Capital region poised to capitalize on FRIB-related economic activity
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EmailGround broke in March on the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University, but when local economic developers look at that hole in the ground, they see everything from increased airport traffic to jobs for locals.
By: Mlive.com Lansing News
EAST LANSING, MI -- Ground broke in March on the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University, but when local economic developers look at that hole in the ground, they see everything from increased airport traffic to jobs for locals.
“This is such a big win for the state of Michigan,” said Steven Willobee, Chief Operating Officer of the Lansing Area Economic Partnership.
Cal Coplai was among the students in Michigan State University’s Urban and Regional Planning practicum course who authored a recent report titled “Accelerating Capital: Growing the Greater Lansing Region and Investment through Rare Isotopes.” He and Willobee presented at the Innovate Michigan! Summit at the Kellogg Center this week.
"We think that greater Lansing can become that cluster for accelerator technology and all of its applications," Coplai said.
According to its website, the FRIB will provide beams of rare isotopes; short-lived nuclei not normally found on earth. These have applications for everything from medical uses to producing products important to the nuclear power industry.
But aside from scientific advances, the report notes “The FRIB could be an anchor to MSU, East Lansing, and the Greater Lansing Region.”
In similar areas, technology clusters have driven local economies. The students looked at similar facilities as case studies for comparison, including Fermilab in Chicago and TRIUMF in Vancouver. But realistically, this facility will be one of a kind.
When the federal government was in the process of awarding FRIB funding in 2008, a study from Anderson Economic Group estimated that in its first decade the FRIB would generate more than $1 billion in economic activity.
Willobee said that when scientists and entrepreneurs come to use and see the FRIB, it's up to the region to show them that they can take their ideas and put them in place right here, creating new products, companies and jobs. He said the airport is also an asset to those doing FRIB research. Sometimes when rare isotopes are produced for medical purposes, they have to be quickly transported to their final destination and will go by air.
The student report concluded that Michigan had the potential and resources to capitalize on high-technology industries but could facilitate that through knowledge and technology transfer programs. Some examples of ways the region could prepare are by developing a branding/marketing strategy for the FRIB and Greater Lansing Region, establishing analytics by which to measure the FRIB’s success and holding a series of community meetings to receive input on its potential regional impact.
Another thing that the higher education institutions in the region could do is determine the feasibility of establishing specific degree programs related to entrepreneurship, co-operatives and accelerator technology.
While it’s a highly scientific field, the FRIB’s operation and related companies need many different skill sets, said Willobee, pointing to Lansing-based Niowave as an example.
“You do need that physicist. But at the same time… they’re hiring ex GM [General Motors] employees for their manufacturing knowledge, they’re hiring LCC [Lansing Community College] employees for manufacturing,” Willobee said.
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/09/capital_region_poised_to_capit.html
