U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced this week that the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2 million grant to build a Research One building at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). The Research One building will provide space for private-public partnerships focused on developing new technologies in the automotive, mobility and IT fields, supporting the intersection of productivity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
“I witnessed firsthand the public-private collaboration to research cutting-edge technologies and provide industry-driven training for students when visiting CU-ICAR’s campus earlier this year,” said Pritzker in a statement from the Department of Commerce. “The EDA grant announced today will expand the work conducted at CU-ICAR – a great example of how South Carolina is using innovation to cultivate a workforce with the needed skills to succeed.”
The Research One building will create 220 jobs and generate $2.6 million in private investment at the outset, according to the DOC statement.
“CU-ICAR is an excellent example of what higher education, government and industry can accomplish when they work together,” said Jim Clements, president of Clemson Unversity. “This grant will strengthen those bonds. Research One will be a world-class facility. It will be a place for students to get a highly relevant education on the latest in automotive research and for industry to get fresh ideas from our students.”
“This grant puts CU-ICAR’s cutting-edge research and world-class education in the spotlight,” said Dr. John Ballato, Clemson’s vice president for economic development. “It affirms that Clemson is playing a leading role in the nation’s manufacturing revival. When people in industry talk, we’re listening. We’re responding by creating the top-notch programs that prepare future employees with the skills they will need.”
“This grant is terrific news for the growth of CU-ICAR, our automotive engineering program and the state’s auto industry,” said Frederick Cartwright, executive director of CU-ICAR. “It puts us a step closer to building Research One.”
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