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Executive Director’s Column

Teresa SpaethAURI strives for innovation — not just creativity but making something the world can use.

We are always looking for the next big thing, recognizing trends, helping our clients design value-added uses forMinnesota ag products. That’s AURI’s mission — and we never know exactly where or when those opportunities will arise.

We also know true innovation is more than identifying a possibility.

It’s been said that innovation without implementation is merely creativity. While creativity is important, it does little good without a real-world application. It’s like possessing the world’s best smoke detector but leaving it in the box. It doesn’t do any good until put to use.

Likewise, Minnesota’s economy won’t benefit if a promising development is identified but never put into practice. Thatis why AURI’s hands-on services and applied research are so important.

Basic research is vitally important to developing value-added uses for ag products. Every scientific breakthrough can lead to a new opportunity. Educational andresearch institutions churn out research that has the potential to improve a process, streamline a technology orcreate an entirely new product.

Our job, at AURI, is to further opportunities that will make it to the marketplace. We are the hands-on resource that helps innovators implement.