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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

CGI Officially Opens Center Of Excellence In Lafayette, Louisiana

05/18/2016
CGI held its formal opening for the company's new $13.1 million onshore information technology (services Center of Excellence in Lafayette, Louisiana. The 50,000-square-foot facility houses CGI's fourth U.S. onshore delivery center and is expected to create up to 400 high-quality IT jobs in southwest Louisiana by 2020.

As an anchor tenant of the 143-acre Research Park of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, CGI's new state-of-the-art facility is expected to have an annual economic impact of $90 million over the next five years. The project also includes a state-funded, 10-year, $4.5 million higher education initiative led by University of Louisiana at Lafayette that will result in a tripling of the number of undergraduate degrees awarded annually by the University's School of Computing and Informatics. That growth is anticipated to place the university's computer science program among the top 25 in the U.S. for number of bachelor's degrees awarded in computer science each year.

CGI is also establishing a research and technology innovation lab in Lafayette to advance cutting-edge technologies such as digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, future cities, big data and data visualization. This Innovation Center is open for business and will be used by both CGI and the University for technology demonstrations, client innovation sessions, and learning events.

"This ribbon cutting would not have been possible without the shared commitment of CGI and its local partners in higher education, economic development, state and local governments and the Acadiana community," said Tim Hurlebaus, President, CGI Federal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGI, serving clients in the civilian, defense and intelligence sectors of the U.S. government. "Together, we envisioned a state-of-the art technology facility that would bring high-quality jobs to Lafayette and provide world-class service to CGI clients. Today, with that vision becoming a reality, we recognize the contributions of those who welcomed our business to this great community, and the CGI team members in Lafayette who are serving our clients across the country and around the world."

"CGI's arrival in Louisiana has helped elevate our state's status as a leading destination for knowledge-based employers and the creative professionals who help them thrive," Gov. John Bel Edwards said. "While attracting one of the world's most successful information technology companies, we also are building research capacity in an exciting way for one of our leading higher education institutions, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. We're delighted that CGI is meeting with success in Louisiana and that our partnership, over the next decade, will triple the number of computer science undergraduate degrees awarded annually through UL Lafayette's School of Computing and Informatics."

"By including onshore delivery options as part of our global delivery network, we not only underscore our commitment to client service, but also prove that building a national technology workforce in the U.S. is about more than recruiting workers in Silicon Valley and other urban technology centers," said Will LaBar, Vice President, CGI Federal. "We believe that young people in places like Lafayette should be able to live, raise families and pursue technology careers in their own communities. We are proud that our center in Lafayette is offering the opportunity for area students and workers to join the nation's technology workforce right here in southwestern Louisiana."

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