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On the afternoon of April 8, the sun, moon and earth will align, creating a spectacular near-four minutes of solar eclipse across Indiana. At that time, animals, believing it suddenly night, will become disoriented and act strange. Scientists will both marvel and scramble, having only a moment to scrutinize the sun in ways they normally can’t. And, of course, visitors will descend on the state. In Indiana, hundreds of thousands—as many as 580,000 people—are projected to visit, second only to Texas.
It will be a remarkable, once-in-a lifetime opportunity. The next eclipse globally will occur in 18 months, but it will be across the Atlantic around Iceland. North America will witness its next total eclipse in two decades. Indianapolis will be in 129 years.
Hoosiers, this is something not to miss.
There is another special and rare alignment upon us, one far more terrestrial and consequential to our lives, that we Hoosiers cannot miss, either, especially our aspiring leaders. That is the convergence of big opportunities in our economy, society and politics. If fully recognized, properly channeled and harnessed, this confluence could lead to another spectacular time for our state—a Hoosier renaissance—that will bring prosperity and pride to our people for years to come.
What’s coinciding? Across the state, great investments are ramping up. Last year, Indiana won three major innovation hub designations by the federal government—in biotech, microchips and hydrogen energy—that are attracting new jobs and ventures to tackle critical, 21st century U.S. challenges. Thanks to the IEDC, AgriNovus, the growing venture capital scene and others, there’s an expanding ecosystem of innovators in ag tech, logistics and health inventing solutions to even more of the country’s and world’s big challenges.
In our capital city, a major upgrade is underway. IUPUI will officially split into separate IU and Purdue branches in Indianapolis this July. This will allow each university to specialize and build out its individual research capabilities, giving our city—top 16 in the U.S. by population—“R1 doctoral” higher ed institutions. As a result, Indy will be home to cutting-edge innovation labs, top talent and workforce-ready graduates, which will attract new businesses to the region in big fields like microelectronics, biopharmaceuticals and aerospace.
Another key force coming into play is fresh political representation. On top of newly elected local leadership in places like Carmel, Westfield, Gary and Terre Haute, Indiana will have a new governor, and an administration to match, by the end of the year. We will be sending a new third or more of our U.S. House delegation to our nation’s Capitol, as well as a new senator. They have the opportunity to be solution-seekers in each of their particular domains.
It’s exciting. Big pieces are converging in Indiana, both in the sky in a few weeks and on the ground for the next several years. Seldom do alignments like this come.
But unlike the solar eclipse, there’s no guarantee that Indiana’s aligning forces will lead to anything spectacular. It will require foresight, fierce prioritization of excellence, and vision, especially by our leaders. They in particular must resist the siren call of grift and hollow ideas that are so present these days and instead focus on seizing the moment before our community.
If we realize this special moment, live up to this charge and demand high standards from ourselves, Indiana can take its strengths to the next level and be a model that other states will admire.•
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Gemelas is chief operating officer at Climate Solutions Fund and a Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation fellow. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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