Michigan State University in East Lansing announced a $50 million commitment from the Leinweber Foundation in Birmingham to establish the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation.
The largest gift ever for a facility at MSU is expected to accelerate MSU’s leadership in education, research, and workforce development across Michigan and beyond.
Naming of the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation is pending approval by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees at its Feb. 6 meeting.
In partnership with the state of Michigan, the 265,000-square-foot Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation will be designed to:
- Serve as a convergence point for education, research and career readiness, including materials science, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductor research, space electronics, ultrafast science, entrepreneurship, and esports.
- Support disciplines essential to Michigan’s economic future.
- Provide state-of-the-art laboratories for more than 75 principal investigators.
- Expand digital learning environments, student project studios, clean rooms and flexible modular research spaces.
- Enable the enrollment of 1,000 new engineering students and expand computational and digital literacy programs.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Leinweber Foundation for this extraordinary commitment,” says Kevin M. Guskiewicz, president of MSU. “It represents far more than an investment in a building — it is an investment in people, in opportunity and in Michigan’s future.
“This investment will help us educate the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators whose work will define the future economy of the state of Michigan and beyond. We are honored by the Leinweber family’s belief in MSU and grateful for their partnership in advancing our mission as a leading global research university.”
The Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation will be led by the College of Engineering and will include five partner colleges, including the College of Natural Science, Broad College of Business, College of Arts and Letters, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and the College of Social Science.
“I truly believe in the power of education to change the trajectory of a person’s life, as I experienced as a college graduate from MSU,” says Larry D. Leinweber, founder and president of the Leinweber Foundation. “Moreover, I believe in the power of research, innovation and our Michigan State graduates to positively shape the future of our state through their contributions.
“Our Leinweber Software Scholars and Leinweber STEM Scholars programs provide scholarships to Michigan students studying computer science, computer engineering and other STEM fields. The new Leinweber Center is the next step in increasing the number of students able to study these fields at MSU, enhancing their educational experiences and preparing the next generation and the state for what the future holds.”
Construction on the new building began in early 2026, with substantial completion expected by December 2028.
“The Leinweber Center will be a powerful example of how our three mission areas come together in one place,” says Ashley Leinweber, vice president of the Leinweber Foundation. “It will advance fundamental scientific research, expand educational opportunity for the next generation of innovators and deepen our enduring commitment to Michigan. This is exactly the kind of bold, long-term investment we believe can help people achieve their full potential and leave the world better than we found it.”
