Westgate@Crane: Strategic Planning, Innovation + Partnerships

December 13, 2020

NEWS RELEASE December 11, 2020 Purdue@WestGate at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park teamed up with Tina Peterson, President and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), Captain Duncan McKay, Commanding Officer of NSWC Crane Division, Major General Clif Tooley, President of Defense Development for IEDC and Brian Langley, and Senior Vice-President of Defense Development for IEDC, to host a webinar discussing WestGate@Crane: Strategic Planning, Innovation + Partnerships.  Tina Peterson moderated the conversation regarding the current and future importance of the WestGate@Crane Technology Park, the support it provides to NSWC Crane in advancing the Navy’s mission, and Crane’s impact on the Indiana economy. Peterson spoke about plans for WestGate that Regional Opportunity Initiatives helped put together toward ensuring future impact. “The WestGate Master Plan has been created, and it offers a new vision for creating a multi-use technology park built around the concept of a park within a park. It will be a part of what differentiates this park from other technology parks with emphasis on building an intersection between work and play, to be thought of as a more live, work, play environment.” Said Peterson. Visit ROI website to view the WestGate Master Plan (https://regionalopportunityinc.org/westgatecrane-technology-park/). Peterson asked each panelist their thoughts on the present and future of the WestGate@Crane Technology Park. Captain McKay commented, “A vibrant WestGate Tech Park is absolutely crucial to NSWC Crane’s approach to our long-term vision for mission accomplishment. It’s instinctively obvious that this park is a) important, but b) a catalyst for everything we are doing here at NSWC Crane. With WestGate it only expands all the opportunities and accelerates the ability to achieve solutions and objectives; it helps make everything better.” Major General Clif Tooley described WestGate@Crane Technology Park as “the incubator of our own Silicon Valley.” When it comes to the well-being and future of Indiana Hoosiers, Tooley commented, “In terms of WestGate functioning as a tech park, it’s critical for the future of Indiana to have a capability like this and it helps when you add the tools that the state provides such as IEDC and other enablers for small businesses to establish themselves and to thrive in this market.” The WestGate@Crane Technology Park was established in 2005. Nearly 15 years later we look at the need to support the rapidly expanding mission for NSWC Crane.  In closing comments, Brian Langley stated, “If you take a look at what is happening within WestGate from the walls within Crane and outside of Crane, there are some incredible things occurring that are going to translate very well into the future.” WestGate@Crane Technology park is currently home to over 40 companies with more than 800 employees. WestGate@Crane connects the base to the I-69 corridor and the cities beyond, including Evansville, Bloomington, and Indianapolis. It provides a gateway that connects the region’s workforce to a mix of small and large contractors. Purdue@WestGate is a regional partner supporting and connecting startups, industry, universities, and the DoD, including hosting several monthly webinars that dive into topics within the defense industry, entrepreneurship, innovation, and personal development. Visit https://www.westgate-academy.com/event to view a full calendar of upcoming events, including startups and defense organizations driving Hypersonic innovation. To view a recording of the webinar, visit the WestGate Academy YouTube channel: WestGate Academy - YouTube