Rep. Ackert Celebrates UConn Technology Park

STORRS – State Representatives Tim Ackert (R-8) and Christopher Davis (R-57) joined fellow legislators, University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst and other dignitaries October 14 for the groundbreaking celebration of the University’s new Technology Park.

The Technology Park will include a 113,000 square-foot facility called the Innovation Partnership Building, or IPB. The building will house laboratories outfitted with highly-specialized equipment for a multitude of scientific disciplines. Academic researchers and private industry scientists who rent tenant labs will work in this collaborative setting to develop new technologies.

“The Finance Committee worked hand-in-hand with the University to make this project happen,” said Rep. Davis. “They sat down with us to review their plan, a proposal only made possible by the private sector partnerships they cultivated in their mission to see this through.”

“The involvement of the private sector in this project is unbelievable,” Rep. Ackert said. “To think that large companies like FEI, United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Eversource Energy, GE, Comcast, and Fraunhofer USA have invested more than $60 million in our state, our students and our economy is very impressive. They don’t have to do this, but they know we have a top-tier university here that will only expand and advance in the future.”

Rep. Davis also recognized the significance of this investment, and said, “what we are doing today is sending a message not only to Connecticut, not only to the region, but across the world that we are here, we are ready to play, and we are ready to be a leader in innovation.”

IPB is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2017, and will be located on the North Hillside Road Extension in UConn’s North Campus.