NU CONNECTIONS GIVES ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSES ACCESS TO VALUABLE UNIVERSITY-WIDE RESOURCES

The Program

• Facilitates access to the university’s extensive faculty and staff expertise, student talent, physical resources, and professional and business development programs

• Has an Industry Liaison Officer, a single point of contact, at each of the campuses to help identify and utilize resources and navigate processes

• Extends existing university expertise and programming focused on business resilience and recovery

• Increases opportunities for research collaboration, technology and product development, talent/ workforce collaboration, and other partnerships with Nebraska businesses and the university

• Develops stronger inter-campus connectivity with a shared focus on advancing economic development

• Increases utilization of the university’s substantial and regionally-unique resources such as labs, clinics, field assets, and specialized equipment

The NU Connections program unites the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to promote programs, services, and resources that Nebraska businesses can utilize to grow and diversify.

Administered by the NBDC at UNO, NU Connections provides access to startup assistance, laboratory and facility use, research and technology development, market research, and other services. NU Connections is a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center program.

“The university system has a wealth of resources that can further economic development in the state, but for many entrepreneurs and small business owners, reaching out to the university can be very daunting,” Lang says. “They don’t know who to call or even where to begin.

“NU Connections opens the doors to the university though the program’s liaison officers. Because they are extremely knowledgeable about each campus, these liaisons will identify the right resource and facilitate a connection.”

The Industry Liaison Officers are Deanna Marcelino at UNO, Michael Dixon, Ph.D. at UNMC, Robert Macy, Ph.D. at UNK and Ryan Anderson at UNL. The program has worked on many projects.

When a small business in Kearney needed electrical engineering expertise for a manufacturing issue the business encountered, Anderson linked the company with a faculty researcher’s expertise at the UNL College of Engineering to help solve the problem.

Anderson also helped other NU campuses establish industry/university contract templates to create uniformity and make it easier for industry partners to work with the NU campuses.

The Omaha company Innovative Prosthetics and Orthotics, which partners with UNO and UNMC faculty researchers, utilized NU Connections to establish a laboratory in UNO’s Biomechanics research building to streamline the company’s operations and utilize research laboratory equipment.

UNO’s Industry Liaison Officer Deanna Marcelino assisted a Bellevue software engineering company that was interested in engaging with UNO College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) faculty researchers regarding cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to augment a Department of Defense grant proposal.

Anderson’s visit to Israel in fall 2022 aims to advance opportunities for Israeli agricultural technology companies to conduct research and development on large row crop and livestock production systems in Nebraska through NU Connections.

Students have also benefitted from the NU Connections program. Several Omaha microbusinesses received information technology (IT) consulting provided by students of the UNO College of IS&T through the university’s Service Learning Academy classes and NU Connections. The service learning classes in Information Technology for Development

(ITD) and Electronic Commerce were led by Sajda Qureshi, Ph.D., Kayser Chair, Professor of Information Systems, Department of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis

(ISQA) at the College of IS&T. In the classes, undergraduate and graduate students were placed in teams and linked with a local microbusiness. The student teams evaluated microbusiness technology needs, prepared business technology plans, provided training, and implemented appropriate solutions.

In spring 2022, Industry Relations and the new UNL School of Computing (SoC) within the College of Engineering began the process of securing sponsored projects and volunteer industry coaches for the required experiential learning program and capstone class, Senior Design. In the class, student teams work with sponsoring organizations to develop software and systems-engineered solutions.

Lang says the relationships between students and the businesses can extend far beyond a capstone course.

“Becoming engaged with our students often creates opportunities for internships or employment,” she says.

“These courses serve as a trial run for the students and the businesses.”

Although the original EDA grant that funded NU Connections will expire in September, Lang says the program will not end. “The university system is dedicated to continuing this program,” she says. “The relationships NU Connections has created will endure, and we will keep building upon these connections.

“NU Connections is a vibrant example of the university’s commitment to serve Nebraska businesses, spur economic development, and create a talented workforce that learns here and stays here.”

Scott Asmus, SourceLink Nebraska Program Director, says that from its inception in mid-November 2021 through 2022, 178 startups and existing business owners came to SourceLink Nebraska for individual assistance in a range of areas, resulting in 2,171 interactions with SourceLink Nebraska’s network navigators, the staff members trained to guide clients to the resources best suited to their needs. Additionally, the network navigators created 140 Personal Action Plans, which are customized plans of resource connections geared specifically to each client, resulting in 1,427 direct referrals to resource partners in the Nebraska network. Asmus says business planning assistance – such as writing or reviewing a business plan, conducting market research, or preparing financial projections – was the most common network navigator referred service, followed by the desire to secure loans and startup assistance.