You know it’s a big deal when a room full of entrepreneurs pack themselves into the Launch Fishers auditorium to hear from Governor Eric Holcomb, Mayor Scott Fadness, Launch Fishers Founder John Wechsler, ClearObject CEO John McDonald and many others. The occasion was the February 21st unveiling of a new planned Internet of Things (IoT) Lab near Launch Fishers, contained within a state-designated Certified Tech Park.
The Tech Park designation is important because the first $5 million in state tax money generated by businesses in the Tech Park are plowed back into improvements at the Tech Park, rather then going into the state coffers.
In a podcast interview the day following the announcement with myself and Lindsey Erdody of the Indianapolis Business Journal, John McDonald said this may be the first IoT Lab in the world featuring a public-private partnership. There are many private companies with such operations, but he cannot find another IoT Lab like the one planned for Fishers.
If you want to better understand the Internet of Things, listen to the podcast with John McDonald. John explains how nearly everything we use, including our cars and lighting systems, will be tied to the Internet, creating this Internet of Things.
McDonald is also hopeful the new IoT Lab will continue to establish Fishers as a hub for high-tech companies. He credits Launch Fishers as a big part of bringing the high-tech culture to the Fishers economy.
McDonald’s company ClearObject (formerly known as CloudOne) will have its own employees working in the Fishers IoT Lab. There is little doubt other high tech firms will follow.
This is the second time Governor Holcomb has visited Fishers this month in a public appearance (first was a legislative breakfast at Conner Prairie). He and Mayor Fadness are clearly on the same page on how to grow the local economy.
“Fishers is on the cutting edge and on the move,” the governor said at the IoT Lab announcement.
If staying at the forefront of the high-tech world is an important cog in continuing the growth of Fishers, this announcement is a large step forward in that effort.
Keep in mind, Mayor Scott Fadness has promised the unveiling of even more initiatives at his State of the City address March 15th.