AgCareers’ Roundtable Conference to Feature Exclusive Tour of University of Illinois’ IBRL and Food Science Pilot Plant

• Taylor Sublette
• April 02, 2026
• Newsletter Article

The AgCareers Agriculture and Food Roundtable Conference is coming to Champaign, Illinois, August 4–6, featuring an exclusive tour of the University of Illinois’ Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory and Food Science Pilot Plant. Attendees will gain insight into cutting?edge research driving innovation in agriculture, food, and workforce development.

---

The AgCareers Agriculture and Food Roundtable Conference is coming to Champaign, Illinois, August 4–6, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This three-day event brings together agriculture and food industry leaders, employers, educators, and recruitment professionals to connect, collaborate, and explore the latest trends shaping the future of industry talent. 

 

Sitting in the heart of the Midwest, Illinois is a hub for agriculture and food innovation and technology, making it an ideal location for this year’s conference. To highlight the state’s leadership in research, commercialization, and workforce development, AgCareers is offering attendees an inside look at one of the region’s premier innovation centers. 

 
Conference attendees are invited to participate in a free, optional tour of the University of Illinois’ Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) and Food Science Pilot Plant on August 4. 

 

The IBRL and Food Science Pilot Plant are advanced product research and development facilities designed to bridge the gap between basic discovery and commercial application of bioproducts. These facilities serve as critical resources for bioenergy, bioprocessing, and food science companies by offering access to cutting-edge equipment, technical expertise, and collaborative research partnerships. 

 

Together, the facilities provide laboratories and pilot-scale processing environments where innovative research is translated into market ready, commercial products. Ongoing research efforts also focus on developing and improving technologies for next generation of biofuels and value-added products derived from biomass. 

 

In addition, the IBRL offers a Food and Agricultural Science in Technology Education and Research (FASTER) internship program that pairs University of Illinois students with IBRL staff, industry leaders, and top researchers. Through this program, students gain hands-on experience solving real-world processing challenges while helping scale new products. 

 

Learn More & Register 

Register for the Agriculture & Food Roundtable Conference and select the tour at no additional cost. View the full Agriculture and Food Roundtable Conference agenda here.