About

Scholars committed to industry research know that the kinds of problems they address are multifaceted, and that the perspectives brought by several different academic disciplines often are required for significant advances. The Center for Industry Studies is dedicated to broadening and deepening a multidisciplinary community of scholars who are focused on industry research. By encouraging communication with industry practitioners and recognizing the importance of field-based research, the Center hopes to advance scholarship and have a broad impact on industry and the community.

Our research helps to provide unique educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and serves as a vehicle for helping students gain access to professional opportunities. Through research and education we seek to enhance the well-being of our community and to further its economic development.

Communication between academic research activities and business firms can lead to partnerships that encourage educational opportunities and economic advancement. For students, the results can involve exposure to competitive problems at the cutting edge of economic change. For firms, the results can be the solidification of competitive advantage in a dynamic environment. For communities, the results can lead to a basis for knowledge that will support economic development. After more than a decade of industry research and collaboration, faculty members who lead research in the Center for Industry Studies have established the Center´s credibility and demonstrated its potential. The Center builds on this experience to encourage research on a broad range of industries... from the well-established to the newly emerging, from manufacturing to services and non-profit organizations. Through scholarship we seek benefits in education, competitiveness, and regional economic development.