1819 Innovation Hub lease gives Kroger access to UC students, faculty
University of Cincinnati’s innovation agenda attracts country’s largest grocer
Customers won’t be able to stock up on groceries at Kroger’s newest Cincinnati location. Instead, it’ll be Kroger that will be able to shop for University of Cincinnati talent and opportunities for innovative collaborations.
Kroger announced Wednesday, Aug. 29, that it has leased a 2,500-square-foot space in the UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub. The space will give Kroger a dedicated area in which it can collaborate with UC co-op students, student interns, and faculty members on improvements to technologies developed by the supermarket giant, as well as new innovations.
“Whether it’s raw innovation or enhancing our current products, either way it’s a win,” Chris Hjelm, Kroger executive vice president and chief information officer, told the Cincinnati Business Courier. Hjelm said Kroger’s plans for the space include work on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
“It’s really a creative partnership to understand Kroger’s needs and find students and faculty to help them solve their needs,” UC Chief Innovation Officer David J. Adams said. “It’s a great testament to the work we’re striving to achieve: how to use the strength of UC to fuel and power local businesses.”
The build-out of Kroger’s third-floor space in the 1819 Innovation Hub is underway, and is set to be ready sometime in October.
Featured image at top: The 1819 Innovation Hub. Photo/Jay Yocis/UC Creative Services
Read complete story in the Cincinnati Business Courier (full content exists behind a paywall).
Innovate with industry
The University of Cincinnati is the birthplace of experiential learning. UC's 1819 Innovation Hub takes that to a new level by providing students a place where they can interact and innovate with Cincinnati's vibrant business community. Learn how you or your student can become a part of UC's innovative vision for the future.
Related Stories
On track: Hoffman Honors Scholar studies public transit
April 2, 2026
Public transit is where Zane Sawyer’s lifelong passion for travel meets his commitment to making an impact. The University of Cincinnati first-year geography major in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of the second cohort of Hoffman Honors Scholars (HHS) has hit the ground running, designing a research project intended to capture both how public transit works and how its users perceive it.
UC names Suzanne Judd, PhD, as inaugural director of new Center for Public Health
April 2, 2026
Following an extensive national search, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has appointed Suzanne E. Judd, PhD, as the inaugural director of its newly established Center for Public Health. Judd, a renowned epidemiologist and interdisciplinary scholar, will lead the center’s mission to transform community health through innovative research, education and strategic advocacy.
UC Digital Futures and Cincinnati Fire Museum launch educational video game
April 1, 2026
A new collaboration between the University of Cincinnati's Digital Performance Lab (DP Lab), CCM Acting, UC's School of Information Technology, and the Cincinnati Fire Museum is using gaming technology to bring essential fire safety education to children. The project titled Fire Escape is an interactive video game designed to teach K-12 students how to respond safely during a house fire. It was developed through Digital Futures research support, student game development, and guidance from local fire safety professionals.
Could GLP-1s help curb the opioid crisis?
April 1, 2026
The University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen was featured in a Rolling Stone article discussing the potential for GLP-1s to treat substance abuse disorders.
Clear link discovered between chronic kidney disease and periodontal disease
March 31, 2026
Emerging evidence supports a relationship between chronic kidney disease and oral diseases, according to a recent review from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researchers published in BMC Nephrology.
UC opens state-of-the-art zebrafish research facility to study infertility
March 31, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has opened a state-of-the-art zebrafish research facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Kossack Lab uses zebrafish to study infertility, reproductive health and how environmental contaminants impact human reproductive development.