University of Wisconsin–Madison named an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University

The Affiliation of Public and Land-grant Universities has designated the College of Wisconsin–Madison as an Innovation and Financial Prosperity College. The APLU awarded UW–Madison this designation primarily based on the college’s important, sustainable and campus-wide dedication to financial engagement, together with its previous and future give attention to innovation and entrepreneurship, know-how switch, expertise and workforce growth and public service and neighborhood engagement.

“The Innovation and Financial Prosperity designation displays the profound methods wherein UW–Madison helps drive our area’s growth, vitality and financial future,” notes UW–Madison chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “It’s a testomony to our important position as an trade and neighborhood connector and an invite for us to do much more to stimulate innovation and collaboration.”

The APLU, a company devoted to advancing the work of public universities, established the IEP program to assist increased training establishments strengthen their technique and practices in financial and neighborhood growth and to focus on designated establishments’ dedication to regional financial engagement.

“Financial growth is a serious pillar of universities’ work,” stated APLU President Mark Becker. “From expertise growth to pathbreaking analysis to entrepreneurship and past, establishments have a central position to play in financial growth. We’re happy to acknowledge UW–Madison for its dedication to participating its neighborhood round these points to advance regional financial growth.”

Steve Ackerman, UW–Madison’s vice chancellor for analysis and graduate training (VCRGE), and Charles Hoslet, vice chancellor for college relations, served as main sponsors of the appliance.

“Our aim in pursuing the IEP designation, merely said, was to enhance outcomes for the college and its stakeholders,” says Ackerman. “Deepening and strengthening trade engagement throughout campus is a part of the Wisconsin Thought and can profit college students, school, corporations and communities throughout the area. It would additionally enhance alternatives for additional federal and personal funding of our analysis and graduate training missions, which is important for UW–Madison’s aggressive future.”

Challenge leaders interviewed greater than 150 stakeholders from a various vary of backgrounds and ranges of expertise, about 40% of whom have been from outdoors the college. Inside stakeholders included school, employees, management and college students; these exterior to UW–Madison included companies, native and state authorities and neighborhood leaders. Interviews, held in 2021, targeted on UW–Madison’s strengths and areas for enchancment, with an emphasis on trade engagement.

Areas recognized for continued progress embrace promotion and clarification of mental property coverage, high-impact public-private financial growth potentialities and analysis alternatives with excessive potential for future growth. Pillars of the ensuing plan embrace updating techniques and protocols to ease entry to the college and maximizing workforce growth and societal influence by means of neighborhood engagement and outreach. Already, the college has secured further contract flexibility from the Board of Regents and is actively pursuing a wide range of new regional public-private partnerships.

“UW–Madison has been a catalyst for the extraordinary since its founding,” says Chris Kozina, UW–Madison assistant vice chancellor for trade engagement and a co-lead within the IEP software course of. “Whereas our world-class training and analysis are oriented towards fixing real-world issues, it’s important to look at, perceive, adapt and alter to maximise our stakeholder influence.”

Bob Gratzl, assistant director of contracts for Analysis and Sponsored Applications inside the VCGRE’s workplace, and Stephanie Furlong, particular initiatives supervisor within the workplace of College Relations, additionally served as IEP co-leads.

In 2020, UW–Madison’s then-chancellor Rebecca Clean led the pursuit of this designation, partially to evaluate UW–Madison’s financial and neighborhood growth influence on expertise, innovation and place. The college’s general financial influence to the state, based on a 2021 evaluation, provides as much as greater than $30 billion per yr. Further areas wherein UW–Madison has made important financial and neighborhood growth influence embrace:

UW–Madison is one in all 9 universities to earn the APLU honor in 2022. The 80 establishments which have earned the IEP recognition to this point embrace the College of Illinois, Indiana College, the College of Michigan, the Ohio State College, and Penn State College.

For extra about this designation and UW–Madison’s subsequent steps, go to https://go.wisc.edu/aplu.