LANSING, Mich., Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Michigan State University Foundation announced today that Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), a scientific and engineering research company headquartered in Albuquerque, NM, has opened an innovation center within the University Corporate Research Park, just south of Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus. Over the next several years, the company will be ramping up its expansion, marking the beginning of its research partnership with MSU’s College of Engineering.

ARA provides specialized research and technology services, as well as testing and product development in the fields of health, science, and engineering. The company also provides innovative engineering services and products for alternative fuels.

“Adjacent to the university, the UCRP is the ideal location, providing access to our collaborative partners as we begin refining our research,” said Jeff Berrie, vice president of ARA’s BerrieHill Research Division.

“Michigan State University is excited to collaborate with ARA in developing talent for the 21^st Century and for delivering technical solutions highly valued by our partners,” said Dean Leo Kempel, MSU’s College of Engineering.

A leader in autonomous vehicle research, the work being done by MSU scientists and students will one day make self-driving vehicles ubiquitous. ARA comes to Lansing to begin conducting its work with MSU’s College of Engineering, advancing the exploration in the key areas of object recognition, data fusion, control systems, and artificial intelligence.

The UCRP provides place-making solutions for companies wanting to locate their teams closer to Michigan State. “ARA is a perfect example of the catalyzing role we play in creating these types of collaborations,” said Jeff Smith, director of the UCRP. “Everyone benefits.” Smith went on to say that companies within the UCRP benefit from their University-affiliate status. “These companies not only gain access to MSU‘s world-renowned experts, they also get to tap into the community of talented students motivated to apply their knowledge and acquire real-world work experience.”

About Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA)

ARA was founded in 1979 and is an employee-owned scientific research and engineering company dedicated to solving critical national problems to improve our safety, security and way of life. The company’s applied research delivers scientific solutions for national defense, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 1,000 Employee Owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement. For more information, please visit www.ara.com.

About MSU College of Engineering

The Michigan State University College of Engineering has nine academic programs serving 6,400 students, including more than 5,600 undergraduates and 800 graduate students. The college’s research focus is on innovation in automotive, composite materials, energy, health care technologies, pavement preservation, and security. The college is the home of two new academic departments — the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering and a partner in MSU’s new Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering. A new $60 million Bio Engineering Facility opened in 2016 for interdisciplinary basic and applied research at the interface of life and physical sciences, engineering, information science, and math. www.egr.msu.edu

About the MSU Foundation

Established in 1973 as an independent non-profit corporation, the Michigan State University Foundation fuels economic development initiatives through the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies invented by Michigan State University faculty, staff, and students. At its core is an extensive program that focuses on the support of research, invention, and entrepreneurship. The Michigan State University Foundation also operates the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center, Michigan Biotechnology Institute, Red Cedar Ventures, Spartan Innovations, and the University Corporate Research Park. More information on the Foundation’s notable achievements, services provided, key leadership, and history are available at www.msufoundation.org.

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SOURCE Michigan State University Foundation