South Dakota State University to host Innovate AI 2026 Symposium

The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University will host the Innovate AI 2026 Symposium, a one-day convening of leaders from academia, industry, government and the startup ecosystem to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming critical sectors of regional and national importance.

The event will be held on March 27 at the Sanford Event Barn in Sioux Falls and will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, interactive demos, lightning talks and a student poster session.

Opening remarks will be delivered by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, underscoring the significance of AI innovation to South Dakota’s future and the nation’s security and economic competitiveness.

“Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology that has a real opportunity to improve the lives of South Dakotans,” Rounds said. “SDSU understands these opportunities and is working to explore how their students and faculty can build on this momentum. I’m looking forward to speaking at their event in Sioux Falls later this month.” 

Why now?

As South Dakota’s land-grant institution, SDSU has long been committed to advancing knowledge and opportunity that directly benefits the region and its communities. With a strong record of federally sponsored research in AI and machine learning — supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Department of Justice and NASA — SDSU faculty and students are driving advances across health care, agriculture, energy and security.

With the Great Plains region’s growing demand for AI-enabled solutions and the urgency of preparing the next generation of innovators, the university believes this is an opportune moment to convene a broad coalition of stakeholders around these challenges and opportunities.

Symposium sessions

The symposium will feature a variety of sessions, with focuses including:

Health care

Health care is on the edge of a historic reinvention — and for providers, innovators and communities in the region, the opportunities are immediate and tangible. The convergence of advanced AI, intelligent digital agents and physical AI is not merely updating health care systems — it is redefining how care is discovered, delivered and experienced.

Industry

AI is transforming industries and creating new opportunities for the Great Plains through innovations in cloud infrastructure, high-performance computing, geospatial science, finance and advanced hardware.

National security

AI is reshaping opportunities in the defense sector, helping the nation develop new capabilities through tools for threat detection, deployment of autonomous systems, securing cyberspace and positioning for operational readiness.

Student poster session

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with students from leading universities across South Dakota, showcasing cutting-edge research and innovation.

For more information on the conference, go to the Innovate AI 2026 Symposium webpage.

South Dakota State University is the state’s largest university and its land-grant institution, with a mission of teaching, research and outreach. SDSU has established a strong record of federally funded research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, health care, agriculture and national security, positioning the university as a regional leader in innovation and workforce development.