Purdue University Northwest leaders look forward to opportunities for innovation and workforce development enterprises at the university’s Roberts Impact Lab.
PNW’s Roberts Impact Lab, at 5454 Hohman Ave. in downtown Hammond, is undergoing phased renovations to prepare workspaces that will advance quantum technology and applied research initiatives. The lab aims to impact economic and workforce development in Northwest Indiana. It will serve as the centerpiece of Hammond’s developing innovation district.
“We are excited to open the doors for truly groundbreaking innovation right here in Northwest Indiana,” said Kenneth Holford, PNW chancellor, in a press release.
The lab’s mission centers on establishing a regional hub for business growth. The lab will integrate testing, prototyping and training with the concept to commercialization sequence PNW has demonstrated through its existing Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center and the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation.
Both centers have assisted numerous industry partners and entrepreneurial innovators with technological development. Examples of industrial and work sectors the two facilities continue to impact include energy efficiency, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, engineering, technology innovation and workplace safety.
The continued development of PNW’s Roberts Impact Lab will be boosted by $10 million in operating funds approved by the Purdue University board of trustees Dec. 12. The funding will support the planning, financing, construction and awarding of construction contracts intended for renovations on the facility’s first floor. The operations are expected to support innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization activities through quantum and STEM-related labs, multiple collaboration spaces and an updated building lobby. Work is scheduled to begin in fall 2026 and be completed in 2027.
The planned renovations will also support the Roberts Impact Lab’s push to be quantum-ready and begin contributing to quantum commercialization initiatives alongside partners involved with the Bloch Tech Hub and Chicago Quantum Exchange.
