The NDSU Research & Technology Park provides academic researchers and private-sector partners a place to combine talents to develop new technologies, methods and systems.

It’s a simple statement, but one that is packed with potential. Since its inception, the Park has gone to great lengths to develop it to its fullest. 

Today, the Park positions North Dakota State University as a leader in the state, with technology-based economic development strategies that provide real-world educational experiences for students and high-technology career opportunities for graduates.

The Park’s short history is told through multiple success stories. Over its first 10 years, the Park has contributed to the quality of education at NDSU, diversified the economy of the state and built an environment for discovery. New businesses have been established, developed and are thriving; great career opportunities have been created for talented, intelligent people; and new families are flourishing in North Dakota.

Businesses in the Park and those that have recently graduated from our Technology Incubator are worldwide innovation leaders. They include:

·  A company that develops innovative flight data recorders and award-winning 3-D software for flight analysis and training programs. The advanced technology business designs, manufactures and supports electronic, mechanical and software products for aerospace, defense and transportation applications worldwide. 

·  A software company that helps change the way media advertising is bought and sold.

·  A software and services firm that is capitalizing on breakthroughs in wireless devices, sensor networks, Radio Frequency Identification and positioning technologies to advance tracking and automation of business assets.

·  A software firm that grew 500 percent in closed sales revenue and 400 percent in its customer base with a product that helps health care be more efficient with an all-in-one system that serves as a wireless nurse call, provides security and access control, prevents patients from wandering, offers a wireless alert for staff or patients in duress, creates work orders for malfunctioning equipment and manages assets and inventory.

The hard work of our staff, our tenants and Technology Incubator clients is being noticed. In 2006, the Park received a national award from the U.S. Department of Commerce as “Best” in the nation for Technology-Based Economic Development.

We continue to push for greater success for the people of our state, the region, the nation and the world. The United States must reinvigorate its research and development efforts, and we are uniquely positioned to not only contribute, but to help lead the way.

The NDSU Research & Technology Park is a member of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), a professional association that promotes and supports university research and science parks worldwide. AURP is in the midst of a campaign called “The Power of Place”, a national strategy for building America’s communities of innovation. At the association’s spring meeting, former NDSU President Joseph A. Chapman was an invited keynote speaker, and a U.S. Department of Commerce official cited the NDSU Research & Technology Park as a prime example of technology-based economic development.

AURP estimates that 300,000 people in North America work in university research parks, and that every core job in a research park generates an average of 2.57 jobs in the economy. The NDSU Research & Technology Park employs more than 550 people with an average salary of $51,000.

As we move forward, we are focusing on five AURP policy recommendations:

Establish American innovation zones to modernize the U.S. approach to fostering competitive research and development.

Enact a Federal Innovation Zone Partnership Program to focus on areas of high national needs, such as energy research, homeland security, food safety and global climate change.

Build sustainable communities of innovation to encourage researchers and entrepreneurs to live where they work.

·           Solidify tax benefits for research and development to create an even playing field with our global competitors.

·           Import innovation to recruit foreign technology companies.

America needs to focus on research and development to maintain its leadership in science and innovation. New ventures face tremendous odds, and risk is a necessary part of the equation. However, research indicates that firms that graduate from research park incubators are more likely to succeed and, overall, research parks provide support in terms of research and human capital that help minimize the risks.

The NDSU Research & Technology Park is proud to be leading the way. Clearly, this is a powerful place, one with the talent and drive necessary for discovering tomorrow’s breakthrough technologies.

Thank you for your continuing support and partnership.