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From Economic Base to Economic "Basin ": Keeping UNC <br />Ideas Here <br />Executive Summary <br />Technology commercialization at UNC has reached unprecedented levels of impact and <br />administrative recognition. Multi - disciplinary and award - winning entrepreneurial programs at <br />Kenan- Flagler Business School launch dozens of companies each year. Several companies now <br />operate in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, or Carrboro. However, the majority locate elsewhere. In order <br />to better capture the benefit of the University's "spinoff' activities, representatives and personnel <br />of Orange County should: <br />e Know the people who know the people: Form relationships with faculty and office directors who <br />constantly consult enterprising researchers and students. <br />• Distinguish Orange County from the local competition: Identify and promote the reasons why UNC <br />researchers or graduating entrepreneurs would benefit from locating in Orange County rather than <br />traditionally- favored proximate locations. <br />• Understand the needs of eartratage companies and rill service gaps: Early -stage companies look for <br />those who provide for their early -stage needs. <br />Research Question <br />Research Task #3 requests 'documentation and analysis of best practices associated with incentives and <br />tools being used to retain and attract businesses' (abbreviated to show emphasis of research). This task <br />correlates strongly with Objective ED -2.12 of the Comprehensive Plan which intends to 'identify space <br />needed for businesses created through university research'. The combination of these two themes led me <br />to investigate technology commercialization and entrepreneurship programs at UNC. The final <br />recommendation explains Orange County's potential for harnessing this activity. <br />Overview of Research Activity at UNC <br />The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a premier research campus. In FY2007, UNC ranked <br />10`" in federally - financed research expenditures at public universities and colleges (National Science <br />Foundation / Division of Science Resources Statistics, 2009). That ranks ahead of the 5 branch <br />8 6 1 P a g e <br />