Innovista

[CorgiMatt]

That's both great news! I'm still wondering who the next F-500 company that will be moving into innovista? I know there was mention of it in the paper about a week ago.

Actually The State reported the other day that USC hopes to make an announcement about a Fortune 100 company it is courting for Innovista.

[Spartan]

Even better! Is it an HQ relocation, or just some operational/research facilities?

[krazeeboi]

I believe the latter. Of course, I'd take the former too.

[krazeeboi]

An except from an article in The State:

USC already is

[Spartan]

Its proabably Columbia's first urban walmart...

[krazeeboi]

Spartan, behave.

[TheCarolinaKing]

Its proabably Columbia's first urban walmart...

I hear that...it would really suck but you never know around here!

[CorgiMatt]

Its proabably Columbia's first urban walmart...

Hmm, what if it is Walmart. With USC's research in Nanotechnology (making things smaller), maybe Walmart is coming on board to do research on how to crunch their big boxes into boutiques and still have the same amount of merchandise at the same low prices -- always.

[krazeeboi]

HA! I seriously doubt it.

[goodbye]

...

That said, my guesses are GE, IBM, or Microsoft.

I could see that. Each of these already has a presence in the state, IBM and GE having major presence here. Perhaps they have seen something they liked.

[sojay]

No, those companies are too big to fit the F-100 category. I'm guessing a supplier to a bigger company/industry, like car components?

[krazeeboi]

Ummm, F100 companies are the top 100 companies from the F500 list. No such thing as "too big" for the F100 category. And how would a supplier of car components tie into Innovista? Doesn't exactly sound like a company "that everybody wants." We're obviously talking BIG fish here.

Edited May 3, 2006 by krazeeboi

[digihoop]

GE and IBM are in the top 10 I believe. Maybe what Sojay is suggesting is that the company is 10-100 or 50-100 range, otherwise it would advertised as a "Fortune 10" or "Fortune 50" company.

Here's the list by the way:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/full_list/

Edited May 4, 2006 by digihoop

[CorgiMatt]

Today's Columbia Star has a rendering of what USC's Thomas Cooper Library will look like when the political collections wing and the rare books wing are completed. They broke ground on the political collections wing May 10 and will break ground on the rare books wing June 14. From Greene Street it is going to look incredible. Already that library ranks in the top 50 university libraries. It's ranking ought to shoot up considerably.

[waccamatt]

I've always loved that library, I can't wait to see the additions.

[krazeeboi]

While Columbia isn't trying to become the next Silicon Valley (if that's even possible), here is a speech that outlines what it would take for a place to achieve such a status. While I don't buy everything this guy is saying and think he overgeneralizes a bit, he also makes some very interesting points, some of which bode well for Columbia. Briefly, the ingredients he lists are rich people, "nerds," a good university/universities, personality (regarding the city), youth, a liberal environment, a strong city center, and time. Startups and venture capital are also important parts in the discourse. So let's see, Columbia doesn't really have rich people (who are willing to fund startups and such), but private corporations are coming on board alongside the public sector; it has nerds (highly educated population), a good, research-oriented university, personality, youth (it is a young city relatively speaking), is the most liberal city in the state, city center is getting stronger all the time, and it has nothing but time. Many of the concepts in the article have to be scaled-down in Columbia's case since Silicon Valley isn't the objective, but simply a successful research campus that will have significant economic effects on the area and the state.

[CorgiMatt]

While Columbia isn't trying to become the next Silicon Valley (if that's even possible), here is a speech that outlines what it would take for a place to achieve such a status. While I don't buy everything this guy is saying and think he overgeneralizes a bit, he also makes some very interesting points, some of which bode well for Columbia. Briefly, the ingredients he lists are rich people, "nerds," a good university/universities, personality (regarding the city), youth, a liberal environment, a strong city center, and time. Startups and venture capital are also important parts in the discourse. So let's see, Columbia doesn't really have rich people (who are willing to fund startups and such), but private corporations are coming on board alongside the public sector; it has nerds (highly educated population), a good, research-oriented university, personality, youth (it is a young city relatively speaking), is the most liberal city in the state, city center is getting stronger all the time, and it has nothing but time. Many of the concepts in the article have to be scaled-down in Columbia's case since Silicon Valley isn't the objective, but simply a successful research campus that will have significant economic effects on the area and the state.

Ometrics receiving an eight million dollar boost from a Silicon Valley venture company was a good start. Not that that is the only thing that has happened on the high-tech business/research front here.

[krazeeboi]

^Yep, that was definitely significant.

[krazeeboi]

Here are two renderings of the parking garage set to be built as part of the Biomedical block:

A key component of the University's InnoVista initiative, the USC Bio-Med Block Parking Deck will support adjacent bio-medical research and office buildings while addressing other urgent parking needs in the Vista, such as events at the University's Koger Center for the Performing Arts and the Colonial Center arena. Designed in collaboration with the LPA Group of Columbia, SC the 1400 car garage is eight stories and features facades organized to reflect its pre-cast concrete structure. Colors and materials compliment the other research buildings occupying the block. The USC Strings Program will occupy space fronting Park Street and across the street from the USC Music School. It features several rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, and other support space for this popular University outreach program, and addresses the University's goal to provide animation and activity on the street.

[emerging.me]

The USC Strings Program will occupy space fronting Park Street and across the street from the USC Music School. It features several rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, and other support space for this popular University outreach program, and addresses the University's goal to provide animation and activity on the street.

SO glad to see this!!

[krazeeboi]

The Biomedical block just east of the Colonial Center is called Discovery Plaza. Check out the entire Innovista website when you get a chance; great updated info on there.

[CorgiMatt]

The State is reporting this morning that USC has an $85 million makeover in the works for the Carolina Coliseum. They first have to find the money. Check it out. Sorry, but I still don't know how to create a link to it on here.

[emerging.me]

Dope!

Here's the link to The State. And an image...

See the attached image for more details and a rendering of the new Honors college block where the Honeycombs are.

And here is Discovery Plaza:

Edited July 1, 2006 by emerging.me

[krazeeboi]

The Coliseum rendering is awesome. Another parking lot would bite the dust, and that area of the Vista would gain more density as well as open, public space.

[krazeeboi]

Here's an interesting article in the Charlotte Observer about a potential use of fuel cells. Good to see SC, and USC in particular, mentioned as a focus area for hydrogen research.