Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of South Carolina Research Partnerships Generating Over $790M for the Palmetto State

  • 10/28/19

COLUMBIA, SC – When the University of South Carolina’s Office of Economic Engagement (OEE) first launched six years ago, its goal was to build relationships between researchers and industry partners. True to its mandate, the university has forged ties with global industry giants and is driving hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy.

The OEE, with its corporate and government partners, has created over $790 million in indirect economic impact since its founding in 2013, using a standard economic development analysis that examines both direct and indirect economic benefits generated through the office. The figure includes ongoing industry partner investments along with grant generation, software gifts and new job creation.

“Thanks to the vision of President Harris Pastides, OEE has had a swift economic impact on our state,” says University of South Carolina President Bob Caslen. “We look forward to building more research partnership opportunities and providing our students with the skills and expertise needed for success in high-tech careers.”

The OEE serves as the convergence point for private industry, government, and the university. In addition to connecting industry partners with the university’s intellectual capital, it also leads technology commercialization efforts, fosters entrepreneurship and start-ups, supports research centers and grows existing collaborations.

“The tremendous success we’ve had in such a short period of time is a testament to the quality of research taking place here at the University of South Carolina,” says Bill Kirkland, OEE executive director. “We are in the top 1 percent of patent-producing universities in the world, and innovative industry leaders know that South Carolina is the place to be.”

Ongoing research partnerships include a wide range of companies and federal agencies, from advanced computing, aerospace and automotive, to health care. They include: IBM, Boeing, NASA, Samsung, Siemens, Yaskawa, Capgemini, Prisma Health, Nephron, TIGHITCO, and more.

OEE supported research centers include:

  • Three labs located at the McNAIR Aerospace Research Center on Catawba Street: 1) The IBM IOT Industrial Innovation Center (2018). The only university-based IBM lab of its kind in North America, the lab uses cloud data to develop new technolgoies to help American manfacturers improve their operations. 2) The Digital Transformation Lab (2018). The 15,000-square-foot lab serves as a research showplace where projects with an array of real-world industrial and consumer applications are on display—from robotics, visual inspection, and autonomous drones to smart home appliances. 3) The Center for Predictive Maintenance. Researchers and students from four university departments support the U.S. Army Aviation program. Using cloud-based technology and machine learning, researchers and students conduct detailed analyses, identify potential defects or problems and recommend specific solutions to improve maintenance for combat helicopters.
  • Siemens Healthineers Innovation Think Tank (ITT) Lab (2019). The ITT Lab is the first of its kind affiliated with a U.S. university. The lab will be an innovation hub where participants including researchers, faculty members, and students can think outside the box to solve issues in health care, artificial intelligence, robotics, and information technology alongside industry innovation leaders.
  • The AI Institute (2019). The new institute advances state-of-the-art AI applications in fields like health care, education, social sciences, communications, advanced manufacturing, autonomous transportation and personalized security, while also examining the ethics and societal impact of advancing technologies.

Visit the Office of Economic Engagement to learn more about the university’s industry partnerships.

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • California District Opens New Continuation High School

    The Fort Bragg Unified School District (FBUSD) in Fort Bragg, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Noyo High School, a continuation high school that provides alternative education options for students in grades 6–12, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrochi Kwok Architects for design and FRC Inc. for construction, and the project’s funding came from Local Bond Measure B.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.