Iowa universities are key to economic growth

: State Senator Liz Mathis discussed MyEntre.net with University of Northern Iowa faculty members Maureen Collins-Williams and Randy Pilkington on January 31st at the state capital.

Iowa’s state universities are engines for economic growth.

Business support specialists from the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University recently talked with legislators about how the universities contribute to Iowa’s economic growth. Representatives from the University of Iowa will be on hand to describe their efforts next week.

The universities work with businesses on technology commercialization, marketing, entrepreneurship, and small business and community assistance.

MyEntre.Net is an online effort based at UNI that supports Iowa entrepreneurs. MyEntre.Net helps small business owners by providing interactive education, webinars, technical assistance and access to financial help. The site is a valuable resource to the 11,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners from all 99 counties who are currently enrolled in MyEntre.Net.

At ISU, the Institute for Physical Research & Technology uses a cost-sharing research fund to help new and existing industries grow and improve. It has worked with more than 575 companies and organizations.

These are just a couple examples of the innovative efforts of our universities to spur economic growth in Iowa.

For more on the economic development work at our state universities, go to www.legis.iowa.gov/Schedules/committeeDocs.aspx?GA=84&CID=34