Two new Centers of Excellence projects at NDSU have been approved by the Budget Section of the State Legislature. The Center for Sensors, Communications and Control (CSCC) and Center for Advanced Technology Development and Commercialization (CATCOM) are intended to support growth and innovation in North Dakota businesses.
The Budget Section’s action was the final step in the approval process that includes reviews by the Centers of Excellence Commission, North Dakota Economic Development Foundation, State Board of Higher Education and Emergency Commission. Total funding for the projects will be $6.7 million with matches of up to $13.4 million.
CSCC will be organized within NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the NDSU Research and Technology Park. The center will provide expertise in core areas of JAVA programming, sensor integration and systems engineering that selected partners are lacking.
CATCOM will assist private-sector partners in commercializing inventions, new technologies and other intellectual property discovered or created by NDSU faculty, staff and students or private-sector partners.
Gov. John Hoeven launched the Centers of Excellence program in 2003 to support growth and innovation in North Dakota businesses and industries. Twenty centers for targeted research and workforce training have been created, generating $329.4 million in economic impact and creating 2,060 total jobs and 17 new or expanded businesses.