Patrick announces new computing center

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Governor Deval Patrick Thursday afternoon announced plans for a world-class, high performance computing center for the City of Holyoke. The computing center would be a joint effort between a number of schools including UMass.

Patrick said, "Innovation is our calling card in Massachusetts, and this partnership with MIT, the University of Massachusetts, Boston University, EMC and Cisco Systems will usher in the next generation of high-performance computing and set us apart from our competitors. The potential for breakthrough technologies and research is enormous, and both the center and this collaboration will undoubtedly serve to lift up the City of Holyoke and regional economies throughout Western Massachusetts."

Mayor Michael Sullivan told 22News no location has been chosen yet it would be somewhere in the area of the city's canals since the facility will be green using hydropower. The computing center will also create jobs for the city.