This story is part of an initiative led by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here.

On August 14–15, 2025 at the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis, more than 170 people—faculty, students, industry leaders, and community partners—came together for the AnalytiXIN Summit. The goal was simple and practical: match real-world industry problems with the right academic expertise to move ideas forward faster. Over a day and a half, participants formed mixed university–industry teams, tested early solutions, and focused on challenges that matter for Indiana’s economy. 

What Is AnalytiXIN and Why It Matters 

AnalytiXIN (pronounced “Analytics Indiana”) is a strategic initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). We connect universities, industry, and community leaders to drive data-driven innovation, helping Indiana become a national destination for AI and advanced analytics. 

Why it matters:

AI is advancing quickly, and geographic regions that connect universities and companies grow faster. Universities contribute new ideas, labs, and talent, while companies bring real-world problems, data, and paths to scale. National research shows that strong university–industry partnerships lead to more patents and products, startups, and high-quality jobs in the local economy. AnalytiXIN was formed to foster and catalyze university-industry AI innovation so that research is turned into practical tools, our local businesses stay competitive, and students and founders choose to build their futures here in Indiana. 

What Took Place 

The annual AnalytiXIN Summit, is our initiative’s mission in action! Over the past two years, we’ve brought together company leaders to share real AI and data challenges, while faculty and students from Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame ask clarifying questions and start shaping solutions right away. The Summit has a mix of representation from engineers, data scientists, operations managers, C-Suite executives, graduate students, and more so that ideas could move from concepts to plans. 

In 2025, across two days, teams dug into 18 industry use cases that show both the breadth of Indiana’s industry challenges and the common data/AI patterns across sectors. Use cases included:

  • Genomics and precision health. Partners explored how clinical and genomic data can improve clinical drug discovery. Another group examined clinical text—like provider notes and biopsy reports—to flag hospitalization or readmission risk sooner. 
  • Industrial AI and operations. Several teams focused on LLM-powered “agents” that monitor data from machines and ERP/MES systems, flagging operational risks before they cause downtime. Others worked on predictive maintenance to forecast when tools will fail so repairs can be planned instead of rushed. 
  • Data quality and interoperability. Companies often need to unify messy data from many sources. Teams tackled AI-powered data mapping that can read varied file types and normalize them into standard structures so analytics (and people) can trust results. 
  • Trustworthy AI in the enterprise. Multiple groups worked on “grounding” AI so it doesn’t hallucinate and only answers based on verified company data—key for safety, compliance, and adoption. 

Summit use cases were tied to real production needs in manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, logistics, finance, and more. Organizations attending included Cummins, Elevance Health, IU Health, One America, and Eli Lilly and Company alongside faculty and students from Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame.  

What Participants Gained 

The most important outcome of the Summit was momentum. By design, the format gives companies a low-lift way to share real challenges and get expert feedback quickly. It gives faculty and students clear constraints like data access, security, and compliance, that shape usable solutions. And it gives our state a reliable mechanism for moving ideas forward without months of cold outreach. 

“This Summit brought together one of the most diverse, thoughtful, and motivated groups of individuals across industry and academia that I’ve seen. The selection of individuals representing their organizations seemed to be done with care and intention. Furthermore, there was adequate time and appropriate forums and spaces that encouraged conversation, collaboration, ideation, and debate. Someone had remarked during their presentation, that this Summit, unlike other events, had all the right people, at the right time, in the right place to really make a spark and make something happen. The objectives of the Summit were clear and the discussions were energizing – my hope is that we can carry through this great momentum.”   

— Spencer Ward, Elevance Health, AnalytiXIN Summit 2024

“The AnalytixIN Summit proved that partnering with university faculty is both easy, fun, and inspiring. They helped turn my complex challenge into a practical solution I’m excited to bring to market. Who knew academic collaboration could be this productive and even a little fun? I’m leaving with new ideas, great connections, and real results, not just theory.” 

— Sundaresh Ramanathan, ANSA Solutions, AnalytiXIN Summit 2025 

   

What’s Next 

The work continues after the Summit. Several partners began scoping more robust project plans as soon as the Summit ended, while others are targeting starts as early as 2026—timelines vary based on complexity, data access, and internal priorities. There’s also an opportunity for some of these efforts to surface in our AnalytiXIN Communities of Practice over time so that teams can share progress and swap lessons learned in those forums as milestones are reached. Our role is to keep the conversations moving, make the right introductions, and help partners turn good ideas into real outcomes. 

A Note to Founders, Students, and Partners 

If you’re building in Indiana, or thinking about where to study or launch, this is the ecosystem you’ll join: one where universities link up closely with employers to solve hard, meaningful problems. From genomics to manufacturing equipment, our economy offers a wide set of real-world use cases for AI and advanced analytics. The AnalytiXIN Summit is one proof point that innovation here is both active and accessible. 

Want to get involved? 

  • Have a specific AI or data challenge? Tell us about it, and we’ll connect you with the right university experts and student teams to scope next steps. 
  • Faculty: want to plug research into real problems? Share your expertise and join our projects or CoPs to partner with industry. 
  • Not sure where to start? Request a brief intake call, and we’ll point you to the best path. 

Contact: analytixindiana.com • dshah@cicpindiana.com | jfasoldt@cicpindiana.com 

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Across Indiana, our universities are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping our state’s future. In collaboration with our university partners, CICP is excited to share and amplify those stories; which highlight students, faculty, and alumni who are turning ideas into action. By celebrating these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connections between higher education, industry, and community, and to shine a light on the innovation happening throughout our state. Click here to learn more about this initiative.