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M&S grant request tabled
Inge 'optimistic' $1.2 mil grant will be approved for modeling, simulation center at Riverstone
A Tobacco Commission panel has tabled a grant request for $1.2 million
to establish the proposed Modeling and Simulation Center of Excellence
at Riverstone Technology Park.
However, the request will come up again when the Southside Economic
Development Committee meets again in January. A decision on the project
could ensue when the full Commission meets on Jan. 8.
On Tuesday, the Southside Economic Development Committee met in
Keysville and decided to withhold a recommendation on the request,
pending further details on the proposed center’s business plan and
budget.
If established, the Modeling and Simulation Center would consist of a
handful of private high-tech firms, academic institutions and other
providers using the latest in computational analysis and computer
visualization techniques to manage and interpret large amounts of data
for corporate and governmental clients.
Carole Inge, director of the Virginia Tech Halifax initiative at
Riverstone and author of the modeling-simulation project, said she was
encouraged by feedback from Tobacco Commission members.
“Every member spoke to me afterwards and said they supported the
project and were very optimistic about it,” said Inge.
“I’m very optimistic. It’s pretty unusual every single committee member
would walk up to me and say how excited they are about the issue,” she
said.
The Southside Economic Development will hold a special meeting either
on Jan. 7 or Jan. 8 solely to review the Virginia Tech-Riverstone grant
request. If the committee favors the award, approval could come at the
full Commission meeting on Jan. 8.
One company, Tetra Tech, already has indicated it will open an office
at Riverstone to capitalize on the new center, and others will follow,
said Inge. Unlike other computer modeling and simulation centers
already in operation, this is the first that will focus on energy and
environmental sciences, she said.
Inge said the proposed center could tap into the rising demand for data
on the effects of global warming and environmental degradation. One
potential partner in the venture, locally-based Lindstrand USA, makes
balloons that measure air currents and temperature.
Computer modeling and simulation may yield insights “not only on the
global level, but on the local level, on issues related to climate
change,” said Inge.
Virginia Tech originally submitted a grant request for $1,876,985 to
the Tobacco Commission. That amount has been scaled back to $1.2
million to pay for a 12-month initiative. The original request was for
18 months.
“It just means we’re going to have to work harder,” said Inge of the
shortened timeframe. “I am disappointed it won’t be longer than that
because obviously with any startup operation you need a decent amount
of capital to make it happen, but I feel with our partners we can
overcome that.”
The center is projected to create 18 jobs in its first year and 39 by
the end of year three. The Halifax County IDA has indicated its
willingness to consider providing free space at Riverstone for an
interim period, according to Tobacco Commission staff.
Britt Nelson, Southside grants program administrator, said
commissioners on the Economic Development Committee had “a positive
dialogue” on the $1.2 grant request but need more information on
potential partners at the center.
“There was some general information that had been requested that there
was not enough time to review prior to the meeting,” Nelson said.