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
Dual purpose
January 16, 2026
University of Cincinnati’s College and Career Tracks guide high school students through dual enrollment and College Credit Plus pathways. Students earn transferable college credits, explore careers in allied health and other fields, gain early college experience and improve college readiness while reducing future tuition costs.
UC awarded $1.1 million grant to tailor AI use in medical education
January 16, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has been selected as a recipient of a $1.1 million American Medical Association (AMA) Transforming Lifelong Learning Through Precision Education grant.
How every generation uses AI, from boomers to Gen Z
January 16, 2026
Artificial intelligence is a valuable tool for all generations, but usage varies significantly between age groups. We’ll break down differences in AI utilization by generation.
What is co-op in college? How cooperative education works
Education in Action
What is co-op in college? Learn how cooperative education works, how students earn paid experience, and why UC is the national leader in career-ready graduates.
Co-op helps students at UC compete in a tight job market
January 14, 2026
WCPO 9 News in Cincinnati discusses UC's co-op program and job readiness in a tight job market. Journalist Taylor Woods speaks with UC students and Annie Straka, associate dean of the UC College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies.
Watch performances from Jennifer Higdon's residency at CCM
January 14, 2026
One of America's greatest living composers spent three days in residence at CCM earlier this year. Relive the excitement of that residency with the latest video releases from CCM Recording Productions. This October, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music welcomed Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon for a three-day-long residency. Dubbed the "Jennifer Higdon Festival," this one-of-a-kind event featured a variety of different public performances presented by students and faculty, along with a Composition Symposium for CCM students, faculty and staff.