TECHNOLOGY LEADER TO OPEN NEW AI AND MACHINE LEARNING FACILITY IN TUSCALOOSA

TECHNOLOGY LEADER TO OPEN NEW AI AND MACHINE LEARNING FACILITY IN TUSCALOOSA

A pioneer in advanced sensing systems and technologies will expand to Tuscaloosa, local leaders announced today at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s annual State of the Community luncheon.

Camgian Microsystems is a globally-recognized leader in developing integrated sensing platforms that provide real-time situational awareness. Leveraging advanced technologies in sensing, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Camgian delivers decision support capabilities that improve the performance of clients in the military, financial and industrial sectors. Founded in 2006, Camgian is headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi.

“We are excited to expand our operations and look forward to a long and productive relationship with the community of Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama,” says Dr. Gary Butler, founder, Chairman and CEO of Camgian. “It is our intention to establish a leading advanced technology development center in Tuscaloosa that will drive important innovations in the field of AI and machine learning and high-tech job creation in the community.”

In the outset, as Camgian builds its Tuscaloosa operations, it will become the first anchor tenant of the newly-constructed business incubator and accelerator, known as The Edge, where it will house its new Center for AI and Machine Learning. Originally created in 2012 as a collaborative project between The University of Alabama, the Chamber, and the City of Tuscaloosa, The Edge broke ground in 2017 on a new 26,300-square-foot facility that will be managed by The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business and be fully operational by January 2019.

“We are pleased to see Camgian Microsystems connecting with our community and joining forces with The Edge, which is one of the most cutting edge entrepreneurial centers in the area,” said University of Alabama President, Dr. Stuart Bell. “We are even more excited to witness the social and economic impact of this partnership to what is already a growing and thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding region.”

With Camgian’s selection of Tuscaloosa, the goal of advancing a knowledge-based economy is one step closer to reality, says Jim Page, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. “The local public and private sectors have started working hand in hand to foster an environment of entrepreneurship and innovation,” he says. “Attracting a cutting edge technology company like Camgian shows that the work of our alliance is already paying off and it checks all of the boxes of our new economic development strategy. This project helps to diversify our economic base while creating world-class career opportunities that will keep educated talent in this community.”

Camgian has been recognized as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine, one of the World’s Top Start-Up Companies by ABI Research, and the Compass Intelligence Industrial Internet of Things Company of the Year for 2018. Moreover, the company was recognized by technology analysts at Gartner in their 2017 Cool Vendor report, which identifies leading emerging companies with innovations with the potential to transform their markets.

“TCIDA is excited to help recruit one of the most entrepreneurial new companies in America to Tuscaloosa and we very much appreciate the assistance provided by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and The University of Alabama,” says Jo Bonner, Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority. “Camgian Microsystems is exactly the kind of state-of-the-art, knowledge-based company that will complement our more traditional manufacturing base while also taking advantage of the outstanding talent The University of Alabama and our other institutions of higher education are producing.”

“This is a textbook “win-win-win”… showcasing the importance of working together and collaboration while underscoring the urgency of creating a new alliance where we are all rowing in the same direction. We welcome Dr. Gary Butler and his team from Camgian and look forward to even more strategic partnerships, like this one, that will soon call Tuscaloosa home.”