FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas will take a major step toward enhancing the technology and research infrastructure in northwest Arkansas with the groundbreaking for the Innovation Center on Monday, August 8 at 3:00 pm.

"Technology growth propelled the northwest Arkansas metropolitan area to the top spot in the recent Milken Institute report on America’s "Best Performing Cities," said Phil Stafford, president of the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation (UATDF). "But if we want to stay at that level, it is essential that we continue to develop the infrastructure to support that growth. The Innovation Center is the next step in a very ambitious program to provide an energetic work environment that can meet the needs of research-intensive companies."

Located in the Research and Technology Park near the existing Engineering Research Center and the GENESIS Technology Incubator, the Innovation Center is scheduled to open on April 4, 2004. It will provide resources for research and development (R&D) as the University develops partnerships with private industries, local and regional groups and government entities.

UATDF was created by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and charged with management and oversight responsibilities for the Innovation Center and the Research and Technology Park. In addition, it is authorized to initiate technology transfer activities and work on the commercialization of some intellectual property developed at the University of Arkansas. John Lewis, president of the Bank of Fayetteville, serves as the chairman of UATDF.

"The Innovation Center will serve as headquarters for UATDF and meet future research needs of the University," Stafford explained. "It can provide an R&D environment for private companies that want to locate here to partner with the University, for example, or lease office space to technology companies working with University faculty."

The University has identified several areas of innovation as the primary focus for partnerships, including:

• next-generation electronic/photonic devices,
• biotechnology,
• advanced materials and manufacturing,
• database and telecommunications,
• environmental science, and
• transportation and logistics.

The Innovation Center will expand the existing University resources at the Research and Technology Park. It is adjacent to the award-winning GENESIS Technology Incubator and the Engineering Research Center, which houses 173,000 sq ft. of multidisciplinary laboratories and equipment, including the High Density Electronics Center, HiDEC. In addition to materials analysis, fabrication and reliability testing facilities, HiDEC has a $3 million, 4,000 square-foot, class 100/1,000 clean-room facility that allows researchers to build and test micro- and nano-scale devices in an atmosphere that is 10,000 times cleaner than a hospital operating room.

"This is all about developing partnerships," explained Stafford. "The University is working with the local government, regional groups like the Northwest Arkansas Council, and federal funding agencies to develop the technology infrastructure and skilled labor force necessary to attract quality jobs. Our goal is to develop partnerships that will attract private technology companies to the region by allowing them access to the University resources."

Financed through a bond issue authorized by the Board of Trustees in November 2002, total cost for the Innovation Center is estimated to be $6 million.