A groundbreaking innovation hub at Sacramento State is set to transform California’s climate initiatives by supporting startup technology companies in the mobility sector. This hub will provide the necessary tools to transition from prototype to small-scale production.
The Hub will feature the California Mobility Center, a 200,000-square-foot facility dedicated to research, development, innovation, and workforce training. Located on 25 acres of university land at 3100 Ramona Ave, just half a mile south of campus, this center aims to be a hub of technological advancement.
In addition to the Mobility Center, the California Department of Justice plans to consolidate several statewide programs related to research, science, law enforcement, and training at the site.
The hub will also feature a large-scale test track for autonomous and electric vehicles and foster university programs focused on these emerging technologies, providing students with unique hands-on experiences.
The project, estimated to cost around $620 million and to be built in two phases, is a collaborative effort involving the Mobility Center, Sac State, SMUD, UC Davis, and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. According to the master plan, the Mobility Center will offer future mobility innovators and industry leaders access to programs and resources designed to accelerate commercialization.
The Environmental Council of Sacramento, a nonprofit dedicated to regional sustainability, held a Zoom talk with the center’s CEO, Orville Thomas, to discuss the center’s role in achieving climate goals and boosting the local economy. Representatives from various state and local organizations participated in the discussion, including House Sacramento, Habitat 2020, Sierra Club, SMUD, and Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates.
Jon Ellison, co-chair of the environmental council’s organizational development committee, asked Thomas how the two organizations could help each other achieve their respective missions as advocates for a “sustainable universe.”
Thomas emphasized the center’s mission to attract companies focused on sustainability and environmental justice. “We want to draw more companies that hire more people that are really revolving around the circular economy, clean energy, clean power and clean transportation,” he said. “We want to make zero emission one of the core tenants of economic development for Sacramento.”
Thomas highlighted the center’s need for $150 million in funding to begin construction, a challenge exacerbated by California’s budget deficit. He also mentioned a recent grant proposal to the National Science Foundation for a 2024 Regional Innovation Engines Grant, which could provide up to $160 million over ten years.
The Ramona site is recognized as a Justice 40 disadvantaged community, a federal initiative to ensure that at least 40% of the benefits from certain federal investments reach underprivileged communities. The center has already begun offering training opportunities in green manufacturing and zero-emission technologies through partnerships with community-based organizations.
“The air quality is dangerously high and the educational attainment is too low,” Thomas emphasized. “Even before a shovel hits the dirt, the has focused on providing training opportunities for our areas via partnerships with to do classes like ‘introduction to green manufacturing,’ ‘zero-emission forklift training and operations certifications,’ and the ‘EVSE Maintenance.’”
The center collaborates with the United Auto Worker’s nonprofit, Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy, to provide training for EV battery manufacturing.
Thomas also noted that the project would create thousands of high-paying jobs in the region through employment at the center or at the technology businesses expected to move to Sacramento. “Over the next year and a half, we forecast that we will train at least 314 people to be ready to work in the battery manufacturing industry,” he stated. “We have an agreement with Sparkz, who’s building their manufacturing facility in Metro Air Park, that at least 114 people out of that pool will be hired to work at Sparkz.”
The center works with Sac State’s engineering department to align student interests with clean energy and transportation technologies. “It allows students a physical space and access to the materials, technology, and machinery needed to turn their ideas into the next generation of technology,” Thomas remarked.
Anushka Kalyan, a 17-year-old senior at Granite Bay High School and environmental justice co-lead for the council, expressed her excitement about the Mobility Center’s potential to create systemic solutions for sustainability in the region. “With the, I hope our region can create strong development and create equity, especially with a standardized, system approach that lends a hand to clients in various stages of social impact,” Kalyan said. “As a youth in the climate space, I truly feel empowered by so many different groups bringing out innovative climate solutions in our community.”
While the exact groundbreaking date remains uncertain, Thomas hopes to start construction by the end of the year, with an estimated completion time of 2.5 years.
