The Blue Dot Innovation Lab addition will have a square footage of 58,000, while the Eberhard Center renovation will have a square footage of 166,000.

Faculty insight and collaboration from all academic disciplines are at the core of the Blue Dot Ecosystem. Faculty members will advance digital literacy for students of all majors and lend their expertise to businesses, K-12 schools, nonprofits and other organizations to help build AI solutions, accelerate industry-driven innovation, facilitate applied research and more.

"The integration of digital literacy across academic disciplines is crucial for all of our students. The Blue Dot Innovation Lab will be a central place where this integration comes to life," said Laurence José, professor of writing and director of GVSU's digital studies program. "I'm excited about how students, faculty, staff members, and the community will collaborate in this space, which is a part of the Blue Dot Ecosystem, to foster critical digital literacy skills."

This new space is part of GVSU's commitment to empower students to thrive in a technology-driven world.

"The Blue Dot Innovation Lab will provide students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology to learn digital literacy skills that employers are looking for and that are necessary to navigate our current digital landscape," said Lukas Hartley, GVSU Student Senate president. "This space shows how the Blue Dot Ecosystem will benefit the futures of our students and also the future of Grand Valley as a whole."