Officials tout labs as economic tool

State and local government officials gathered at City Hall Tuesday for IU's announcement of the opening of three new state-of-the-art computer technology labs. The politicians -- including Indiana Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan -- praised the research facilities as infrastructure for a burgeoning information economy in Indiana.\n"The Indiana of today is much different from the Indiana of tomorrow," Kernan said. "There's no time to sit back and let the grass grow."\nKernan lauded the Pervasive Technology Labs, which have been funded by a $30 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. Pervasive computing is one of the fastest-growing areas in information technology. It involves connecting high-speed computers with "smart" devises ranging from modern kitchen appliances to personal digital assistants.\nKernan and others said the research facilities might put Bloomington in a position to be the technology hub of the Midwest. \nDescribing the labs as an opportunity for economic development, University officials said they plan to partner with private firms and later commercialize some academic innovations.\nMany noted that cities such as San Jose, Calif., and Boston have thrived economically in recent years because of the influence of nearby institutions of higher education. They credited research at Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the the booming high-tech entrepreneurship in such areas.\n"If it weren't for the intellectual power of universities and research institutions, technology corridors such as Silicon Valley and Route 128 would not have developed," said Scott Jones, chairman of the Indiana Technology Partnership and chairman of Indianapolis-based Escient Technologies, LLC. "While we may not be able to duplicate the same entrepreneurial volume as those areas overnight, we're expecting Pervasive Technology Labs to contribute to this same kind of synergy for information technology in Central Indiana." \nPublic universities have made many recent innovations in information technology. Two graduate students at Stanford created the widely popular Google search engine in their spare time, and the multi-purpose Smart Card uses technology developed at Florida State University. \n"We hope these labs will provide a strong foundation of economic growth," Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez said. "We must thank IU for taking a leadership role in the new economy." \nAs mayor, Fernandez has actively courted high-tech firms and pursued technology initiatives, such as the installation of fiber optic cables under city streets. With the slew of recent layoffs locally in the manufacturing sector, he stresses the need of embracing the dawning information economy.\n"The change in the economy is hard -- often it's painful," Fernandez said. "And we'll be as well-positioned as any city in the country. We have to work to leverage the resources we have to help start new businesses that will provide family wages"