East Carolina University

Location	Greenville, NC
Project Name	eNC Innovates!
Program	i6
Award Amount	$498,443.00

East Carolina University’s (ECU) Office of Innovation and Economic Development’s primary service area includes 31 counties in eastern NC. The region is largely impoverished with an average 24month unemployment rate of 6.76 percent (U.S. = 5.46 percent) and 2014 per capita personal income of $36,746 (U.S. = $40,049). Also the social and economic context are found to be distressed. The median age is 41.6 years (U.S. = 37.4 years), and some attribute the higher median age to the exodus of young, talented workers seeking employment in other regions. The non-white population is 35.3 percent (U.S. = 26.2 percent). The population percentages with a bachelor’s and graduate or professional degree are 12.7 percent (U.S. =18.3 percent) and 6.1 percent (U.S. = 11.0 percent), respectively.

The objective of eNC Innovates! (eNC-I), is to accelerate and expand commercialization leading to a broader innovation/technology ecosystem that 1) roadmaps the science, technology and innovation needs of advanced manufacturing organizations (industrial and military) with the intent to rapidly advance Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs), and 2) encourages, supports and fosters entrepreneurship and new business/venture creation. The Project will utilize a proof-of-concept program to accelerate the evaluation of very early-stage innovations and IP, match the IP opportunities to advanced manufacturers and entrepreneurs, rapidly innovate and commercialize new products and processes, and increase the success rate of new ventures based upon the innovations and commercialization of new and existing IP. The Project is a creative transformation of the Region and is designed to deliver measurable results.

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