INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLKI)- Indiana officials say dozens of businesses have announced plans to locate or expand in the state this year, bringing thousands of potential jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in projected payroll.
Governor Mike Braun chaired the Indiana Economic Development Corporation's third-quarter board meeting, where state leaders highlighted new business commitments, regional development efforts and initiatives focused on entrepreneurship and technology.
According to the IEDC, 69 businesses have announced plans so far this year to create 5,385 jobs in Indiana. Those jobs are expected to pay an average of $41.71 an hour, which the agency says is above both the state and national average wage.
The planned projects are expected to generate about $437 million in new payroll. Recent announcements include expansion plans by Amazon in Johnson County, Comlux America in Marion County, Givaudan in Dearborn County, GovParts in Allen County and RayzeBio in Boone and Marion counties.
The board also discussed Indiana's international business ties. State officials said Indiana now has nearly 290 Japanese business facilities that support nearly 62,000 jobs statewide.
Other topics included the state's effort to compete for the new U.S. Space Academy in partnership with Purdue University. Officials say the proposal builds on Indiana's aerospace, engineering, advanced manufacturing and national-security industries.
The IEDC also highlighted the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, known as READI. The original $500 million state investment is expected to be fully distributed by the end of the year. Officials say it has helped generate more than $9 billion in committed local and private investment across Indiana's 15 regions.
A separate $65 million READI Arts and Culture program is expected to support dozens of projects involving historic landmarks, entertainment venues, museum spaces, public art and creative-workforce development.
The board also received an update on a proposed supercomputer initiative led by Indiana University, NVIDIA and other partners. A $5 million grant from the state's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund is intended to help expand access to advanced computing for Indiana businesses, researchers and innovators.