University of New Mexico: a changing face - collaboration with the business sector - includes related article

New Mexico Business Journal, Sept, 1993 by E. David Grenham

A CHANGING work force, an evolving economy driven by high technology and more managed approaches to higher education are altering and improving the course for the state's largest educational institution.

The University of New Mexico is poised to capitalize on some of the most advanced high tech research in the world and is already grabbing at the future research collaboratives with Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.

Leaders are betting a chunk of the future -- and much of Albuquerque's -- on this high tech highway where the federal government's resources merge with the university to attract private industry and convert technology from the labs to the private marketplace.

It's already happening, but not nearly enough to make the impact it could.

The University of New Mexico's future students are going to have to be the best and brightest to succeed in their chosen fields.

Many will be driven by high technology, say the statisticians and futurists who study work force trends.

UNM is hoping to be the catalyst for all of its students, but especially for those in high tech fields like engineering.

The first major step in bolstering the university's role in the high tech economic picture is the development of University Center Research Park, a breakthrough that could become a massive research/enterprise site similar to North Carolina's Research Triangle Park.

Less than 10 of the 100-plus acres have been developed, but university leaders see a bright future on the horizon for collaborative activities between the university, the government and private enterprise.

"This year our externally funded research from primarily federal sources will reach $120 million," says UNM president Dr. Richard Peck.

"That money will be spent four or five times before it leaves the community," he says. "We're talking about half a billion dollars spent in the Albuquerque economy just because of UNM's externally funded research."

The university has signed an agreement that makes UNM the tech transfer partner and educational provider, according to Peck, and at least one and maybe both of the companies which sought the contract will build a facility at the research park.

"The very fact of our involvement with the labs and Martin Marietta, the new manager, and the availability of space in our research park will let them put down a foot outside the fence," says Peck.

"Inside the fence, there'll be a lot of activity and we'll all benefit from it," he says, "but the fact that we can bring something outside the fence, like we have with the advanced materials lab. That in itself is generating some few jobs, but more important than that, we hope to kind of spin off technology that will create more."

It's debatable exactly how much tech transfer is going to influence the future Albuquerque economy and there are only isolated examples of high tech transfer success stories today, but the concept will be one large piece in Albuquerque's puzzle, one that UNM is going to help put together.

"I think you're going to see some additional private economic activity wanting to work more closely with Sandia and Los Alamos," says Lee Zink, UNM's associate vice president of resources, business and government relations.

"That's a new role that the university hasn't had," says Zink. "Being a partner with small high tech businesses, providing space, interaction with students -- I think that will all become more important."

While tech-transfer is still one of those concepts that looks good on paper but has had limited application in the marketplace, many at the university and in business are counting on Sandia National Labs to change some of that.

"In general, there has been limited application of tech transfer to this point," says David Scott of Albuquerque Economic Development. "That's why the opportunity on the horizon is the new contractor, who I believe will take a more aggressive role in promoting tech transfer."

Scott says companies have told AED that cooperation between the university and Sandia has directly contributed to their deciding to locate in Albuquerque, a city that looks increasingly attractive to out-of-state companies and in-state entrepreneurs.

Both want to cash in on the possibilities of tech transfer, but don't have the means to do it now.

Scott says businesses, aside from the collaborative possibilities, are attracted to Albuquerque often because of the university and the resources it offers by way of training and expertise.

"The new contractors will focus much of their efforts on technology transfer centers. The university could play a major role in helping with that commercialization project, providing some support in research, technology conversion or whatever," says Scott.

"Tech transfer is an area we feel is going to be important to form new companies in the area," says Scott. "If we've got the capabilities in the university to assist in that project, that will help us to work with the companies to get started."

The university has completed about 100,000 square feet of new office and specialized, light lab space at the research park. Some collaborate research projects with the labs are housed there, along with the New Mexico Engineering Research Institute.