talkin' about the next generation

The University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn., has opened the FedEx Institute of Technology, which it describes as a public-private collaboration designed to advance interdisciplinary research. To this end, the institute will house 10 research centers focusing on an array of studies, including the Center for Next Generation Transportation and the FedEx Center for Supply Chain Management.

FedEx Corp. worked closely with the university in establishing the design and scope of the institute's vision. FedEx also donated $5 million toward the new facilities, which also received funding from the state of Tennessee, the city of Memphis and Shelby County.

The new 95,000-square-foot building incorporates wireless fidelity (WiFi) capabilities and a voiceover Internet protocol (VoIP) network, a 200-seat multi-media amphitheater, computer labs, training rooms, collaboration areas, an exhibit area, and labs for the pursuit of new technology advances and scientific research.