The University of Texas at Dallas is partnering with the city of Richardson to support the region’s startup and entrepreneur community by establishing a physical presence in the Richardson Innovation Quarter.
UT Dallas will locate five new research centers and an extension of its Venture Development Center in the district, also known as the Richardson IQ or The IQ. A 1,200-acre hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, the initiative aims to stimulate collaboration across businesses, attract new jobs and strengthen partnerships between the University, the city and the business community.
“Place matters, in many ways, more than ever,” said Steve Guengerich, associate vice president for innovation and commercialization at UT Dallas. “The Richardson IQ vision for the coming years is to be at the top of the list of places where people choose to live, work, learn and play. We are thrilled to be part of this vital new development for North Texas.”
The five research centers will fall under the umbrella of the University’s new Centers for Emergent Novel Technology at the Innovation Quarter (CENT-IQ), which will be led by Guengerich. Each research center will focus on solutions related to specific technological specialties, including applied artificial intelligence, machine learning, imaging and surgical innovation, and smart mobility.
“Place matters, in many ways, more than ever. The Richardson IQ vision for the coming years is to be at the top of the list of places where people choose to live, work, learn and play. We are thrilled to be part of this vital new development for North Texas.”
Steve Guengerich, associate vice president for innovation and commercialization at UT Dallas
“As a Tier One research institution, one way we impact society is by moving innovation from the bench to the marketplace. The Richardson IQ will be a nexus for university and industry engagement to facilitate translation and commercialization,” said Dr. Joseph Pancrazio, vice president for research and professor of bioengineering. “We are excited to partner with the city of Richardson to create new research centers at The IQ, where we are eager to convene with industry partners, civic leaders and the public. I have every expectation that the University’s engagement at The IQ will have a long-term and lasting economic impact on our region.”
The new UT Dallas centers were awarded seed fund grants by the Office of Research. They represent a range of disciplines from multiple schools: the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM), the Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM), the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), and the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC).
Learn More
For more information about the Richardson Innovation Quarter, visit richardsoniq.com.
The Venture Development Center (VDC), a UT Dallas incubator designed to help students, faculty and alumni commercialize their ideas and inventions, will provide a series of free and paid programs on location, including startup boot camps, speaker series, sales and marketing assistance for startups, mentor office hours, networking events and startup internship opportunities.
The newest VDC space and the CENT-IQ research centers will be located at 1302 E. Collins Blvd., owned by the city of Richardson and featuring research, co-working and lab spaces. UT Dallas will occupy approximately 10,000 square feet of the 27,500-square-foot building. Construction will begin this summer, with an opening planned for February 2022.
The facility also will serve as the headquarters for Richardson IQ and house the city’s Office of Strategic Initiatives.
One of UT Dallas’ major strategic initiatives is to become an economic engine for the region.
“The partnership with the city of Richardson and The IQ serves as an extraordinary catalyst for this effort,” said Dr. Calvin D. Jamison, vice president for facilities and economic development. “With almost $2 billion in development projects, the University continues the forward-thinking energy with this initiative and further enhances the unique ‘town-and-gown’ relationship. CENT-IQ will be a key anchor for many great future opportunities.”
University Research Hubs Head to New Home
Center for Applied AI & Machine Learning
Principal investigators: Dr. Doug DeGroot, professor of instruction in computer science, and Dr. Gopal Gupta, professor of computer science and the Erik Jonsson Chair.
The Center for Applied AI & Machine Learning (CAIML) is a research and development center that partners with companies to apply cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technologies to their products, services and business processes.
Center for Imaging and Surgical Innovation
Principal investigator: Dr. Baowei Fei, professor of bioengineering and the Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science at UT Dallas; professor of radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Center for Imaging and Surgical Innovation (CISI) brings together UT Dallas engineers and computer scientists and UT Southwestern investigators and clinicians to develop emergent technologies to improve patient care and human health. UT Dallas, UT Southwestern and local companies will collaborate on translational research, clinical trials and product commercialization.
Multi-scale Integrated Interactive Intelligent Sensing Center
Principal investigator: Dr. David Lary, professor of physics.
The Multi-scale Integrated Interactive Intelligent Sensing (MINTS) Center will develop and deploy a cost-effective irrigation decision-support tool that uses super-resolution machine learning and remote sensing imagery from satellites, drones and security cameras. The center will collaborate with municipalities, corporate campuses and homeowners to save money by optimizing their irrigation water usage.
Center for Smart and Connected Mobility
Principal investigator: Dr. Rym Zalila-Wenkstern, associate professor of computer science.
The Center for Smart and Connected Mobility (CSCM) aims to provide advanced solutions for the engineering of smart, multimodal cyber transportation infrastructures to improve safety and enhance mobility for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. The center aims to pursue community engagement, strengthen industry collaboration, accelerate the transition of research into the real world, and advance education and outreach efforts.
Center for Applied AI at the Richardson Innovation Quarter with UT Dallas Expertise
Principal investigators: Dr. Walter Voit BS’05, MS’06, associate professor of materials science and engineering and of mechanical engineering; Dr. Latifur Khan, professor of computer science; and Dr. Sriraam Natarajan, professor of computer science.
The Center for Applied AI at the Richardson Innovation Quarter with UT Dallas Expertise (CAIQUE) will showcase emergent applied AI research at the University to engage companies, win extramural grants, strengthen international partnerships and provide a global network for affiliated students to excel as UT Dallas alumni.
The multidisciplinary center draws from expertise across the University and will have affiliate faculty members from around the world. An industry advisory board will help shape the center’s direction.
- ECS researchers will advance fundamental algorithms, data structures and analytical methods. Additional ECS researchers will pioneer material point methodologies (meshless modeling frameworks) for representing complex topological data to help 3D-model the next generation of manufactured parts, including complex medical devices.
- JSOM researchers will innovate around emergent AI-driven business models and customer engagement strategies, both virtual and physical.
- BBS researchers will pursue evidence-centered design methodologies as driven by AI for advancing pedagogy, assessment and fairness.
- ATEC researchers will use game mechanics to drive social engagement, motivation, and thirst for learning and engagement.
- NSM researchers will innovate around AI-driven materials synthesis.