What They’re Saying About NCInnovation
“This model holds great promise to expand North Carolina’s technology commercialization and serve as a blueprint to expand American innovation”
Legislators proposed $1.425 billion in non-recurring funds to improve applied research outputs at UNC System schools and to help commercialize the results of that research.
Here’s what top leaders are saying about NCInnovation:
Peter Hans, President of the UNC System, said, “I couldn’t be happier with the progress NCInnovation has made in creating a rural economic development model centered around our unrivaled public university system. Anchored in regions outside the traditional research engines, NCInnovation can create a new path for rural growth.”
Truist Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers: “At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. NCInnovation is doing just that through its focus on applied research and commercialization which increasingly drive state and national success. This purposeful public-private partnership is imperative to North Carolina’s economic development.”
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.: “With business all over the world we understand that innovation and scale begins locally, which is why we thought it especially important to support North Carolina’s entrepreneurial development through NCInnovation. This model holds great promise to expand North Carolina’s technology commercialization and serve as a blueprint to expand American innovation.”
Ward Nye, Chairman, President, and CEO of Martin Marietta: “There’s a global race underway for applied research products with commercial applications. NCInnovation’s model seeks to give North Carolina a competitive edge, and that may well determine our future growth trajectory.”
Kelly King, Chairman of the NCInnovation Board of Directors: “I’m grateful to North Carolina’s legislators for their many months of work. NCInnovation’s model will be a gamechanger for North Carolina, especially our rural areas that have the human talent but need support to press forward on commercializing research outputs.”
Allen Gant, retired Chairman and CEO of Glen Raven, Inc.: “NCInnovation contemplates both sides of the economic development puzzle: Create companies and jobs out of university research products, and keep those companies and jobs here in North Carolina.”
Kirk Bradley, Chairman, President, and CEO of Lee-Moore Capital: “NCInnovation’s model lays the foundation for decades of growth by boosting rural economic development and positioning North Carolina to outcompete its peers.”
Neal Fowler, former CEO of Liquidia and current CEO of Pathalys Pharma: “NCInnovation’s model rightly targets parts of the state outside just our urban centers. They have tremendous growth potential – they just need the resources and attention to develop applied research and commercialize it.”
Dale Jenkins, Retired Chairman and CEO of Curi: “NCInnovation offers a way to both support rural economic development and prepare North Carolina to outcompete its peers in the coming decades.”
Stan Kelly, Chairman of the N.C. State Board of Trustees: “North Carolina is an R&D powerhouse, but our innovation and commercialization performance doesn’t measure up to the size of our research base. NCInnovation’s model attacks that problem head on.”
Ven Poole, retired Chairman and CEO of Waste Industries, Inc.: “NCInnovation is the next leg of North Carolina’s transformation into ‘The Innovation State.’ RTP put us on the map, and NCInnovation will position us for decades of future growth in areas beyond our urban centers.”
Tom Darden, CEO of Cherokee Investment Partners: “NCInnovation will improve the value of intellectual property coming out of North Carolina research universities by keeping our commercial successes in the state and bringing them to market faster.”
NCInnovation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation focused intensely on support for North Carolina public university research that has commercial promise. NCInnovation deploys funding, mentors, and support services so that North Carolina university proofs-of-concept can turn into companies and create jobs that remain in North Carolina. Learn more at NCInnovation.org.