NC DEPARTMENT of COMMERCE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION.

Dr. John Hardin EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

June 6, 2023

It is my honor to introduce this issue of Research North Carolina, a forum for North Carolina institutions and companies to showcase their research programs, innovations, and achievements.

In a dynamic and unpredictable world, the ability to adapt to new externalities ensures that businesses, industries, and entire economies will remain resilient. Innovation is the foundation of this adaptability, and it must drive North Carolina's economic development strategy in the coming decades.

Creating new technologies and solutions to problems keep us looking ever forward and drives economic growth by anticipating new opportunities for development. Innovation also makes industries globally competitive, both fortifying national security by establishing a robust economic ecosystem, and improving quality of life for all citizens at home. North Carolina must therefore foster innovation as its economic bedrock, from the mountains to the coast, to extend its benefits to all North Carolinians.

One of our state's strongest innovation assets remains its research universities. North Carolina s academic R&D expenditures relative to the size of its economy rank fifth nationally, according to the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation's recent Tracking Innovation 2021 report. The transfer of technology and knowledge from universities is key to realizing their economic potential.

Another hero of the innovation space are small businesses, who, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Dynamics Statistics, are responsible for nearly the entirety...