You’ve likely heard the names of several of Indiana’s prominent high-tech companies, but it’s a safe bet you haven’t come to understand all the incredible things they do. There’s a lot of variety throughout the state’s cutting-edge businesses. Many are developing things that could change the future.
We’d like to give you a little 411 on several leading advanced technology organizations to show you just how much of a powerhouse Indiana has become. Each of the following are conducting some of the coolest activities you haven’t learned about yet.
NSWC Crane
The U.S. Navy’s I-Stalker system. (Image from NSWC Crane).[/caption] Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) in Martin County is the third-largest naval installation in the world, and it’s got some massive brainpower to boot. The facility employs 2,500 scientists, engineers, and technicians, plus over 1,300 additional employees that all work to provide technical solutions to America’s warfighters.
NSWC Crane researchers are developing technology for things like missile defense systems, electronic warfare systems, infrared and laser countermeasures, and so much more. The facility also has space to train and equip elite Special Operations warriors.
Purdue Research Park
Professor Nolte works with a device that can look inside living cells. (Image from Purdue).Purdue Research Park (PRF) is the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country, according to state officials. Over 300 companies operate out of the various PRF locations in Indiana.
These companies are working on all kinds of things like advanced medicines, agricultural innovations, logistics, early childhood development, battery power and storage, sustainable manufacturing, biologics, and so much more we couldn’t possibly fit it all here. Basically, the important thing to know about PRF is that its affiliated companies make breakthroughs happen every day.
Rolls-Royce
The V-22 Osprey. (Image from Rolls-Royce).Rolls-Royce is a global company, but did you know that more of their products are built at their Indianapolis location than anywhere else in the world? Bet you didn’t.
The company makes engines – serious engines. Like the kind found on the U.S. Air Force's B-52 strategic bomber fleet and the Navy’s V-22 Osprey. These aren’t just the kind of aircraft you’d see in Hollywood movies, they’re the real-deal machines that help keep our military a superior force on all battlefronts. And what keeps it all moving? Hardworking Hoosier-made horsepower.
AgReliant Genetics
This corn comes from a non-irrigated, no-till field. (Image from AgReliant).There are 11 Midwestern research facilities in the AgReliant Genetics family, plus additional sites all around the world. They are finding new ways to make farmers especially happy with bigger crop yields and more robust plants.
In Westfield, IN, AgReliant’s research program includes corn, soybean, alfalfa, and sorghum, which is a grain often used in livestock feed. The company’s plants are bred to be more adaptable to environmental changes and health concerns – which means less risk for agriculture businesses and more opportunities to feed the world.
MarketCast
Studing online behavior across worldwide audiences.The better anyone can understand their audience, the more they’ll be able to engage them. Through data science and real-time analytics, Indianapolis-based MarketCast (previously Fizziology, prior to 2017) studies the minds of audiences. The company works for entities like leading Hollywood movie studios, video game publishers, lifestyle brands, and even sports teams. Very big names.
MarketCast’s technology can analyze social media conversations, study human reactions to things, and can measure engagements. Roughly 1.2 billion social conversations are monitored and analyzed across digital and platforms annually by their software.
Roche Diagnostics
The $300 million Roche campus. (Image from George Nikolajevich, FAIA).Roche Diagnostics is a global company, but they have a major presence in Central Indiana with about 4,500 jobs. The company makes products that help diagnose diseases, including conditions like cancers, cardiac issues, infectious diseases, diabetes, and more. Also, the company was actively involved in developing COVID-19 testing materials last year.
Roche’s $300 million campus in Indianapolis has a lot happening on a daily basis, from R&D to manufacturing, distribution, and more. It’s a place where science and technology are advancing the field of medicine.
hc1
Image of hc1’s offices in Boone County.[/caption] In Boone County, the company hc1 has created a cloud-based platform that could transform many business aspects of healthcare. The software analyzes all of a person’s health information so caregivers can deliver targeted testing and prescribing.
The company has a history of using data to take on huge challenges like the opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, they branched out to include pharmacogenomics, which studies how genetics affects the body’s ability to process medication. Machine learning may soon help identify dangerous drug interactions.
More than You Expected?
There’s a lot more incredible work happening in Indiana’s sciences and advanced technologies than most people realize. The high-tech companies included here in this article are really just the start. There are many others. Every region of the state has companies testing, creating, and deploying revolutionary innovations that are going to change the way our world does business.
As new developments are made, we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest highlights here at BuildingIndiana.com.
