Working Solutions

College of Textiles student looks over the quality of the latest nonwoven fabric.

Visit a classroom or laboratory at NC State and you'll discover that "Economic Development" is our middle name. Nearly every exciting new initiative, building and research project on campus is focused on growing and enhancing economic opportunity. We create jobs; then educate the workforce to fill them.

Today, more than 70 active startup companies hold licenses to NC State patent rights, including Cree, Inc., the leading manufacturer of semiconductors; BioMarck Pharmaceuticals, a leader in the discovery and development of new drugs for the treatment of pulmonary diseases; and LaamScience, a company developing apparel with a specialized coating that kills viruses and bacteria when exposed to light.

Innovation doesn't stop there. Centennial Campus – our 1,334-acre research community – is home to a dynamic technology incubator, an R&D neighborhood where our students, researchers and industry partners work together on the next generation of solutions in information and communication technologies, biotechnology, advanced materials and education.

You'll find other economic development initiatives across campus as well.

The Nonwovens Institute is a cooperative research center that's helped North Carolina save jobs in the textiles industry by attracting $350 million in investment capital from nonwovens companies in the past few years. The Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science conducts research to support North Carolina's aerospace industry. The Small Business Technology and Development Center provides counseling in the areas of technology transfer, research and development funding, intellectual property issues, networking/resource identification, and financing alternatives. The Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) program develops innovations to grow the state's photonics industry. NC State provides support to rural entrepreneurs in the agriculture, tourism and natural resources industries, resulting in new commercial ventures and business growth.

From textiles to computing to agriculture, business and industry leaders rely on NC State to help them create new products and new jobs.