Economic Impact of University Research Parks

University City Science Center’s 2025 Economic Impact Report

At the University City Science Center, progress doesn’t stay contained. One breakthrough in medtech fuels another in diagnostics. A single new job becomes the spark for dozens more. Innovation here doesn’t just happen—it moves purposefully toward impact. 2025 cemented our guiding principle: innovation without impact is unfinished work. To create real-world solutions, we need to move past simply ideas, technologies, science and toward translation. Aligning capital, evidence, and the right stakeholders creates the conditions where innovation moves faster and more efficiently – that’s how breakthroughs happen. Explore how deep domain expertise and a connected ecosystem accelerated real-world outcomes, with progress compounding across our region and beyond.

Aggie Square 2025 Economic Impact Report

UC Davis’ Aggie Square is helping drive a $13.2 billion annual economic impact for the university statewide, according to a 2025 analysis, with nearly 68,300 jobs supported across California. With Aggie Square’s first phase opening in 2025, the story offers a timely example of how university-led innovation districts can translate research strength into regional growth.

Syracuse University Economic Impact Report

Syracuse University contributed $1.8 billion to the Central New York economy and supported 35,132 jobs across the five-county region in fiscal year 2023-24, according to a comprehensive economic impact study commissioned by the University. The study, conducted by Lightcast, found that the University’s economic impact increased by nearly 64% from the $1.1 billion reported in 2017.

Virginia Tech’s 2026 Economic Impact Report

Virginia Tech’s footprint spans every sector of the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond, impacting communities, accelerating innovation, and creating a ripple effect through the university’s total economic impact that drives Virginia forward.

Arizona Insights USMCA Report on the Future of North American Trade

The updated United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) 2026 report outlines refinements to North America’s key trade partnership, emphasizing enhanced cooperation on innovation, intellectual property, cross-border research collaboration, and digital economy development. Strengthening economic integration across the three countries creates new opportunities for regional innovation ecosystems, technology commercialization, and global competitiveness.

Sandia National Laboratories’ 2025 Economic Impact Report

Sandia National Laboratories has a robust and widespread economic impact. Spending by the Labs exceeds $5.2 billion a year. Over $1.6 billion goes to subcontracts. That includes about $1.03 billion in subcontracts with small businesses. Explore the links below to learn more about the specific ways Sandia is making a difference at our headquarters in New Mexico and our second principal laboratory in California.

University of Georgia Research 2025 Impact Report

Across its 19 colleges and schools, the University of Georgia conducts research with real, far-reaching impact on modern life. UGA research affects the food you put on your table. It can help you feel better when you wake up in the morning and recover more quickly from disease. It influences where and how you travel, who and what you’ll encounter. At the end of the day, UGA research helps you thrive. We invite you to explore this 2025 Impact Report and learn more about how UGA research touches the world around you.

LSU’s The President’s Annual Impact Report 2024-2025

In 2024-25, LSU delivered a landmark year of progress with record-setting enrollments, more than half a billion dollars in research activity, and a surge in degrees awarded across campuses. That impact translated into thousands of jobs supported, billions in economic contributions to Louisiana, and major breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare (including development of a new class of antibiotics), energy innovation, agriculture and environmental resilience, cybersecurity, and national-security research. Through investments in new facilities, expanded academic programs, and partnerships across industry and government, LSU strengthened its role as a driver of opportunity, innovation, and long-term prosperity for the state.

Tech Parks AZ Drives $2.6B Annual Economic Impact, Fueling High-Quality Jobs for Skilled Talent

Tech Parks Arizona marked its 30th anniversary with a new economic impact report revealing a $2.6 billion annual contribution to Arizona’s economy.

The report highlights that in 2024 alone, the organization supported 15,857 jobs, generated $1.1 billion in labor income, and produced $84 million in state and local tax revenues through its three innovation hubs — the UA Tech Park at Rita, UA Tech Park at The Bridges and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation.

“Tech Parks Arizona stands among North America’s leading university research and technology parks, exemplifying the best practices in innovation-driven economic development,” says Vickie Palmer, AURP CEO. “This newly released impact analysis reaffirms Tech Parks Arizona’s critical role as a national model — successfully linking academic research, industry collaboration and entrepreneurial growth to generate extraordinary economic outcomes.”

UK Report Highlights Growing Rural–Urban Divide in Kentucky’s Economy Amid Shifting Population, Industry Trends

A new report from the University of Kentucky (home to the Coldstream Research Campus) on the state’s economy highlights both the state’s growing diversity and its persistent rural–urban disparities.

While rural Kentucky experienced population decline from 2011 to 2019, the trend reversed between 2020 and 2024 as more people moved to counties bordering urban centers — supported by expanded remote and hybrid work options. Despite this modest rebound, economic growth remains uneven: from 2001 to 2023, GDP grew by 49% in Kentucky’s 35 urban counties compared to just 18% in its 85 rural ones.

The analysis shows that rural residents earn, on average, 26% less per capita than urban residents, and even those with bachelor’s degrees make 40% less than their urban counterparts. Manufacturing remains the largest contributor to state GDP but represents a shrinking share of employment, while service and logistics jobs are expanding fastest. Rural areas also host a greater share of small firms (under 500 employees), yet their workers consistently earn lower wages across company sizes and ages.