Calit2 was created in 2000 as a collaboration between UC San Diego and UC Irvine to advance telecommunications and information technologies. It received $100 million from the state to build new facilities. Calit2 brings together over 1000 researchers from various disciplines to work on projects involving nanotechnology, biomedicine, computing and more. It has received over $350 million in federal grants and partners with many private companies. Calit2 operates major research facilities and builds virtual reality systems to enable new forms of collaboration. It aims to help California remain a global innovation leader through technological advancement.