headquarters within the One Health Innovation District, today is an exciting milestone in our vision to create a collaborative destination for innovators,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO of Elanco. “When you combine the R1 University capabilities of Purdue with the industry expertise we have across all sectors of One Health – Indianapolis is better positioned than ever to deliver best-in-class innovations across animal, human and plant health with unprecedented speed and scale.”
The Research Institute will also provide capacity for additional companies, entrepreneurs, researchers and industry collaborators to locate within the Institute and participate in the district’s innovation ecosystem.
The One Health Innovation District is being intentionally developed to connect research, diagnostics, clinical trials, continuing education, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and commercialization in one environment – helping partners share knowledge, remove barriers and accelerate outcomes. The District is already attracting strong interest from companies seeking to establish a presence alongside Purdue and Elanco, with multiple memoranda of understanding signed. Individual company announcements will follow as plans are finalized.
Company completes spin-off of seed business, well positioned to advance its robust pipeline with 12 new actives, including 5 biologicals, for launch in the next decade
INDIANAPOLIS—Oct. 1, 2026 – Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) today announced it has successfully spun off its advanced seed and genetics business and will move forward as a leading, pure-play global crop protection company.
“This is a new day for Corteva, and we couldn’t be more excited as we move forward with greater focus, agility and a renewed commitment to innovation and operational excellence,” said Corteva CEO Luke Kissam. “As the challenges facing agriculture continue to evolve, we’re ready to meet the needs of the future with the industry’s best people, portfolio and pipeline—advancing safe, effective and sustainable solutions that
deliver for farmers, our channel partners and our shareholders.”
Corteva begins this next chapter with strong momentum and a proven record of excellence in execution. Between 2020 and 2025, the crop protection business increased revenue by over $1 billion while expanding operating EBITDA margins by approximately 250 basis points on a segment basis. This progress includes establishment of an industry-leading biologicals and natural products platform, and intentional evolution of the company’s product mix toward differentiated technologies—now representing ~65% of sales—to bring new, critically-needed innovations to farmers.
With an $11 billion crop protection pipeline, world-class R&D capabilities, including our microbial discovery, integrated development, and predictive safety platforms, Corteva’s future growth will be driven by innovation farmers need most. Today, the company’s nearly 9,000 employees serve growers in approximately 110 countries.
Farm management today looks very different than it did a decade ago, with rising complexity, shifting client expectations and new technology reshaping how decisions get made. In this episode, Howard Halderman, president of Halderman Farm Management, shares how his team is thinking about AI, where it is already improving operations and why human judgment still matters in managing one of agriculture’s most important assets.
How farm management is evolving: Howard explains the scope of Halderman Farm Management’s work and how the role of a modern farm management company has changed over time.
Why the job is getting more complex: The conversation explores where expectations have increased most in recent years, from operations and data to client service and strategic decision-making.
How AI entered the business: Howard shares some of the earliest ways his team began using AI and AI-enabled tools to support operations and improve decision-making.
Where AI adds real value: He discusses where these tools can genuinely improve outcomes and where experience, judgment and relationships remain irreplaceable.
Why trust and governance matter: The episode examines the importance of data quality, accuracy and protecting client relationships as AI becomes more common in the business.
How talent needs are shifting: Howard reflects on how technology is changing the skills farm management teams need and what that means for the future workforce.
Where the biggest opportunity lies: He looks ahead to the most promising applications for AI in farm management, from agronomic insight to financial performance and long-term planning.
What agriculture gets wrong about AI: Howard offers a grounded perspective on the difference between hype and practical value as the industry navigates rapid change.
What the next five years could look like: The conversation closes with Howard’s view on how the best farm management companies may operate differently as AI continues to mature.
Ascend Indiana, the talent and workforce development initiative of the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), today announced a new microgrant opportunity to help Indiana schools launch student-led businesses (SLBs), expanding access to high-quality, hands-on work-based learning (WBL) experiences for students across the state.
As Indiana works to expand access to WBL, schools face significant challenges in providing internships and other employer-based experiences at the scale needed to meet growing student demand. Ascend’s modeling indicates that statewide demand could increase from approximately 15,000 WBL experiences per cohort today to as many as 34,000 by the fall of 2028, requiring up to 19,000 additional experiences annually.
One strategy to help address this gap is the expansion of SLBs, which can help schools and employers overcome common barriers, including transportation, scheduling constraints and limited employer capacity, by providing meaningful, hands-on experiences within the school setting. SLBs are real or simulated enterprises that are designed, managed and operated primarily by students, providing opportunities to apply academic and technical learning in a school-based environment while building essential workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving and time management.
