By Jessica Borders
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is bringing a new and powerful supercomputer to Fairmont.
In July, NOAA picked the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation’s I-79 Technology Park Research Center in Fairmont as the site for this project. The lease contract became effective Tuesday.
“This is probably the most significant technology project we’ve ever been involved in,” Jim Estep, president and CEO of the WVHTC Foundation, said. “I’m incredibly excited about this project.”
He explained that NOAA had been looking for a location for a new supercomputer that it was going to design and build and sent out a request for proposals. In November 2009, the foundation submitted its paperwork and entered the competition.
The WVHTC Foundation suggested that the I-79 Technology Park Research Center, located at 1000 Galliher Drive and formerly known as the Institute for Scientific Research building, be used to house the supercomputer.
