November 26, 2012

Anchored by research teams from Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, the College of Engineering, and the iSchool-College of Information Science and Technology, the ExCITe Center represents a step forward in the ambitious plans of Drexel and its partners in the community to develop an “Innovation Neighborhood” in University City and West Philadelphia. The flexible space for the highly collaborative work housed within the University City Science Center building at 34th and Market streets, was designed by local firm UJMN Architects + Designers.

“The opening of the ExCITe Center reflects Drexel’s commitment to re-imagine the urban research university for the 21st Century,” said Drexel President John A. Fry. “We seek to foster creativity, innovation, collaboration and a commitment to community. The ExCITe Center will be a place that brings all of those core values together to create real economic opportunities for our city and region as well as a significant impact in society.”

The new facility will serve as the physical hub for ExCITe activities. It will provide space for research and projects, host events and workshops and nurture the potential of the digital creative economy in the region. ExCITe will house the Shima Seiki Haute Technology Lab, a lab that allows designers, artists and engineers to use computerized knitting technology.  The Shima Seiki Haute Technology Lab is supported by a donation from Shima Seiki of Japan.

ExCITe will also house researchers from Drexel’s Center for Visual and Decision Informatics (CVDI), a university-industry consortium dedicated to the development of visualization technologies that will make the enormous quantity of digital data decision-actionable.  

The grand opening event on November 28, 2012 included remarks by President John Fry, Stephen Tang, President of the University City Science Center, and the honorable Mayor Michael Nutter as well as a ribbon cutting for the Shima Seiki Haute Technology Lab.