UC plans grand opening of 1819 Innovation Hub
Celebration will include innovation showcase, UC faculty and student groups, technology demonstrations and more
Event Information (passed)
The University of Cincinnati’s new front door to the broader community officially opens on Friday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. when university, city and business leaders gather to celebrate the grand opening of UC’s state-of-the-art 1819 Innovation Hub.
The completion of the 1819 Innovation Hub, the physical manifestation of the university’s innovation agenda, is a major milestone for UC’s Next Lives Here strategic direction. In addition to serving as the front door to the university, 1819 anchors the Uptown Innovation Corridor, which business and community leaders expect will attract industry, investment and collaboration.
UC President Neville Pinto
“The 1819 Innovation Hub is one of the key pathways of our Next Lives Here strategic direction,” said UC President Neville Pinto. “As 1819 begins its work with an all-star line of partners already signed on, we look forward to creating a new and powerful dynamic in Cincinnati’s innovation ecosystem.”
Pinto and Chief Innovation Officer David J. Adams will host the ribbon-cutting with Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber President Jill Meyer and Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati President Kimm Lauterbach. The ceremony will be held inside the building in the second-floor multipurpose room.
“This is a significant moment in time for our university and for our community”, says Adams. “President Pinto charged me with creating ‘the front door’ to connect the world to our great university. The grand opening of 1819 represents a major step forward and a celebration for all of us. Next Lives Here is our strategic direction, and the 1819 Innovation Hub is where next happens.”
After the ribbon is cut, guests will be able to explore all four floors of the building, including the 3D printers, wide-format printer, laser cutter and more in the makerspace on the first floor. The open house will offer visitors the chance to interact with innovators, attend demonstrations of UC-developed technologies and explore the fully renovated 133,000-square-foot building. More than two dozen innovative student and faculty groups will be on hand to showcase their cutting-edge research in drones, transportation, education, medicine, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and information technology.
Although the grand opening ceremony will soon be staged, the 1819 Innovation Hub has been bustling with activity since fall 2017, when the Office of Innovation welcomed the building’s first tenant, the Procter & Gamble-backed UC Simulation Center. Since then, UC’s innovation supercollider has built a robust portfolio of tenants that includes:
UC Office of Innovation
Additionally, the building’s 12,000-square-foot makerspace and its Venture Lab accelerator program have been open for business. Students are already learning in the Hub’s second-floor classrooms. And in the evenings, professional groups have been gathering for networking events and other programming.
The successful future of the 1819 Innovation Hub and the Uptown Innovation Corridor is assured. Not only is UC invested in its future, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health remains committed to the construction of a new $110 million facility nearby, bringing more than 500 jobs to the corridor. UC’s recently announced digital futures building will put even more student and faculty researchers near 1819.
Innovate with industry
The University of Cincinnati is the birthplace of cooperative education. UC's 1819 Innovation Hub takes experiential learning 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
New Dungeons & Dragons ethics seminar takes flight
July 7, 2025
On a blisteringly hot summer day, laughter echoed through the cool, damp basement of the Avondale branch of the Cincinnati Public Library. Young teenagers huddled around a table littered with pencils and paper, rolling dice and bonding over a game of Dungeons & Dragons. University of Cincinnati undergraduate student Charitha Anamala sat behind a trifold card with a blazing red dragon on it, serving as the group’s Dungeon Master (DM) or campaign organizer. Within the fantasy setting she described, it was hard to tell the adventure was a lesson in ethics.
Career planning for college students: Year-by-year guide
Discover a year-by-year college career planning guide to help you explore interests, gain experience and confidently prepare for life after graduation at UC.
UC students plan free pop-up medical clinic
July 1, 2025
The University of Cincinnati's chapter of Remote Area Medical, in collaboration with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, will host a free clinic at St. Xavier High School on July 19-20.
Student-athlete, now graduate, starts career in high school...
June 27, 2025
UC grad Thomas Matthew (BA, ‘24, CECH) is ready for his first real world career opportunity as the assistant athletic director at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. This profile of Matthew details the trajectory from student-athlete to sport administration professional.
Engineering graduate training for MLB draft
June 26, 2025
Kerrington Cross, recent University of Cincinnati chemical engineering graduate, is one of the best third basemen in the country. When choosing where to go to college, he received several offers, but the cooperative education program at UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science made it stand out among the rest. Cross worked hard both on and off the field, and was named Big 12 Player of the Year his senior year.
UC students selected for prestigious global internship...
June 24, 2025
UC students Natalie Rubi and Curtis Schriner head to England for a four-week 513 Culinary Group (Sodexo) internship, helping create a cafe concept.