ARI, A Hub of National Security Innovation

ARI (Applied Research Institute, Inc.) works with academia, industry and government to create a hub of national security innovation that helps solve critical defense priorities. We are building an ecosystem of economic growth that is speeding new investment and advancing partnerships, jobs and the talent pool in Indiana. The Governor, major university presidents and CEOs serve on our board.

We connect regional, state and national partners through a variety of means. This includes convening research and business teams to solve emerging technical challenges for the Department of Defense (DoD). We expect that these discoveries will impact a range of critical industries including medical, transportation and many more.

Board of Directors

The ARI Board of Directors consists of the Governor, major university presidents and CEOs. Learn more about the ARI Board.

Our History

In 2015, a group of business and community leaders in Southwest Central Indiana (now known as the Indiana Uplands Region) developed a strategic plan to enhance regional economic development initiatives in an 11-county region. By the end of that year, three initiatives were developed, one of which was the Applied Research Institute (ARI), know known as ARI (Applied Research Institute, Inc.). ARI was designed to provide more efficient technology transfer and commercialization for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, government, industry and research universities.

ARI was established through a $16.2M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of a larger $42M grant for regional organizations to enhance economic prosperity, collaboration and growth across Southwest Central Indiana. ARI was launched in 2017 and became ARI one year later.

Our Focus

Partnering with more than 200 academic, industry and government organizations, ARI is focusing on the following critical areas:

  • Hypersonics
  • Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Trusted Microelectronics
  • Artificial Intelligence

Learn more about ARI’s role in these emerging technical areas on our Focus page.