Sioux Falls Council approves $10M city funding for DSU cybersecurity lab

The Sioux Falls City Council approved a $10 million appropriation toward a Dakota State University cybersecurity lab on Tuesday night, a "historic project" that proponents say could bring up to 500 jobs paying six figures.

The council unanimously approved the appropriation, with multiple councilors speaking up to express their excitement for the promise of what the project could bring.

Not as many of the involved parties spoke as did at the vote's first reading, with only DSU President José-Marie Griffiths giving a quick recap of her comments from last week – that this project would hopefully blossom into a cybersecurity hub in the Midwest.

More: Cybersecurity promises jobs, six-figure pay and more — if it can get people in South Dakota

The $10 million would be one of several funding sources for the hub, including $30 million from the state that Gov. Kristi Noem is expected to sign next week and $50 million over five years from T. Denny Sanford.

Councilor Rick Kiley said the project was "critical to each and every one of us in this room," adding that with people "clamoring for well-paying jobs," the program could have positive knock-on effects for the city.

More: Dakota State University could help establish South Dakota as a cyber state by building research lab in Sioux Falls

A contract between the city and the South Dakota Board of Regents will still need to be drawn up and approved by the council at a later date.

Comments are closed.