Industry Partnerships

UMass connects curriculum and research with the emerging needs of the new economy and traditional industries. These alliances include a Raytheon and UMass Lowell partnership to develop innovative technologies including flexible and printed electronics, as well as a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and UMass Amherst partnership to harness artificial intelligence to enable breakthroughs in scientific research and development.

In support of industrial growth and the advancement of the common good, UMass provides resources, shares research facilities, develops and tests new products and creates startup companies.

UMass Innovation Institute

As part of an effort to improve and increase the work UMass does with industry partners, the UMass Innovation Institute was created. Faculty and students have the opportunity to interact with industry and get assistance with grants and contracts, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, accounting, and business operations. The Institute aims to ensure that the discoveries made at UMass move quickly from great ideas into reality.

UMass Core Research

Throughout the state, UMass offers fee-for-service access to its Research Core Facilities for academic, government and industry users. Each of the five campuses provide capabilities unique to the area’s industry. The network of facilities offers cutting-edge instrumentation, methodologies and the expertise of full-time professors, and provides UMass students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research.

Small Business Development

With offices near every UMass campus, the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network provides free, confidential, one-to-one management and technical assistance, counseling and low-cost training programs to prospective and existing small businesses throughout the state. The MSBDC Network specializes in capital formation, minority business assistance, business and industry data, international trade and procurement.

Innovation Testing and Development

The New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is just one example of how UMass encourages students, faculty and researchers to build world-changing technologies. At the NERVE Center, researchers are developing robots that can evaluate their performance, as well as machines that can navigate rough terrain and weather in critical search-and-rescue missions.

Across the fields of engineering, life sciences and health care, UMass incubators provide teams of experts with hands-on experience in testing innovations and creating startups.