Smack dab in the middle of the Venn Diagram where the Rust Belt and Corn Belt overlap, Indiana has long lagged behind the Silicon Valleys, Silicon Alleys and even Chicagos of the world when it comes to tech activity, investment and talent.
But some say the Region’s tech sector is poised for growth with initiatives like the Big Sell startup contest and big projects like the Digital Crossroads Data Center, Quantum Corridor and Union Station access hub.
“Indiana as a whole, including Northwest Indiana, do not necessarily boast a strong tech sector. According to data from the (Bureau of Labor Statistics), more than 60% of all technology jobs in the state are within an industry other than technology. New developments including two Tech Hub designations in the state suggest that this may be changing, but the region’s largest employer of technology talent is a manufacturing company, Hitachi,” said Shaun Sahlhoff, director planning and development for the Center of Workforce Innovations in Valparaiso. “In a year that was characterized by mass layoffs in the technology sector across the country, tech talent in our state did not face the same headwinds, largely attributed to the talent distribution dynamics outlined above.”
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Tech Hub designations like the BLOCH Tech Hub and Heartland Bioworks Tech Hub should help bring more tech investment to the Region, said Northwest Indiana Forum Economic Development Director Spencer Summers. Northwest Indiana also is seeing a boom in green energy, including the new hydrogen hub planned in Whiting and the $1.5 billion Mammoth Solar Installation in Starke and Pulaski counties.
Developer Tom Dakich has completely leased out the first phase of the Digital Crossroads Data Center at the site of the former State Line Generating Plant at the border of Hammond and Chicago on Lake Michigan. He’s looking to build out another 180,000 square feet for the second phase, hoping to break ground before the end of the year.
“We’re at full capacity and expanding as fast as we can,” he said.
The data center leases out its computer servers to hyperscalers and cybersecurity firms. It plans to add thousands of more services and expand its workforce, which currently includes about 20 employees.
“We’re right on schedule with the second phase,” Dakich said. “Hammond has been wonderful. The Digital Crossroads has helped put Hammond and Northwest Indiana on the map.”
The Quantum Corridor Dakich runs as CEO also recently completed the first leg between the 350 Cermak superhub in downtown Chicago and Hammond with the help of a $4 million READI grant from the state of Indiana. The goal is to eventually expand the high-speed fiber along the Indiana Toll Road all the way to the Ohio state line, as well as south to Lafayette.
“You have to bring connectivity here to bring in technology jobs,” Dakich said. “It’s going to mean significantly faster internet that’s virtually instantaneous.”
Such investments position Northwest Indiana’s tech sector for potential growth, he said.
“We’re on our way,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do but we’ve got leaders like Heather Ennis and Purdue Northwest.”
Purdue University Northwest is at the forefront of new technologies like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and decarbonization, said Niaz Latif, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“Concerning AI, PNW researchers are studying how it influences computing, as well as other industrial processes. AI is a technology that can be a double-edged sword, in that it can aid and innovate computing processes but could also have potential adverse effects,” Latif said. “Studying artificial intelligence also ties in to researching cybersecurity solutions. Leaps in the growth of computing power, machine learning, and big data have in turn spurred a much larger need for public and private sector employers to rely on well-trained cybersecurity professionals. PNW faculty and student researchers are focused on applied research that fields long-term projects which critically study outcomes for the development of AI and cybersecurity solutions. Aside from computing, these technological tools can have far-reaching impacts on industry, manufacturing, and health care, just to name a few.”
Last year, Purdue Northwest launched a bachelor in science in cybersecurity. It aims to build students’ technical aptitude protecting computer networks and software programs, Latif said.
“Faculty leading our Center for Cybersecurity research strategies, methods, and tools to improve the resiliency of cyber systems,” he said. “Many PNW students benefit from the National Science Foundation CyberCorp scholarship, which helps students find and fill much-needed internship and full-time work roles in the U.S. government to quickly benefit cyber defense efforts. PNW’s Center for Cybersecurity additionally offers cybersecurity workforce certification training and education outreach efforts to local K-12 students.”
The university is adding new courses of study students can pursue to keep up with fast-growing technologies in booming sectors.
