On September 14, 2015, President Obama announced a newly created MetroLab Network as a part of a $160 million Smart Cities initiative to help communities tackle local challenges and improve city services. The Smart Cities Initiative will invest in federal research and leverage more than 25 new technology collaborations to help local communities tackle key challenges such as reducing traffic congestion, fighting crime, fostering economic growth, managing the effects of a changing climate, and improving the delivery of city services. The MetroLab Network will work to strengthen and create partnerships between metro areas and their respective universities to research, develop, and deploy innovative technologies to address challenges facing the nation’s urban areas.
The District of Columbia, Georgetown University, The George Washington University, and Howard University have partnered to join the Network, which will provide the opportunity to share successes, address challenges, and build shared platforms for experimentation and data between cities and universities necessary to increase the tangible results of new innovations. GW's contribution to the MetroLab Network also includes leveraging the power of the Capital Area Advanced Research and Education Network (CAAREN), to help connect the city, engage the community and foster innovation.
“GW's participation in the MetroLab Network with D.C. builds on the strength of our regional collaborations with the District and local universities by fostering greater open innovation around city challenges and establishing a means for greater engagement on solving shared challenges nationally," said Brian Ensor, GW Assistant Vice President, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Division of Information Technology.
Read more about the partnership in this press release.