Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and David Zolet, Executive VP and GM at CSC. Photo by Henrietta Wildsmith.
Yesterday (February 19), Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and David Zolet, Executive VP and GM at Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced the company will be moving a technology center into the Bossier City-based National Cyber Research Park. After a competitive site-selection process, sifting through 134 locations across the country, CSC decided to become an anchor tenant at the 3,000-acre research park being developed by the Cyber Innovation Center.
In four years, the 116,000-square-foot technology center will produce 800 jobs for the region.
Director of Business Development at Louisiana Economic Development, Josh Fleig, believes the win demonstrates, on a large scale, their ability to structure a deal that provides not only best-in-class financial incentives but a real partnership with the universities to address talent issues and expand the computer science pipeline.
“It’s an ability to reach out and tap into a community that has a great work ethic, a great infrastructure and a great university system and bring those capabilities to our customers,” said Zolet.
The public-private partnership responsible for the technology center will include higher education programs aided by an initiative funded by the state and led by Louisiana Tech University. The state will provide $14 million in funding over 10 years with a primary goal to build a next-generation workforce in cloud computing, cybersecurity, big data and application modernization.
“The size and scale of this opportunity will be a catalytic event that will accelerate the growth of a cyber economy in our community,” said President Craig Spohn of the Cyber Innovation Center. “This opportunity will further diversify our economy and serve as a foundation for growth well into the future.”
The CSC is considered one of the largest technology projects in Louisiana history. CSC will occupy the park immediately in a 40,000-square-foot temporary space and begin construction on the new facility later this year.
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