“Starting fall 2024, PNW’s department of Computer Science will offer a concentration in artificial intelligence incorporated into the B.S. in Computer Science path of study,” Latif said. “A Master of Science degree program in Applied Artificial Intelligence has been developed and submitted for approval.”
In addition to training the tech workers of tomorrow, Purdue Northwest also pursues applied research that benefits local industry, such as by helping them figure out how to reduce energy usage, expenses and carbon emissions.
“A major point of pride for PNW is the applied research performed by PNW’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation for local industrial partners,” Latif said. “Millions of dollars in federal grants have supported CIVS and its partners in studying innovative solutions for steel production and energy use. CIVS leverages advanced equipment and technologies, along with artificial intelligence and machine learning, to visualize, test, and validate energy solutions that can be recommended to industrial partners. This applied research has a significant impact for these partners to adopt innovative technology, improve their economic competitiveness, and benefit the quality of life for their surrounding communities.”
In just the past few months, CIVS has landed more than $17 million in federal research grants, including a record $10 million grant.
“Key projects for CIVS include decarbonization solutions for steelmakers and researching clean energy solutions involving hydrogen gas,” Latif said. “Multimillion dollar grants support CIVS’ decarbonization research that includes developing solutions for alternative fuel injectants to power furnace operations, such as hydrogen, and studying electric arc furnace optimization. CIVS is also integrally involved with the Mach H2 Hydrogen Hub, which aims to accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen.”
The university also works to foster a startup ecosystem in the Region.
“As a metropolitan university, Purdue Northwest has community-facing resources that pair students, faculty, and staff with external entrepreneurs to collaboratively produce solutions for manufacturing and technology,” Latif said. “By their scholarly nature, PNW faculty and students focused on technology and engineering disciplines are in tune with cutting-edge tools and trends, which makes them excellent collaborators for commercialization strategies and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.”
It for instance hosts entrepreneurial contests like the Big Sell and the Society of Innovators at PNW ‘s Uthiverse StartUp Madness pitch competition, as well as programs like 1 Million Cups that seek to encourage local entrepreneurs.
“PNW is an integral part of the startup ecosystem. External innovators and entrepreneurs have used institutional resources, such as the Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center to consult on business development, intellectual property, prototyping, patent development, and commercialization of products,” Latif said. “These strategies will also be central to PNW’s developing Roberts Impact Lab, which will go beyond the typical business incubator by scaling existing businesses and providing physical collaborative work and lab space. Further, students in PNW’s Doctor of Technology and their faculty advisors will serve as subject area experts to advise on solutions. DTech students devote intensive research during their overall path of study and their final dissertation project focused on providing innovative solutions to industry and businesses.”
The Region, of course, sits next to one of the biggest tech hubs in the country. Chicago had the seventh largest tech workforce in the nation in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Northwest Indiana can benefit from its proximity to Chicago’s thriving tech sector, which includes the 1871 Independent Innovation Hub, Google, Facebook, Vivid Seats, Spot Hero and Motorola.
“Purdue Northwest maintains a focus on talent development in emerging areas of technology, industry, and innovation,” Latif said. “We will continue to draw talented and skilled students and entrepreneurs that are eager to collaborate in a dynamic setting like Northwest Indiana. However, I like to think of it not necessarily as competition, but rather leveraging talent across the state line for various disciplines and industries that are focused on overall strengthening this key Midwestern metropolitan region.”
Universities like Purdue University Northwest, the fifth largest public university in Indiana, play a vital role in ensuring Northwest Indiana doesn’t get left out of the tech sector’s ongoing economic growth, Latif said.
“Purdue Northwest’s role in supporting and impacting the region’s technology sector can be articulated in two basic roles,” Latif said. “One, the institution is a comprehensive university that is preparing competent graduates that are well-qualified to begin serving in roles central to engineering, technology, computing, business, and more. Two, industry leaders view a university as a key resource to leverage to augment the technology sector. Universities are central to researching innovative solutions and raising important research questions concerning new global trends and developments. Industry leaders have a double benefit, in that they can partner on research solutions and subsequently retain talented graduates that are eager to impact local industries and improve Northwest Indiana’s quality of life.”
