From Meridian to New Orleans, from Jackson to Gulfport, and from Mobile, Ala., to Natchez, the entire I-59 corridor has become a magnet for new technology companies. Southern Miss is capitalizing on that economic growth by creating laboratories for joint university and industry projects that turn research into marketable products.

Included in the budget of the U.S. Department of Commerce is funding for a new $20 million building at the technology park, currently under development off Highway 49 on Classic Drive in Hattiesburg. As the first building gets underway, the Innovation and Commercialization Park promises to make a positive and dramatic impact on the economic landscape of the region.

“The distinguished and internationally recognized research programs at Southern Miss provide the perfect base for future growth as the local and regional economies continue to develop technologically,” said Southern Miss President Shelby Thames.

“By partnering with new companies, the Innovation and Commercialization Park will stimulate new growth and development, bringing good, high-paying jobs to the area. We are extremely grateful for the work of our entire congressional delegation but particularly for the efforts of Sen. Thad Cochran in making this new facility possible,” Thames added.

The first new building at the 521-acre park will also provide space for high-tech companies relocating to south Mississippi, particularly those seeking access to university projects involving polymers and high performance materials and the Mississippi Polymer Institute, a state-funded manufacturing extension program for the polymer industry.

In addition to the $20 million from the Department of Commerce, the park has received about $10.5 million in other funding through the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration. The majority of this funding is required to design and build the infrastructure needed to access the first building site. The initial phase of road construction and design engineering along Classic Drive is already underway.

While these construction activities will provide a direct economic impact, the real value of this development over the long term lies in the attraction and growth of high-wage jobs for this area, said Dr. Cecil Burge, vice president of research and economic development at Southern Miss.

“Bringing a $30 million project like this to the Hattiesburg community shows the value and commitment our university places on its mission of economic development,” Burge said.

A key component of the first building will be specialized features for “high throughput formulation and formulation science,” a combination of computer simulation and robotics-driven processing that can drastically reduce the time needed to develop new high performance materials.

Burge said Southern Miss currently has a “critical mass of researchers” involved in the production of novel high performance materials. “Almost all of the faculty researchers have significant research and development experience in industry,” he said.

Current research is focused in a number of areas of national need, including marine composites, coatings and responsive or “smart” films. Many manufacturing firms will be switching from metals to composites that are lighter and stronger. For industries to make these transitions, it will require researchers to significantly advance new materials and production techniques. Burge said the university currently has a number of projects underway using both industrial and federal funding in this area.

“Many companies developing and selling new high performance materials typically locate near university research programs, which enables access to students, faculty and specialized laboratory facilities. The Area Development Partnership has been recruiting companies in this field,” Burge said.

Helping to coordinate the project and recruit businesses to the new park is the Area Development Partnership (ADP), a multi-county economic development authority in Hattiesburg. The ADP funded a master plan for the park and helped assemble a broad-based steering committee of community business leaders to provide leadership for the project.

"This park provides our entire region with an unparalleled asset, which will serve as a magnet for intellectual capital growth and economic development for many years to come,” ADP President Angie Godwin said.

The combination of research projects and nationally recognized academic programs for polymer science at Southern Miss is already attracting industry attention. More than three dozen firms in this field have engaged in research or discussions with the university in the last year alone.

Hybrid Plastics, a leading nano-materials company, relocated from southern California to Hattiesburg in 2002 to have greater access to Southern Miss’ research base. Hybrid Plastics now has a fully operational research and production facility in Hattiesburg.

Burge said with the new construction and infrastructure at the Innovation and Commercialization Park, more companies will have improved access to transitional space for proper research and development and ample space to construct new buildings of their own.

TECHNOLOGY PARK - President Shelby F. Thames and Dr. Cecil Burge, vice president of economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi, discuss plans Tuesday for the new Innovation and Commercialization Park in the works off Highway 49 on Classic Dr. (Public relations photo by Steve Rouse).

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Last updated: 02/21/06