California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently outlined a $95 million R&D initiative intended to keep California on the leading edge of innovation in areas such as nanotech, clean tech and biotech. The “Governor’s Research and Innovation Initiative” will help create jobs while also preserving the environment. In a statement, Schwarzenegger explained that, “as a leader in developing new technologies, California will reap tremendous rewards for our economy and environment from this investment in our innovation infrastructure.”

The governor’s R&D initiative focuses on four primary projects:

* The Helios Project at the University of California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is developing new energy sources, improving energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions;

* The Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of California, which plans to develop biofuels for use in transportation;

* The California Centers for Science and Innovation, which will work with private companies to conduct research in IT, biomedical and nano technology;

* The Petascale Supercomputer project, which is building the next-generation supercomputer.

[image: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the winner of the Arnold Classic]