Gardner Company, UNLV, and Caesars Entertainment launch new era for research and innovation in Southern Nevada.
LAS VEGAS – January 23, 2020 – Research and innovation in Southern Nevada took a major step forward Jan. 23 with the opening of the debut building at the UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park in Las Vegas.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and a host of federal, state, and local officials joined leadership from Gardner Company, UNLV, and Caesars Entertainment to formally mark the completion of a building that will serve as a catalyst to unite business, stimulate research, and advance economic development efforts in Southern Nevada.
“The economic and academic benefits of the research park are strong,” said Governor Sisolak. “Black Fire Innovation will create opportunities for collaboration between industry and academia that simply aren’t possible on many college campuses today.”
The four-story, 111,000 square-foot innovation building is the first project completed by Gardner Company as part of a master-planned development envisioned by UNLV, the UNLV Research Foundation, and Gardner for the tech park.
“Gardner Company is immensely proud to commemorate the completion of Building One in the UNLV Tech Park,” said Dan Stewart, partner and vice president of development at Gardner Company. “A campus of this magnitude will foster collaboration and innovation across businesses, UNLV students, innovators and entrepreneurs and will greatly help shape the research and innovation landscape here in Las Vegas and beyond. We are incredibly gracious for our partners and tenants who have allowed us to see our vision come to fruition.”
The centerpiece of the debut building is Black Fire Innovation, which brings UNLV and Caesars Entertainment, one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers, together in one space to advance current trends in hospitality and gaming technology. Black Fire is a technology hub where new gaming and hospitality concepts will be created and tested in a 43,000 square-foot innovation space that includes elements of mock hotel rooms, a casino floor and sportsbook, an esports studio, and virtual reality facilities.
“Black Fire Innovation, and the research park more broadly, exemplify the positive impact that can occur when the university and business community come together with a common goal,” said Zachary Miles, UNLV associate vice president for economic development and executive director of the UNLV Research Foundation. “The park and its related partnerships provide a gateway for companies to enter our regional business ecosystem, which elevates our research potential, offers unparalleled opportunities for our students, and in turn strengthens our economy.”
Through partnerships like Black Fire Innovation, the tech park serves as a proving ground for new ideas that will expand Southern Nevada’s leadership role in hospitality and gaming. It’s also attracting the world’s leading technology companies, who want to have a presence in the region and partner with industry leaders from Caesars Entertainment and UNLV.
“Caesars Entertainment has been at the forefront of gaming and innovation for many years,” said Caesars Entertainment CEO Tony Rodio. “Collaborating in partnership with UNLV, one of the nation’s top gaming research institutions, is the perfect recipe for success. Black Fire Innovation is unprecedented, bringing together top researchers and industry experts in a unique and dynamic environment that enables emerging student talent, technology partners and the community to work together. Caesars strives to provide the best possible guest experience, as technology evolves its exciting that these types of advancements could be conceived and perfected at Black Fire.”
Black Fire Innovation sponsors include: Nutanix, LG, Aruba/ HPE, Interblock, Panasonic, Peerless-AV, Respawn, Allied Communications, Intel, Palo Alto Networks, Toto, Zoom, Breadwear, Losant, Minervaworks, and DreamlandXR.
Managed and operated by Gardner Company in partnership with the UNLV Research Foundation, the UNLV Tech Park will serve as a high-tech economic base in Southern Nevada. It is designed to support collaboration between private sector and university researchers, creating partnerships that will solve challenges, grow new businesses, and attract existing ones.
To learn more about the Tech Park, visit www.UNLVTechPark.com. To learn more or to partner with Black Fire Innovation, visit blackfireinnovation.com
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About Gardner Company
Gardner Company is a full-service real estate company specializing in the development of office, retail, industrial and medical buildings. Gardner Company was founded by CEO Kem C. Gardner, a prominent fixture in the Utah business community for more than 38 years. Gardner Company has one of the largest real estate portfolios in the region. The philosophy of Gardner Company is to build great relationships, which it achieves by partnering with people and companies with the highest of standards to benefit clients, the community, and the environment. Gardner Company was recently chosen as the master developer for the UNLV Harry Reid Research and Technology Park. For more information on Gardner Company, visit http://www.gardnercompany.net.
About UNLV Research Foundation
UNLV Research Foundation is an affiliated foundation of the UNLV Foundation and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. The mission of the foundation is to support UNLV research and to support economic development in Southern Nevada by developing and maintaining UNLV research and technology parks as perpetual assets to enhance intellectual, scientific, and financial growth for the university. To fulfill this mission, the foundation is facilitating, at an accelerated pace, the real estate development of the UNLV | Harry Reid Research & Technology Park. The foundation is operated by a core management team with oversight by a board of directors. The board of directors includes UNLV’s president, executive vice president and provost, vice president for research and economic development, and respected members of the Las Vegas business community who are members of the board of trustees of the foundation.
About Black Fire Innovation
Black Fire Innovation is a unique public-private partnership between UNLV and Caesars Entertainment. As the flagship tenant in UNLV’s Harry Reid Research & Technology Park in Las Vegas, Black Fire Innovation encompasses a 43,000 square-foot innovation space. It operates as an academic incubator, offering opportunities for students, entrepreneurs, and private industry partners who want to advance their research and test concepts. The collaborative space gives researchers unparalleled access to conduct on-demand testing of new ideas and products in a space that houses a mock casino floor, replica hotel rooms, an esports studio with arena seating, virtual reality facilities and a state-of-the-art kitchen with commercial capabilities. UNLV’s Division of Research and Economic Development and Caesars Entertainment will also occupy the space, advancing work that is at the forefront of new customer experiences across the integrated resort ecosystem, including hospitality, retail, entertainment, and associated verticals. Follow Black Fire Innovation on Twitter and LinkedIn, also visit at www.blackfireinnovation.com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackfirevegas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackfireinnovation/
