MercyHurst to take lead on establishment of Downtown Erie Innovation District

MercyHurst University has announced that it will be taking over the Downtown Erie Innovation District project designed to establish a knowledge-based economy dedicated to safety and security.

“Mercyhurst is ready to take the lead in what we believe will be a potent game-changer for Erie,” MercyHurst President Michael Victor said. “We envision an innovation district in downtown Erie that will allow us to build a dynamic leadership network and work together with a singular vision focused on growth and prosperity for our community. We wish to express our utmost gratitude to the Erie Community Foundation for their support of our collaborative vision for Erie’s future.”

The Erie Community Foundation has awarded MercyHurst a $4 million “Shaping Tomorrow” grant to help with the project.

“Innovation districts have shown that both American and global corporations are interested in being centered in proximity to trained talent,” Dr. Dausey, project leader, said. “By focusing heavily on the emerging fields of data science and cybersecurity, Erie will be well positioned as a hub for companies to make investments. In fact, as we have seen from the financial services industry and the insurance industry, data science is one of the largest growth areas.”