Secretary Cheng (left) talks with Bob Bailey of the CAER as he reviews a list of features that will be a part of the new facility including a nuclear power plant control simulator and a cognitive radio test room and antenna tower.
State officials pleased with region's efforts in innovation
April 30, 2010
Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng and Deputy Secretary for Rural Economic Development Mary Rae Carter spent Monday, April 26 learning about local efforts to grow the economy through tech-based economic development. “There’s a lot going on here,” Secretary Cheng commented following his visit. Cheng oversees economic, community, and workforce development of the Commonwealth and oversees 13 Commerce and Trade agencies.
The officials began at the offices of Virginia’s Region 2000 Partnership before traveling to Bedford County to see the construction site for the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER), a 30,000 square foot regional research facility that will focus on the nuclear energy and wireless industries. There, they met with Bob Bailey of the CAER and Fred Armstrong and Dennis Knight of Wiley|Wilson, along with Region 2000 officials. Next they visited the AREVA Technical Training Center in Lynchburg where they saw real-size models of steam generators, reactor vessels and other major components used to train nuclear site maintenance professionals. The last stop was at Advanced Manufacturing Technology Inc., a Lynchburg-based technology innovation firm that takes great ideas from concept to production with design support, manufacturing and fulfillment expertise.