CHARLOTTE — UNC Charlotte is steering impact from a multimillion-dollar federal energy initiative into the heart of the North Tryon Tech Hub, university and Uptown leaders say.
Chancellor Sharon Gaber talked to the Charlotte Center City Partners board on Aug. 27 about UNC Charlotte’s role in leading the National Science Foundation Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas. That designation — awarded in July — carries an initial $15 million over the next two years, with potential to grow to $160 million over a decade based on performance milestones.
Gaber noted that UNC Charlotte has launched a new School of Energy in support of the initiative and is working with industry partners including Duke Energy Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Siemens Energy and Scout Motors.
The administrative office for the engine will be housed in the university’s CO-LAB building uptown.
In addition, the university has signed a lease on a building across Brevard Street from The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte for a new cybersecurity and digital engineering lab, with a second phase planned to add AI data center simulation capabilities. Gaber said the space will support work with banks and other industries on cybersecurity problems.
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