Purdue’s supercomputer | Michigan and electric vehicles | Omaha & delivery tech

Purdue’s supercomputer

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN—A supercomputer Purdue University purchased with a $22.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will soon be fully operational. Called Anvil, the supercomputer is designed to fit a broad cross section of research work, ranging from fluid dynamics and bioinformatics to data science, AI, and machine learning.

Michigan busts an electric vehicle move

MICHIGAN—A directive issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calls on state departments and autonomous agencies to “position Michigan as the national leader in electric vehicles and save Michiganders time and money in their commutes.” The directive also prioritizes Michigan-based businesses as the state continues building out a charging network to prepare for an expected influx of electric vehicles.

Pittsburgh to host global summit

PITTSBURGH—More and more Fast Future cities are attracting attention in the tech arena. Starting in 2022, Pittsburgh will be the new host of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS). The conference brings together policymakers and manufacturing industry experts, with a focus on the use of advanced technology, such as AI and robotics.

Omaha chosen for Commercial Curb Challenge

OMAHA, NE—The city of Omaha has been selected by curb-management company Automotus to be part of their 2022 Commercial Curb Challenge. Automotus will provide the city with $500,000 worth of cameras and AI vision technology with the goal of reducing congestion by driving businesses to better manage their own drop-offs and deliveries.

Toyota comes to North Carolina

LIBERTY, NC—North Carolina’s Greensboro-Randolph Megasite has been chosen as the location for Toyota’s new $1.29 billion automotive battery manufacturing plant. To be named Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC), the plant will come online in 2025. At that point, TBMNC will have four production lines, each capable of delivering enough lithium-ion batteries for 200,000 vehicles.