Sponsor comments.

• Author: Golden, Jay S.

After being named vice chancellor for research, economic development and engagement at East Carolina University in 2017, I made it a priority to travel across our wonderful state to meet and hear from industry and economic development leaders. A common theme across every conversation is that North Carolina businesses, especially those in the rural majority of our communities, are seeking additional resources and expertise to be more competitive. Our university is here to help.

ECU is one of the nation's fastest growing research universities. As the flagship institution of the east and the only university in North Carolina with a medical school, dental school and college of engineering, ECU is poised to offer technical expertise across a wide range of industries. Whether it's our state-of-the-art research facilities, an enhanced workforce development pipeline, or additional technical expertise from faculty, we want to put our resources to use and be a major driver of success across the state.

At ECU, we're open for business. Whether you're a startup company with two employees or a multinational corporation operating across continents, we've been listening to you on how we can help. We want to build new partnerships and better position your business for the future. Our greatest asset--nearly 29,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff--are at your disposal. Recently, we established the Office of Innovation and New Ventures and Office of Industry Initiatives. Both are dedicated to helping businesses access our cutting-edge facilities and researchers. Specifically, we're focused on turning our students from thinkers to doers, nurturing and harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit to benefit your business. In fact, ECU is the only university in the state with a named school for entrepreneurship--The Miller School of Entrepreneurship.

As part...