Collaborative strength drives soy innovation

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — During her 30 years as a veterinarian and in academic research, Lisa Freeman learned some lessons that she’s carried throughout her career.

“The first lesson that I’ve learned through all of this is if you want something done better, faster and cheaper, the two most important groups to look for answers are farmers and students,” said Freeman, Northern Illinois University president, to kick off the Soy Innovation Center’s second annual SpringBoard Challenge.

“So, it’s really great that we have farmers and students here together to talk about innovation in the context of the soy economy.”

The second annual event, hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association at its Bloomington office, also featured researchers, academia and industry partners focused on finding new uses for soybeans.

“The most important lesson that I’ve learned, though, over the course of my career is that relationships are resources, and that is certainly the spirit with which we’re convening today,” Freeman said.

“Strength through Collaboration: Universities as the Crucible of Innovation” was the opening theme for the gathering, and Freeman noted the long history of funding support that made a difference in the nation’s progress.

Before 1940, federal funding for university science and technology research was very limited. University research was funded largely by philanthropy, local industry and the universities themselves.

The level of funding was minimal and the scope was highly focused in agriculture and engineering.

“For example, in the 1870s, when Professor Alexander Graham Bell needed money to develop the telephone, he got most of it from the wealthy father of one of his students,” Freeman said.

“In 1919, we saw the role of industry really step up when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduced their Division of Industrial Cooperation and Research and invited industry partnerships to pay for academic research.

“The model of federal science funding that those of us in this room grew up with, and that we too often take for granted, dates back to the 1940s. Its roots trace back to the federal funding of university research and to gaining military advantage in World War II.”

After that war, strongly influenced by the critical role universities in the development of radar, anti-malarial drugs and the atomic bomb, Vannevar Bush, then the director of the U.S. Federal Office of Scientific Research and Development, delivered a report to then-President Harry Truman titled, “Science, the Endless Frontier.”

Bush argued for federal funding of basic research in the physical and medical sciences to ensure American strength and progress.

“He posited that basic research is the pacemaker of technological progress and that federal investment in basic research at universities was essential to promote economic growth, support new industries and jobs, increase the standard of living and insure national security,” Freeman said.

“Bush’s advocacy is credited with the creation of the National Science Foundation and the other systems that direct federal support to university research without immediate commercial application.

“Over the course of the next 70 to 80 years, federal research funding went through cycles of expansion and contraction, influenced by economic trends and by world events.

“In times of funding scarcity, doubt was often cast on the value of investing in pure basic research because of the uncertain outcomes and timelines for practical application. Also, with technological advancements, the dividing line between basic and applied research blurred.”

Innovation Drives Economy

University researchers attending the SpringBoard Challenge are engaged in a full spectrum of research from fundamental discovery to application.

“They’re equally motivated by the opportunities to create new scientific knowledge and translate their discoveries into technologies that benefits society,” Freeman said.

“That’s why over time, under different federal administrations, driven by growing international techno-economic competition, Vannevar Bush’s original vision for U.S. science policy evolved to include federal support for partnerships among government, academia and industry — partnerships that create value in a myriad of ways.

“There are multiple reasons that the United States has historically had the world’s strongest economy. But inarguably our production of the world’s greatest research discoveries and innovations has been a primary driver.”

Growing Global Investments

Freeman noted that the “value of federal science funding is being questioned again.”

“Federal research funding is not only being reduced, but also withdrawn and even withheld as leverage for concessions unrelated to scientific accountability,” she said.

“Influential policymakers and economists are suggesting that government research and development investment crowds out private sector investment and thwarts technological progress, but that view is simply wrong. Decades of empirical research show that public research and development attracts industry investment and boost overall innovation.

“This is understood by other countries. That is why, in 2024, China spent $786 billion in research and development, surpassing the U.S. for the first time ever. And, that same year, global R&D spending reached $2.9 trillion, 45% was attributable to countries in Asia, South Korea and India, as well as China.

“The Illinois Soybean Association and the partner universities participating in the SpringBoard Challenge understand the importance of research and innovation to our country’s economy and to national security.

“We appreciate the power of joint investment and collaboration, and we are not afraid to use lessons from history to improve the future.”

Key Component

The SpringBoard Challenge is a key component of the ISA’s broader effort to foster development and commercialization of new manufactured products and non-food processes derived from soybeans.

In last year’s inaugural SpringBoard Challenge, ISA awarded $40,000 each to four university projects, three at Southern Illinois University and one at Purdue University, for non-food, soy-based research projects.

Freeman also noted a NIU research project led by Mahdi Vaezi with ISA’s support that is advancing soy protein-based bioplastics. Researchers there have developed prototype cutlery made from soy protein isolate and natural additives.

The team is now scaling production through injection molding and extrusion processes while pursuing food-safe certification.

“Partnership unlocks innovation and drives impact, and the Illinois Soybean Association is an excellent partner. This SpringBoard Challenge is an opportunity to support the ecosystem that ISA is building and to help us adapt to our new realities in ways that continue U.S. leadership in research and innovation and Illinois leadership within that context,” Freeman said.

“The relationships that are forged here today will drive innovation and promote economic growth by fostering the development and commercialization of new products and non-food processes all derived from soybeans.”