Media contact: Yvonne Taunton
The University of Alabama at Birmingham broke ground for the new Technology Innovation Center on Wednesday, Aug. 14. The building, expected to open in 2021, will be located on the corner of 17th Street South and Ninth Avenue South. The 40,000-square-foot center will accommodate the campus Security Operations Center and Network Operations Center.
In addition, the new building — which replaces the Rust Computer Center — will house the UAB supercomputer, the fastest high-performance research computer in Alabama.
“Technology underlies the innovation and research here at UAB,” said Vice President and Chief Information Officer Curtis A. Carver Jr., Ph.D. “The supercomputer powers lifesaving research that can help UAB change the world.”
Powering the Technology Innovation Center’s data center is a cost-efficient Tesla Powerpack battery system. The battery will allow the building to meet the technology needs of UAB students, faculty and researchers while reducing the carbon footprint.