The University of Georgia earns Renewal of APLU’s Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation

Authors:

• Stacy Jones, Vice President for Public Service and Outreach
• Derek Eberhart, Associate Vice President for Research and Executive Director, Innovation Gateway

Over the past decade — and especially in the five years leading up to its IEP 5-Year Renewal — the University of Georgia (UGA) has strengthened its role as a driver of innovation, economic development, and community engagement across the state.

When UGA first engaged with the Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) framework in 2013, it identified three key areas for growth: partnering for economic development, facilitating interactions between the university and the public, and more effectively communicating its impact.

Since that time, and particularly in recent years, those priorities have evolved into a coordinated, statewide strategy that positions UGA as a leading engine of innovation and economic prosperity.

Engaging Stakeholders to Shape Institutional Strategy

A defining feature of UGA’s progress over the past five years has been its expanded commitment to stakeholder engagement, ensuring that its work remains aligned with the needs of Georgia’s communities and economy.

Internally, the university has strengthened coordination through the creation of the Office of Business Engagement and the Business Engagement Council, aligning efforts across academic units and administrative offices to better connect with industry and external partners.

At the same time, UGA engaged a wide range of external stakeholders, including state agencies, business leaders, alumni, local governments, and community partners, as part of its strategic planning process. Through structured focus groups, participants were asked to reflect on how UGA could deepen its impact in areas such as community engagement, research and innovation, and workforce development.

Stakeholder feedback consistently emphasized the importance of:

• Expanding outreach in rural and under resourced communities
• Strengthening workforce and talent pipelines
• Increasing awareness of UGA’s programs and services
• Enhancing collaboration across sectors

These insights played a central role in shaping UGA’s strategic direction, reinforcing its commitment to integrating teaching, research, and public service in ways that directly benefit communities across Georgia.

Expanding Innovation: A Transformative Five Years

While UGA’s commitment to innovation has long been part of its mission, the past five years have marked a period of significant expansion in both infrastructure and measurable impact.

The development of the UGA Innovation District has created a centralized hub for collaboration among students, faculty, and industry partners. New programs, including the Faculty Innovation Fellows, the Franklin CREATE! initiative, and CREATE Labs, have expanded opportunities for entrepreneurship, prototyping, and interdisciplinary innovation across campus.

These efforts are complemented by the continued growth of Innovation Gateway, which has become a national leader in research commercialization. Since its establishment in 2015, and with substantial gains in the past five years, Innovation Gateway has:

• Executed more than 1,900 licenses and options with industry partners
• Helped bring over 600 new products to market
• Generated more than $120 million in licensing revenue
• Expanded its startup pipeline five-fold
• Contributed to an estimated $531 million annual economic impact

Together, these advancements reflect a shift from building innovation capacity to delivering tangible outcomes, supporting job creation, industry collaboration, and long-term economic growth across Georgia. These efforts also create meaningful opportunities for collaboration with peer institutions seeking to expand innovation ecosystems, strengthen research commercialization, or deepen community engagement through shared models and best practices.

Leadership and Engagement within the IEP Community

UGA’s contributions extend beyond the state through its active engagement in the IEP program and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

Over the past decade, and continuing into the most recent five-year period, UGA leaders have contributed to national conversations on economic engagement, participated in learning exchanges, and supported peer institutions pursuing IEP designation. Faculty and administrators have served as reviewers, collaborators, and mentors within the IEP community, reinforcing UGA’s role as both a contributor to and beneficiary of this national network.

Through this ongoing engagement, UGA both contributes to and learns from a dynamic community of institutions committed to advancing economic engagement and strengthening a shared environment of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

UGA received its first IEP Award in the Place category in 2025, an important milestone that highlights the university’s leadership in community and economic development. In 2022, UGA earned the C. Peter Magrath Award for Community Engagement, APLU’s national award for the outstanding community-university engagement work of public universities.

The Value of IEP: Reputation, Accountability, and Recognition

Participation in the IEP program has played a significant role in shaping UGA’s growth over the past five years.

The designation enhances UGA’s reputation as a trusted partner for communities, businesses, and policymakers. It signals a sustained commitment to economic engagement and strengthens the university’s ability to collaborate across sectors.

Equally important, the IEP framework fosters accountability. By engaging with peer institutions and participating in a national community of practice, UGA is continually challenged to assess its progress and refine its strategies in response to emerging needs.

The program also provides meaningful recognition for faculty whose work advances community impact. Through research, outreach, and entrepreneurial initiatives, UGA faculty are contributing to economic prosperity across Georgia, and the IEP platform offers a national stage to highlight these efforts.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining and Scaling Impact

As UGA looks toward the next phase of its IEP engagement, the university remains focused on expanding its impact while staying grounded in its land-grant mission.

Building on momentum from the past five years, key priorities include advancing interdisciplinary initiatives such as One Health, expanding the reach of Innovation District, and enhancing the visibility and accessibility of public service and outreach efforts across the state.

At the same time, UGA is positioning itself to address emerging challenges — from workforce development to technological change — by leveraging its strengths in research, teaching, and community engagement.

More than a decade after its initial IEP designation, and at the culmination of a transformative five-year period, UGA continues to demonstrate how a public research university can serve as a catalyst for innovation, a partner to communities, and a driver of economic prosperity — both within Georgia and across the broader IEP network.