South Bend’s High Tech Development Projects Promise Economic Growth

SOUTH BEND, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In these tough economic times, many U.S. cities are bracing for change – negative change, that is.

“We’ve tried to find ways to cut red tape”

But not South Bend, Indiana.

In fact, the city’s future is looking rather bright.

Defiantly optimistic and audaciously hopeful, the administration of South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke has seen the city’s future, and it’s high tech.

“This is a transformational time for South Bend,” explains Luecke, whose administration has embarked on a bold strategy to attract and promote high tech start-ups through major investments, strategic partnerships, and infrastructure development. “In fact, it’s critical to provide the kind of environment that will attract new investment, draw world-class talent and create jobs.”

Patrick McMahon, executive director of Project Future, an area economic development organization, adds: “We have a number of initiatives that are coming on line at the same time that are all sending a signal to innovative companies outside of South Bend that this city and region are on the move.”

Nanotechnology: micro-sized technology with macro-sized implications

Central to South Bend’s promising high tech future is the Midwest Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery (MIND), comprised of Notre Dame and other universities, and funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as a consortium of the world’s leading computer chip makers – including Intel and IBM.

MIND is one of four primary research centers nationwide that are part of the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI), established by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC).

NRI Director Jeffrey Welser, Ph.D., notes that the strong partnership between South Bend and Notre Dame played a large role in the decision to base MIND in South Bend.

“In my experience with the SRC, South Bend is the first city to have ever become this involved in supporting a university in its efforts to establish a nanoelectronic research facility,” Welser says.

MIND also will help stimulate the growth of start-ups at two sites comprising a new state-certified technology park in South Bend: Innovation Park at Notre Dame on the city’s northeast side, and Ignition Park on the near west side of town.

A product of collaboration between the University of Notre Dame, the city of South Bend and the state of Indiana, Innovation Park will transform research discoveries from initial concept to commercialization, in effect, turning intellectual property into businesses poised to fuel economic growth.

The first building under construction at Innovation Park is a three-story, 54,000-square-foot brick structure. Once complete, the facility will have labs, collaborative areas, conference rooms, offices and incubation facilities for up to 20 start-ups and businesses.

After ventures at Innovation Park become established, they’ll undoubtedly need room to grow and flourish. And that’s where Ignition Park comes in.

Aptly named for businesses that “have ignition and are taking off,” Ignition Park will be a mixed-use complex of buildings arrayed in a park-like environment. Ignition Park may attract other kinds of high tech companies, including ones in aerospace and life sciences fields.

But that’s not all.

Eddy Street Commons, a separate project near Innovation Park, will house offices for start-up firms in Innovation Park and serve as a literal and figurative link between Notre Dame and South Bend. Eddy Street Commons should attract more than $200 million in investment in its first phase.

Luecke said the business media have recognized South Bend’s efforts. Case in point: in 2008, Forbes.com listed the city as 87^th best place in the country to start a business or a career, ahead of Chicago.

The business benefits of technological infrastructure development

When trying to attract companies to build on their turf, cities often highlight traditional infrastructural assets, like good roads or substantial power facilities.

These days, that’s not enough.

“We believe we need to take infrastructure development to a new level,” Luecke says. “And we have already put in place a 50-mile loop of fiber-optic cable called Metronet. This high-speed data network with virtually limitless bandwidth ties businesses, education and government together.”

In short, it offers the same high-bandwidth network capacity found in Chicago and other major metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Since it is tied to transcontinental fiber networks, Metronet offers high-speed access to the rest of the country.

“Metronet gives businesses and other organizations in our community a big competitive advantage through low-cost, lightning-fast networking involving almost unlimited amounts of data,” he says.

Municipal-academic partnership: the key to South Bend’s future success

Luecke praises Notre Dame and the business community for its cooperation with the city and predicted those efforts would lead to success.

“We’ve tried to find ways to cut red tape,” he says.

Though Luecke has no crystal ball, he is optimistic about his city’s future.

“What we will see in five and 10 years is a robust and energized community that will have a creative culture, and an entrepreneurial spirit that will spill over from Ignition Park, Innovation Park and Eddy Street Commons,” he says. “This won’t happen overnight. But I think we are doing the right things to see a lot of progress for our community.”

Note: For part one in this series, click here.