The Industry Partnerships office leads statewide efforts to bring industry and higher education together to address critical workforce and applied research needs. The focus of the office is strategic partnerships: supporting a broad cohesive, concerted and collective effort to foster foundational change and new opportunities for Oregon and Oregon students. Both industry and universities benefit by having a single office that builds the necessary coalitions and structure to work across agencies, universities, community colleges and industry sectors.

As a key resource, we advise the state in investments to improve the delivery of relevant and important educational offerings that both meet industry research and workforce needs and provide sound employment opportunities for students after graduation.

To do so effectively, we maintain strong alliances with representative businesses and industry associations to provide the state with relevant, current and specific statements of need. These contacts provide a ready resource for assessing the quality and effectiveness of higher education offerings from the standpoint of serving industry business requirements.

In addition, we enable student and industry connections, fostering efforts to bring students into the workforce effectively and at least cost to the system and the individuals. The office works to enable industry internships and other student experiences of the workforce during education.

Finally, we connect the strategic research assets of the state to foster collaboration, communication and connection. This single voice representing all research enables the state to effectively market its capabilities to attract and retain industry.

Current Major Programs:

Engineering and Technology Industry Council (ETIC): Established in 1997, the mission of ETIC is to make postsecondary engineering and technology education a strategic resource that fuels the Oregon economy and creates opportunity for all Oregonians. It establishes success criteria measurements for investments from the Oregon Engineering Education Investment Fund, makes specific investment recommendations and monitors the results of these investments.

Oregon Metals Initiative, Inc. (OMI): OMI is a consortium of metals industry companies and research institutions that pursues research to improve the long-term competitiveness of the metals industry and the research infrastructure in Oregon. The OUS matches each corporate research dollar on a 1:1 basis for approved projects. Major achievements include new material discoveries, technological advances, multiple patents, and several successful commercial applications.

Contacts: