President McRobbie said the partnership between Indiana University and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division will be strengthened as the result of a new, shared space on the IU Bloomington campus. 

McRobbie and officials from NSWC Crane announced IU Bloomington's Multidisciplinary Engineering and Sciences Hall, or MESH, will be converted into a laboratory space where researchers from both institutions will work side by side. The space will deepen collaborations in engineering, informatics and computing that could result in solutions to national security challenges. 

"With this newest initiative, IU and Crane will further their efforts to provide expert leadership and highly specialized technologies toward solving today's most critical national security challenges," McRobbie said. "Additionally, by continuing to collaborate in areas of mutual research and technology strength, IU and Crane will also help improve regional workforce development and economic prosperity, as well as the security of the Hoosier state."

IU and Crane leaders also signed a renewed Educational Partnership Agreement between the institutions, which creates a framework for the initiative. 

MESH is currently undergoing renovations.