The city of Cedar Rapids is the grain processing capital of the world. Every day more than one million bushels of corn are processed by companies serving global demands. A never-ending stream of trucks and rail cars supplies grain for the backbone of the city's economy - its diverse agricultural and bioprocessing industries.

What do you get when you combine this economic development powerhouse with Iowa State University's core strengths in agriculture and biosciences? You have a partnership committed to taking an existing Iowa industry to the next level.

The new partnership was announced last month by Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett, President Steven Leath and other officials. It will establish an Iowa State research and extension liaison position that identifies university-industry collaborations in areas like environmentally friendly processing technologies, value-added coproducts and byproducts from processing waste streams, and health-boosting food ingredients.

The liaison also will facilitate training opportunities to enhance the skills of Cedar Rapids industry workers.

At the center of the partnership is a shared commitment to explore innovative strategies to enhance the agriculture-based economy of the region and the state.

The partnership's groundwork was laid by Cedar Rapids officials and leaders from Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Bioeconomy Institute, Extension and Outreach, and Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations.

Did you know? Iowa State agricultural researchers have partnered with the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids on projects to plant prairie strips to reduce nutrient runoff and to grow biomass energy crops, both on airport-owned farmland.

Left to right: Jeff Pomeranz, city manager of Cedar Rapids; Ron Corbett, mayor of Cedar Rapids; Justin Shields, Cedar Rapids city councilman; Steven Leath, president of Iowa State University; and Dwight Hughes Jr., Dwight Hughes Nursery in Cedar Rapids.