IUPUC’s latest initiative will work to enhance regional economic growth and development through academic and business partnerships.

The Center for Business and Economic Development will focus on regional economic growth and development through civic engagement in research, teaching and service. Provided services will include non-credit education and training, connecting businesses and organizations with students and faculty, promotion and support of entrepreneurship, innovation and industry-specific programming.

“IUPUC is committed to be an engaged university in southeast central Indiana,” said IUPUC Vice Chancellor and Dean Marwan Wafa, Ph.D. “The launch of the CBED is an important and timely initiative given that it will engage faculty, students, and area experts in providing critical support functions to area businesses.”

CBED will be based in the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence and will be the contact point between the community and IUPUC for business and economic development purposes.

The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence is currently under construction. The 44,000 square-foot facility, designed by world renowned architect Cesar Pelli, will house advanced manufacturing degrees and workforce training.

The center connects IUPUC to a broad range of external partners including the chambers of commerce and economic development organizations throughout the region, Columbus’ Community Education Coalition, Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015 (EcO15), business and industry professional associations, as well as business, education, civic, and not-for-profit organizations.

“CBED’s primary focus will be on industries that are defined as key drivers of economic growth and development for the greater Columbus region,” said CBED Director Georgia B. Miller, Ed.D. (Miller’s titles also include special assistant to the vice chancellor for academic affairs, executive director of executive education, and clinical associate professor of management)

Businesses, not-for-profit and government agencies, and civic organizations may become members of the CBED. Membership will entitle organizations to participate in planning the annual educational offerings, discounts for attendance at programs, and more.

Included in the startup CBED portfolio are the following initiatives:

• Executive Education: Provides non-degree, non-credit education and training in a variety of subjects to executives, managers, professionals from small businesses to large corporations, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations throughout the region.
• Personal/Professional Development: This unit will cover quality of life programming for professionals. Programming topics include work-life balance and lifelong learning.
• Business Partnerships: This CBED functional area will be home for linking businesses and academic units, in areas such as project based learning, project based internships, and career center activities. CBED will structure collaborative relationships with industry where research and development needs of industry are combined with the technical expertise of faculty and the learning opportunities for students provided by IUPUC.
• Entrepreneurship: This unit will address the application of research in the innovative and small business environments. The CBED will house a resource center, education and business development programming, and an online sharing forum.
• Community Development: Included in this work area will be collaborative grants and redevelopment activities.

For more information about the CBED, call 812-348-7226.