NC's Future Depends on Innovation

About Us

What’s Happening


NC’s Innovation Performance Doesn’t Measure Up

NC has great potential, but our innovation performance doesn’t measure up to the size of our research base. NC receives almost $13B annually in academic and industry R&D funding. However:

  • We rank 20th in total innovation
  • We lag the national average in commercializing our research
  • Competitor states are investing in their ecosystems and successfully targeting our emerging tech companies
2nd Research and Development; 20th in Innovation

Why It’s Happening


We Must Overcome Four Key Challenges

Uneven Success

Researchers and entrepreneurs outside of major cities are struggling for resources and mentors

Lack of Applied Research

Few partnerships across universities to solve marketplace problems

Underdeveloped Capital Landscape

Insufficient commercialization funding for university innovation

Lack of Regional Innovation Networks

Little regional collaboration between academic, industrial, and capital formation networks

How We’re Solving It


Reasserting NC’s Place in Innovation

Backed by more than $23 million in commitments from North Carolina businesses and philanthropies, NCInnovation seeks state investment to establish a public-private partnership that will:

  • Develop and optimize regional innovation networks to connect industry, academia, and entrepreneurs across the state
  • Provide grant funding to support emerging applied research technologies
  • Enable support services to commercialize our research successes and create economic development across North Carolina
Private Sector, Public Sector, Universities Collaborative Facilities Community Colleges Entrepreneurs Capital Formation C-suite Talent Governor, Legislature Economic Development Product Partners Council of State Innovation NCI will grow regional innovation networks to support university research. Job Creation NCI will help create new jobs through the commercialization of applied research and incentivize early-stage companies to stay in state with an ecosystem that supports their growth. Ideation NCI will target and optimize applied research to address marketplace opportunities.