>> IT'S TIME NOW TO GO INSIDE INNOVATION, BROUGHT TO YOU BY D.M.I., MOBILIZING ENTERPRISES FOR THE CONNECTED WORLD.
A NEW SPACE HAS OPENED AT THE WESTGATE@CRANE TECHNOLOGY PARK IN ODON FOR ENGINEERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO COLLABORATE ON
PROJECTS THAT SPECIFICALLY BENEFIT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. THE THNKING IS, IDEAS TO SOLVE
SOME OF OUR TOUGHEST MILITARY AND INDUSTRY CHALLENGES COME FROM COLLABORATION. THE INDIANA INNOVATION INSTITUTE
IS BEHIND THE NEW COLLABORATION SPACE AND CHAIRMAN AND CEO GENERAL GENE RENUART IS HERE NOW WITH MORE.
GENERAL WELCOME TO THE SHOW. >> THANK YOU, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. I WAS A COMMANDER OF NORADD IN
MY LAST ASSIGNMENT, IT WAS A PRETTY AMAZING EXPERIENCE. >> YOU ARE LEADING NOW THE INDIANA INNOVATION INSTITUTE,
CREATED TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO. YOU'RE AN INDIANA UNIVERSITY GRAD, SO YOU HAVE TIES TO THE STATE.
GIVE US THE THUMBNAIL BECAUSE THIS IS A FASCINATING ORGANIZATION, ON THE INDIANA INNOVATION INSTITUTE AND WHAT
IT'S ALL ABOUT. >> WELL, IN VERY SHORT STATEMENT, IT IS DESIGNED TO REALLY POOL TOGETHER THE
RESEARCH EXPERTISE ACROSS THE STATE OF INDIANA AND APPLY IT TO TOUGH RESEARCH PROBLEMS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS.
WE DO THAT THROUGH THE NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER BUT WE'RE FINDING MORE DEMAND ACROSS THE COUNTRY NOW.
>> YOU ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF YOUR PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH ACADEMIC INS INSTITUTIONS, THOSE ARE GROWING
AROUND THE STATE. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE BEGAN WITH I.U. AND PURDUE REALLY BEING THE CORE BUT NOW
HAVE EXPANDED TO UNIVERSITIES LIKE NOTRE DAME AND UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA, TRIME. SO ACROSS THE STATE BOTH
ACADEMICALLY AND WITH SOME OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS NEW
CENTER THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THE WEST GATE@CRANE TECHNOLOGY PARK. WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
>> WELL, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. IT'S ALLOWING US TO BRING CRANE RESEARCHERS OUTSIDE THE FENCE TO
MEET WITH BOTH UNIVERSITY AND INDUSTRY RESEARCHERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND IN THE REGION, AND COLLABORATE ON SOME CHALLENGES
THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS BUT THEY REALLY NEED ACCESS IN TO THE UNIVERSITIES. SO WE'VE GOT GREAT SPACE THERE,
ABOUT 9500 SQUARE FEET AS WE BUILD THIS OUT, AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP US CREATE SOME TEST FACILITIES THAT DON'T EXIST
TODAY. >> NOW IN ADDITION TO THIS, YOU ALSO MADE NEWS RECENTLY BY CREATING A CONSORTIUM TO REALLY
GET AT SOME ISSUES AS WELL. >> RIGHT, NCAT, IS DESIGNED TO POOL THE RESOURCES OF ACADEMIA, DEFENSE, BUT ALSO BUSINESSES,
WHETHER IT'S A SMALL STARTUP OR TRADITIONAL DEFENSE CONTRACTOR, BRING THEM TOGETHER TO BRAINSTORM THROUGH SOME IDEAS
AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE APPROACH SOME OF THE TOUGH PROBLEMS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS.
>> TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT THAT THIS HAS FOR INDIANA FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT.
YOU LOOK AT CRANE AND THE INCREDIBLE FIREPOWER, THE STEM WORKFORCE DOWN THERE, ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
HAVING THIS CENTER AND ALL THE RESOURCES THAT YOU BRING TO BEAR, WHAT CAN THAT MEAN FOR THE ECONOMY?
>> WE REALLY FEEL IN3 IS AN ENABLER FOR SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC GROWTH. JUST AS AN EXAMPLE IN THE AREA
OF TRUSTED AND ASSURED ELECTRONICS WHICH WAS OUR FIRST RESEARCH PROJECT, THE D.O.D. IS IS COMMITTING SOMEWHERE UPWARDS
OF $10 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN RESEARCH AND THEN PROTOTYPING AND THEN DEVELOPMENT.
INDIANA NEEDS TO NOT LEAVE THAT ON THE TABLE SO WE WANT TO BRING THAT TO BEAR BOTH FOR THE REGION AS WELL AS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE. >> ALL RIGHT. THE INDIANA INNOVATION INSTITUTE, DOING AMAZING THINGS
AROUND THE STATE AS WELL.