Economic Development Collaborative Hosts Convening on University-Industry AI Partnerships The Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) at the University of Kentucky will host its August convening, “From Needs to Actions: Building AI Partnerships for Kentucky,” on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will take place at UK’s Esports Theater in The Cornerstone. The gathering aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs by fostering collaboration on artificial intelligence initiatives. The convening will feature discussions between UK AI practitioners and industry partners, focusing on shared challenges and opportunities for partnership. Heath Price, associate vice president for partnerships at UK and an EDC steering committee member, emphasized the event’s goal: “By bringing UK’s focus on building strategies to approach AI responsibly together with the needs of Kentucky industry, we can build partnerships that create real, lasting economic impact for the commonwealth.” The program will open with a presentation by Shirley Mitchell, director of CATS AI, who will outline the objectives and structure of the newly formed CATS AI Alliance. This will be followed by a moderated panel discussion with UK AI leaders, including Adam Recktenwald, chief technology innovation officer; Katie Thompson, Ph.D., professor of statistics and director of the ALT Hub; and Tama Thé, M.D., pediatric emergency medicine physician. The panel will explore the university’s current AI capabilities, research focus, and potential contributions to industry partners. A separate panel of corporate leaders from Kentucky-based organizations will then share insights on their AI needs and applications.#university_of_kentucky #lockheed_martin #economic_development_collaborative #cats_ai #bullard