Through the new Student-Led Business Microgrant program, Ascend will award up to eight schools $5,000 each, providing up to $40,000 in total funding to support the development and launch of new SLBs. The program is designed for schools that do not currently operate an SLB and are interested in developing a high-quality, sustainable experience for students.
“Student-led businesses give students the opportunity to do real work, take ownership and build skills in an environment where their work has real meaning,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “This microgrant program will help more schools take that first step and create opportunities for students to connect what they are learning in the classroom to Indiana’s workforce and the needs of their communities.”
Eligible models include school-based enterprises and workplace simulations recognized by the Indiana Department of Education. Proposed businesses must align with at least one of Indiana’s advanced industries: agbioscience, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, or technology.
Applications opened on September 22 and will be accepted through October 31, 2026. Priority consideration will be given to schools planning to launch their SLB on or before fall 2027. Grant funds will be issued to selected schools at the beginning of the second quarter of 2027.
The microgrant builds on Ascend Indiana’s broader statewide effort to expand SLBs as accessible, impactful and relevant WBL opportunities. Since launching the initiative in April 2026, Ascend has developed a statewide coalition, Student-Led Business Digital Hub and Student-Led Business Toolkit designed to help schools and partners strengthen and expand SLBs across Indiana.
The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale), an initiative housed at the University of Notre Dame, has received a $10 million grant from the OpenAI Foundation to help governments bring AI-powered weather services to millions of farmers across South and Southeast Asia and East Africa. The initiative connects agricultural innovation with funding to help millions of smallholder farmers adapt to climate change.
The initiative is led by Paul Winters, the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Notre Dame and executive director of AIM for Scale, and is housed within Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. AIM for Scale is a global initiative that has previously received support from the International Affairs Office of the UAE Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation.
The funding is part of a broader $60 million investment from the OpenAI Foundation that brings together AIM for Scale; the University of Chicago; the University of California, Berkeley; Precision Development; Digital Green and CIMMYT. Together, the organizations aim to expand access to AI-powered weather and crop disease forecasting tools for 100 million smallholder farmers over the next three years.
For Winters, the funding represents an opportunity to tackle a challenge that has long confronted the development community: how to move evidence-based innovations beyond successful pilots and into sustainable initiatives capable of reaching millions of people.
“Artificial intelligence is creating extraordinary new possibilities for farmers, but innovation alone is not enough,” Winters said. “The real challenge is ensuring that these tools become part of systems that can sustainably reach millions of farmers based in low- and middle-income countries. This funding gives us an opportunity to work with governments to translate rapid advances in AI into services that farmers can rely on year after year.”
Taking AI-powered forecasts to scale
Smallholder farmers grow approximately one-third of the world’s food, yet many lack access to timely, localized information to guide critical decisions about planting, harvesting and protecting their crops. Dry spells, storms and disease outbreaks can threaten an entire season’s production and the livelihoods that depend on it.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence are creating new possibilities for closing this information gap. AI weather models can produce reliable, localized forecasts using substantially less computing power than traditional forecasting systems. AI can also help deliver forecasts and related advice to farmers through text messages, calls, chatbots and other channels.
Research suggests that access to timely forecasts can influence farmers’ decisions about what and when to plant and how much to invest, with the potential to increase incomes and reduce crop losses.
But developing better technology is only part of the challenge.
AIM for Scale will use the OpenAI Foundation funding to help governments move AI-powered weather services from promising pilots to sustainable delivery at national scale. Working with governments, multilateral development banks, academia and implementing partners, AIM for Scale will help connect these innovations with the partnerships, technical assistance and large-scale financing needed to reach millions of farmers.
This work will draw on the complementary expertise of organizations across the broader partnership. The University of Chicago and UC Berkeley will support national meteorological agencies in tailoring and operationalizing AI weather models. Precision Development will work with governments and civil society organizations to turn forecasts into practical advice and deliver it through trusted channels. Digital Green will integrate improved forecasts into FarmerChat, its AI agricultural advisory platform, while using farmer feedback to inform forecasting teams.
A portion of AIM for Scale’s $10 million grant will be awarded through a sub-grant to CIMMYT to advance AI-enabled crop disease forecasting. CIMMYT will strengthen its wheat pathogen forecasting capabilities, using AI and NASA Earth observation data to identify potential outbreaks earlier.
