PENSACOLA, Fla. — The University of West Florida officially broke ground on a “new advanced intelligence, cybersecurity and engineering research building” Thursday.
The building is called “The Synapse.” It’s partly funded by Triumph Gulf Coast’s $32.5 million award, with more than $21 million in state dollars.
“The 55,000-square-foot building on the Pensacola campus will house specialized labs and state-of-the-art equipment and technology to support advanced computational, AI, cybersecurity and engineering research across the University,” UWF said.
It’ll be Building 129, located just south of the John C. Pace Library. Many in the UWF community came together to celebrate the start of construction.
“The Synapse is a transformational facility made possible through the support of Triumph Gulf Coast and the state of Florida,” said UWF President Manny Diaz Jr. “This new modern facility will allow the University to expand research capacity, strengthen industry partnerships and better prepare students for career fields critical to our region’s future.”
“The facility will serve as the base for the Center for Computational Intelligence and the Center for Cybersecurity and AI, as well as a hub for collaborative projects in robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, power systems, material science and civil engineering,” according to UWF. “A central multi-story atrium with interconnected corridors create efficient pathways for interaction, resulting in a facility built not only for cutting-edge technology, but for constant intellectual connection.”
When construction is complete, the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI will join CCI in the Synapse.
