hopkinsJohns Hopkins University has launched an ambitious endeavor that the school’s leaders say will make Baltimore a hub of the booming artificial intelligence industry.

The new Data Science and Translation Institute, announced several months ago and planned for the western edge of the Homewood Campus, is expected to be “the leading academic hub for data science and artificial intelligence – a resource that will bring world-class experts to the Baltimore region and drive game-changing innovations,” said Rama Chellappa, interim co-director of the planned institute and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the school.

“We expect the institute to greatly impact research, innovation, the student experience and our regional economy.”

Chellappa noted that the federal government recently designated Baltimore as a “Tech Hub,” and that the new institute would boost the city’s growth in that role, “creating long-term jobs, attracting top talent and spurring the growth of new companies that will compete in one of the world’s most promising fields.”

Christy Wyskiel, senior advisor to the school’s president for innovation and entrepreneurship and executive director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, elaborated on that benefit. She noted that academic institutions are often at the heart of urban tech-based economies, including in Silicon Valley and Boston, and in emerging tech hubs such as Austin, Pittsburgh, Portland and Seattle.

Click here to read the full article.