Thank you, Chancellor Berdahl, and thank you for your leadership in bringing forward this truly exciting and visionary project.

California has always been a leader in generating new ideas and providing solutions for the problems affecting our nation and world. I think it's fair to say that America has learned to look to California for the very latest innovations -- in everything from information technology to health care to environmental stewardship.

And the University of California has always been at the very center of this state's capacity to innovate. From its earliest days, UC was deeply involved in the science of reclaiming the Central Valley for productive agriculture. It was University of California research that led to the establishment of the Napa and Sonoma regions as among the world's leading places for the cultivation of wine grapes. And in more recent times, research conducted at UC has led to the creation of new companies and entire new industries. It's no coincidence that today, one in three biotechnology companies in the United States is located within 35 miles of a UC campus.

It is hard to think of an aspect of our daily lives that is not somehow touched by research conducted at the University of California. We also know from numerous economic analyses that UC research has an extraordinary impact on the economy of California. For the last several years, the UC system, in partnership with the State of California and private industry, has embarked on an aggressive effort to accelerate research discoveries that are critical to the future of California. One aspect of this effort has taken the form of the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation -- multidisciplinary research facilities aimed at creating the next generation of knowledge in specific fields. The four institutes are:

CITRIS, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, led by UC Berkeley in collaboration with UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz;

QB3, the California Institute for Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Quantitative Biomedical Research, led by UC San Francisco in collaboration with UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz;

Cal (IT)2, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, involving UC San Diego and UC Irvine;

And the California Nanosystems Institute, a project of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

The project on which we are breaking ground today stands at the crossroads of two of these institutes -- QB3 and CITRIS. This building will house cutting-edge research at the intersection of the biological sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering. The work done here will make a major contribution to our understanding of health and society, and equally important, it will produce the next generation of scientists to carry this research forward. There can be no doubt that it will place California at the very center of the exciting interdisciplinary work being done in these fields.

I want to thank the many people who have played a key role in this project -- with special emphasis on our industry partners. You have my utmost appreciation for your commitment, hard work, and financial support of this important project.

I also want to thank the one individual who was the driving force behind the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation -- Governor Gray Davis. Throughout his career, Governor Davis has sought out and been involved with scientists and engineers working both in universities and in industry. He has visited many high-tech companies and many university laboratories, and he has been a strong spokesman for the critical role that research plays in driving the economy. Based on his experiences and many discussions with scientists, Governor Davis proposed the concept for these institutes. To say the least, I and my colleagues responded with great enthusiasm -- and the tangible result is the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation. Governor Davis argued for them in the Legislature, he accelerated the funding for them, and he has continued as an enthusiastic and effective champion for them.

Finally, let me say that even in these troubled economic times, the governor has continued to be a strong advocate for public education, including public higher education. His budget, as reflected in the May Revision, offers a balanced and sensible approach to dealing with the state’s fiscal challenges. Like the rest of the state, the University of California will be taking its share of budget cuts next year. But the governor has proposed a budget that places a high priority on maintaining access and quality in the University of California's programs -- something that is critical if we are to continue serving California as we have for the last 135 years.

With that, let me now introduce a tireless advocate for our state's long-term economic and educational health. We're delighted he could be with us today to break ground on a facility that will make a major contribution to that future. Ladies and gentlemen, Governor Gray Davis.