News Releases for March 2006
March 13, 2006
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Hoeven Presents $3.45 Million In Centers Of Excellence Funds
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today presented checks to Lake Region State College and North Dakota State University for new Centers of Excellence programs at the two campuses. The funding will allow the universities to partner with private sector companies to increase educational opportunities for students and create quality jobs and careers in the communities.
“Today represents the beginning of two very promising economic development projects for the state of North Dakota,” Hoeven said. “These Centers of Excellence projects and others to come in the future will create new, good-paying jobs in our state. This program is vital for our future and will really help us leverage the talent and entrepreneurship that exists in our state by partnering private business with our universities.”
Lake Region State College received $450,000 for the Dakota Center for Technology – Optimized Agriculture. The project’s vision is “to become the premier center for technological applications in North American agriculture.” To fulfill its mission, the center will use advanced technology to increase the net margins of North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers. The project will also respond to the need for technological inputs that preserve fragile eco-systems, and create a platform for entrepreneurs to develop and market new products. Private sector partners are expected to provide up to $1.3 million in matching funds.
“Lake Region State College was very pleased to be funded for the Dakota Center for Technology-Optimized Agriculture. Agriculture is a large driver of the economy in this region. The Dakota Center for Technology-Optimized Agriculture will assist producers adopting technologies that lessen input costs and increase profitability. This center also will create spin-off technologies and additional job opportunities in the region,” said Dr. Sharon L. Etemad, president of Lake Region State College.
NDSU received $3 million for the Center of Excellence in Advanced Electronic Design and Manufacturing. The Center will research highly-marketable products identified by two of NDSU’s established private sector partners: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor tags for the cold-chain shipments market (Alien Technology), and advanced sensors utilizing a new global wireless standard (Crane Aerospace and Electronics). A third project with Clinical Services Management utilizing RFID technology will also begin. Products from these projects can be made in North Dakota’s highly-capable electronics manufacturing companies, such as Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Pemstar Turtle Mountain, and Phoenix International. The private sector partners are expected to provide up to $9.5 million in matching funds.
“As we look to a bright future for North Dakota, we must create opportunities to retain our young people and our intellectual capital,” said Philip Boudjouk, NDSU vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer. “Through the Centers of Excellence program, higher education works with economic development efforts to bring higher paying jobs and new businesses to the state.”
NDSU expects to see a variety of spin-off businesses as a result of the program, as the private sector enjoys access to new technologies, our faculty’s expertise and quality students. The Governor’s Centers of Excellence initiative provides up to $50 million, which will be leveraged with private, federal and local matching funds to generate a total investment in new jobs and businesses of more than $150 million. Other projects that will receive support from the first round of funding are the Bismarck State College Energy Technology Center of Excellence and the Energy and Environmental Research Center of Excellence in Hydrogen Technology.
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