RESEARCH: NORTH CAROLINA.

• Author: Hardin, John W.

NC DEPARTMENT of COMMERCE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

June 2, 2022

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.

Innovation is key to North Carolina's economic development strategy. Forging new tools, technologies, and processes creates measurable value in the way we live and work, raising the standard of living of our citizens. Innovation creates new industries, keeps existing ones globally competitive, advances national security, and drives future economic growth and well-being. Innovative regions are better equipped to resist and recover from economic shocks, such as those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. North Carolina's ability to thrive in an increasingly dynamic, global economy depends, fundamentally, on fostering regions of innovation across this great state to the benefit of 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. The state has made impressive gains in technology commercialization, through deliberate initiatives at universities to generate intellectual property and foster business start-ups.

Additionally, since 2000, business R&D as a share of gross domestic product increased at more than twice the rate of the U.S. Continued collaboration between academic...