Black Fire Innovation launches in Las Vegas

In the southern suburbs of Las Vegas and last week saw the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) open a four-story venue that is to serve as an incubator for new ideas in gaming, entertainment and integrated resort experiences.

The 43,000 sq ft Black Fire Innovation facility began operations on Thursday as the first university-affiliated component of the 122-acre Harry Reid Research and Technology Park and is to now be run via a public-private partnership with prominent American casino operator, Caesars Entertainment Corporation.

Committed collaborators:

UNLV used an official Friday report to declare that Black Fire Innovation will allow its students ‘to bridge the gap between academic life and the post-graduate world’ by working alongside professionals already involved in their course of study. It stated that the new $35 million facility is to also be a place where scholars can test and develop their concepts before presenting these to a range of prospective on-site partners including Intel Corporation, Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Panasonic Corporation.

Supported exploration:

Zach Miles, Economic Development Associate Vice-President for UNLV, explained that his department moreover has office space on the third floor of the property and soon hopes to begin attracting industry-sponsored research so as to further develop the university’s intellectual property while bringing advanced products to market.

Read a statement from Miles…

“Walking through this space today makes you realize all the hard work is going to pay off. All the ideas are going to come to fruition. I’m extremely excited about it but I’m much more excited about the next stage. We’ll open those gates and those projects will start to flow.”

Eager entry:

UNLV explained that the top floor of Black Fire is already hosting an eSports studio, slots from International Game Technology (IGT) and a mock sportsbook in addition to a range of traditional blackjack tables where the new Buster Blackjack side bet innovation is being tested. Nearby and it detailed that hospitality students can now experiment utilizing a pair of simulated guest rooms while additionally trying out their ideas in the venue’s coffee shop, dining room and bar.

Fresh catalyst:

Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak, was on hand to help open the new Las Vegas endeavour and the Democratic legislator proclaimed that it would help to create partnership opportunities between academia and a range of industries ‘that simply aren’t possible on many college campuses today.’

Sisolak’s statement read…

“The academic and economic benefits of the research park are strong. They attract new high-tech businesses to spark the flow of ideas between universities, private businesses and research laboratories.”