By Abby Vander Graaff Boomerang Writer [email protected]Jun 26, 2022
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Breakthroughs and evolutions with technology continue to alter the way people conduct business, and leaders in the region are trying to keep up.

About 100 representatives from businesses, universities, community colleges and governmental organizations gathered at the University of Wyoming this week to tackle the challenges associated with keeping up for the Mountain West Innovation Summit.

Specialists in areas such as energy, digital technology and scientific research presented their views on how the region can become a leader in economic and technological development.

For UW, this means building partnerships with local businesses, organizations and government entities to bring economic opportunities to students and the university.

“The university is really on the move in spite of all the troubles we’ve had over the last couple years with (COVID-19) and budget cuts,” said UW President Ed Seidel. “We’re making progress and we’re now being seen on the national level right here in this room as we plan for the future.”

UW is trying to remain competitive by pursuing opportunities to become more digital, entrepreneurial, interdisciplinary and inclusive, Seidel said.

So far, it has created multiple programs that work toward this goal, such as the School of Computing and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Both programs provide students of any major education about topics that could help them when they enter a rapidly changing workforce.

“With a lot of technology development, jobs will change dramatically,” Seidel said. “We have to really think hard about our curriculum and how we interact with industry.”

Increasing collaboration across public and private entities is something officials at the national level are talking about as well. In March, the U.S. National Science Foundation launched its Technology, Innovation and Partnerships directorate — the first new entity of its kind for the organization in decades.

The goal of the directorate is to engage different groups of people in scientific research. With any luck, these could be the same people who end up using and benefitting from new technology that’s created as a result, assistant director of the program Erwin Gianchandani said during the conference.

The group will provide money and other resources to get people at the university, community college and professional levels involved in conducting scientific research that will have a tangible impact on communities.

One priority of the directorate is to bring the same opportunities to rural communities that are traditionally only brought to coastal cities, Gianchandani said. For Wyoming, this could mean one more resource for economic development as the state looks to diversify its revenue streams.

“This is a transformative moment,” Gianchandani said. “There’s a tremendous amount of bipartisan support on the hill for technology and research.”

UW and others in the state have already begun to think more collaboratively, with initiatives such as the Wyoming Innovation Partnership at the state level. Formed in 2021, the program aims to create training and funding sources for groups that work to increase opportunities in the workforce.

At the national level, congress passed the 2021 U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which will provide money for technological research and manufacturing.

Innovation at UW will expand to more than just technology, Seidel said. It will also include the arts and humanities. On the administrative side, it means looking for ways to make money outside of appropriations from the state Legislature.

“It’s a big signal to the academic community in the United States that innovation is something to take seriously, and even NSF is taking that leadership role,” Seidel said.