Spring 2003

Dialog Box

Rich Linton
Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
Dean of the Graduate School
University of Oregon

There is no greater concern within Oregon than the pressing need for new strategies for sustainable economic development. The UO, as the eighteenth largest employer in the state, makes enormous contributions to the Oregon economy of more than $700 million annually. The corresponding return on investment is ten times that of the funds provided to the UO through direct state appropriations. In addition, the university is increasingly successful in translating its basic research discoveries into commercial products and spin-off companies. The research centers and institutes, funded largely through competitively awarded federal grants to faculty members, are the major source of the UO innovations driving its technology transfer efforts.

This issue of Inquiry provides three exciting examples of UO centers and their associated spin-off companies that transform academic research into applications directly benefitting society. These efforts are found in diverse fields including software to improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes, new medical imaging devices and associated bioinformatics systems, and second language learning and assessment tools. The Riverfront Research Park and the UO Office of Technology Transfer, by providing an exceptional infrastructure to support the UO's research and technology transfer efforts, help to assure that the entrepreneurial efforts of UO researchers will benefit the state's economy.

Inquiry © 2003; University of Oregon Office of Research, Eugene OR 97403 Questions? Commments? Contact Jim McChesney, (541) 346-3017