The ETTC "smart floor" will be a pilot project designed to demonstrate ways in which modern offices can be made to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of office tenants. This concept includes not only the physical space, which will be designed with movable partitions to allow easy relocation of walls within the office, but also information technology infrastructure that drives modern knowledge-based businesses. USC ETTC will demonstrate how a range of information technologies, from copper wire to coaxial cable to fiber optics to asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) can coexist in the same space and provide flexibility for office tenants today and well into the future.

ETTC’s interest in developing a "smart floor" is an outgrowth of work done by the Far West RTTC, a NASA-sponsored program run by ETTC. In 1999 and 2000 NASA funded the Far West RTTC to conduct a special program to reach out to minority and women owned businesses and present opportunities for business partnerships with NASA. The focus of this effort was on empowerment zones and enterprise zones in the Far West region of the United States. One of the lessons learned during the program is that there is a great divide separating technology haves from have-nots in today’s digital, information technology-driven business world. Business success for many minority and women owned businesses will depend on reducing the digital divide and creating a level playing field for these businesses in terms of equal access to modern information technologies and associated infrastructure. ETTC believes that by collaborating with EDA, the "smart floor" model will be incorporated into future office buildings and research parks in currently distressed areas that otherwise would be left without such modern, flexible facilities.

Ken Dozier, Executive Director of the ETTC commented:

 "We are honored that we were selected to be a demonstration site for this revolutionary project. This EDA contract is a perfect complement to our USC outreach mission and to our NASA Far West RTTC empowerment and enterprise zone project. We intend to use our center’s affiliate network to expand the concept to the eight western states. Eventually, we will use the NASA RTTC program to reach a national audience."

ETTC is confident of the success of this approach to smart building design. EDA expects that this pilot project will provide a model for future smart offices and research parks that are funded by EDA. Smart buildings offer competitive advantages over other buildings, leading to increased private sector investment, long-term, sustainable local economic development and the creation or retention of local jobs for area residents, all goals of the EDA. Therefore, applicants seeking future EDA funding to develop new research parks or renovate existing ones may find that success hinges on incorporating into their funding proposals the concepts demonstrated in the ETTC "smart floor" model. USC ETTC is already making plans to be partners in several such proposals from economic development groups in the Far West region.

You can learn more about the ETTC "smart floor" by visiting http://ettc.usc.edu/ilab . 

For further information, contact Marty Zeller at (213) 743-2927 or zeller@usc.edu.