Innovation during down times continues to be a differentiator, and GE Aviation has made clear where it stands on this point. This week the Fortune 100 company broke ground on $51 million R&D facility on the campus of the University of Dayton in Ohio. GE calls the center the Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center (EPISCenter). It will be built on an eight-acre site there as part of the equally t-shirt unfriendly “Ohio Aerospace Hub of Opportunity and Innovation.” The facility will consist of approximately 120,000 square feet of research labs and offices. GE expects to turn the switches by the end of next year.
While the facility, announced late last year, will focus on developing cutting edge aviation applications, including next-gen turbine designs and turboprop advancements (****see****** **our****** **news****** **story****** **on****** **GE****’****s****** **prior****** **announcement****** **on****** **that****** **front****), EPISCenter will be home to research on everything from smart power grids to electric automobiles to electric aircraft. As part of its research labs, the center will work to develop computer modeling and simulation, as well as electric power system design and controls.
