INN-O-VATION FROM THE EDITOR

N ewly minted CEO of the Kiewit Luminarium, Silva Raker, put it best when describing the metro’s business and civic community: “I found that there’s an appetite for actually doing things; people are less afraid to try something different here.”

Between Omaha’s humming economy and the city’s reputation as an ideal test market for experimental concepts, the people of Omaha have developed a taste for innovation. While the Kiewit Luminarium may be the newest, as well as brightest, example of this drawing in star-crossed talent from the West Coast, such as Raker the cityscape isn’t finished evolving; taking on a shinier, sleeker, and more STEMcentric form with each new development.

Take, for example, the flurry of cutting-edge inventions emerging from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s technology transfer and commercialization division, UNeMed awarded 26 U.S. patents and launching seven startups in 2021 alone. Turn to page 60 for a sample of UNeMed’s newest innovations and the brilliant minds behind them.

Finally, the chrome and steel of Omaha’s cars have never sparkled like they do today; innovations in the car wash industry have ushered in a wave of fresh businesses and hightech options for area motorists. New to the region, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is upping the competition and the technology with its customizable license plate recognition software.

Where technology, hard work, and innovation converge, opportunity abounds and as you’ll discover in this issue of B2B, that place is Omaha, Nebraska.

Sincerely,

Julius Fredrick

B2B

Julius Fredrick is an associate editor at Omaha Publications. He can be reached at julius@omahapublications.com