HAMMOND, Ind. — Purdue University Northwest (PNW) leaders look forward to opportunities for innovation and workforce development enterprises to begin in 2026 at the university’s highly anticipated Roberts Impact Lab.
PNW’s Roberts Impact Lab, located at 5454 Hohman Ave. in downtown Hammond, Indiana, is undergoing phased renovations to prepare state-of-the-art workspaces that will advance quantum technology and transformational applied research initiatives. The Lab will positively impact economic and workforce development in Northwest Indiana and will serve as the centerpiece of Hammond’s developing innovation district.
“We are excited to open the doors for truly groundbreaking innovation right here in Northwest Indiana,” said PNW Chancellor Kenneth C. Holford. “As the only Innovation and Economic Prosperity University in our part of the state, PNW continues its commitment to supporting regional growth through industry partnerships and applied research that result in wide-ranging impacts for the communities we serve.”
The Lab’s mission centers on establishing a regional hub for business growth, where testing, prototyping and training are integrated with the successful “concept to commercialization” sequence PNW has demonstrated through its existing Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center (CMEC) and the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS).
PNW’s CMEC and CIVS have successful track records of assisting numerous industry partners and entrepreneurial innovators with technological development, in turn creating new opportunities and efficiencies in work processes and providing working professionals with the skillsets needed for the jobs of the future. Examples of industrial and work sectors the two facilities continue to impact include energy efficiency, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, engineering and technology innovation, and workplace safety.
The continued development of PNW’s Roberts Impact Lab will be boosted by $10 million in operating funds approved by the Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday, Dec. 12. The funding, consisting of reserves ($7.5 million) and donor gifts ($2.5 million), will support the planning, financing, construction and awarding of construction contracts intended for renovations on the facility’s first floor. The operations are expected to support innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization activities through quantum and STEM-related labs, multiple collaboration spaces and an updated building lobby. Work is scheduled to begin in fall 2026 and be completed in 2027.
The planned renovations will also support the Roberts Impact Lab’s push to be quantum-ready and begin contributing to quantum commercialization initiatives alongside partners involved with the Bloch Tech Hub and Chicago Quantum Exchange. The coalition of academic, industrial, government and nonprofit stakeholders is advancing collective understanding of quantum computing’s capabilities and its opportunities for shaping the emerging quantum economy.
“We look forward to the exciting opportunities available to PNW and the Roberts Impact Lab through our geographical proximity with other leading partners and collaborators,” said Niaz Latif, associate vice chancellor for Commercialization and Research and executive director of PNW’s Roberts Impact Lab. “It cannot be overstated how key PNW’s role will be for Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Quantum Exchange as essentially one of the first quantum-ready facilities in Indiana. Our access to quantum simulation capabilities and neighboring collaborators will provide immense research and development advantages to Northwest Indiana, creating the jobs of the future.”
About Purdue University Northwest
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that transforms lives through innovative education, impactful research and community engagement. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW is recognized as a First Gen Forward Network Leader and an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. PNW advances the socioeconomic mobility of its students and positively impacts regional development. For more information, visit pnw.edu
