UNC Charlotte's ‘Innovation and Economic Prosperity’ Designation Extended by APLU

APLU Celebrates UNC Charlotte’s Role in Regional Economic Advancement

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public research institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. This university provides a range of academic programs, including 24 doctoral degrees, 66 master’s degrees, and 79 bachelor’s degrees across nine colleges. According to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings, UNC has earned a prestigious spot among the top 100 public universities in the nation. The designation of UNC as an Innovative and Economically prosperous university has now been extended by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities which underscores the institution's continued commitment to community engagement and regional economic development.

Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber thanked the APLU for acknowledging the contribution of the university to fostering innovation and creating jobs in the area, soon it will expand its position as a major economic driver as it is moving closer to earning Carnegie R1 accreditation. Since earning the IEP designation in 2017, Charlotte has made substantial progress. It introduced “Shaping What’s Next” a  10-year strategic plan in 2001, over the past three years the university had updated its organizational structure to enhance innovation and economic development.

This includes transforming the Office of Research and Economic Development into the Division of Research with new leadership, establishing the urban core as a community-engaged scholarship hub, and creating the Office of Economic Development to bolster regional company recruitment and expansion. The university has also aligned educational and outreach efforts through the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The university’s research expenditures have surged by 272% over the past decade, with Carnegie R1 status expected by early 2025.

The Office of Research Commercialization & Partnerships' Senior Executive Director, Greg Needham, emphasized that by submitting extension applications the university achieved advancement in workforce development, community engagement, and translational and applied research.

The university listed several major initiatives in its IEP extension application by launching CLEANcarolinas with a $1 million NSF grant to drive regional economic growth through energy innovations; taking a leading role as one of four regional hubs for NCInnovation to boost statewide research and innovation; the largest expansion of research centers in the university's history through the Ignite program, which provided two-year funding for 12 pilot centers in 2023; and collaborating with various organizations to secure a U.S. EDA Tech Hubs strategy development grant to enhance the region's technology capabilities.

Patrick Lucitt, Manager of Economic Development Partnerships, mentioned that new collaborations and breakthroughs in the greater Charlotte region will be facilitated by the university's growing research portfolio. As an extended IEP designee university will participate in the annual IEP awards and share best practices with other IEP members. The IEP program was launched in 2013 by the APLU, a research and advocacy group that supports public universities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to improve these schools' approaches to community and economic development. The members of Charlotte's designation team are Deb, Patrick Lucitt, Greg Needham, Betty Doster, Patrick Lucitt, Deb Thomas, and Byron White.

Editor’s Note:

UNC Charlotte achieved a major milestone as the status as an "Innovation and Economic Prosperity University" has been extended by the APLU. The university's dedication to promoting community involvement and regional progress is demonstrated by this recognition. The addition showcases the accomplishments of the university, such as the Office of Economic Development, urbanCORE, and redesigned research offices. 

Skoobuzz Congratulates UNC Charlotte for this ongoing accomplishment and for playing a vital role in promoting innovation and regional economic growth.