UK Economic Development Collaborative Releases 2021 Annual Report
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2022) — The University of Kentucky Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) has released its 2021 annual report. The report is focused on the EDC’s bold ideas and goals that will strengthen Kentucky’s economy and improve the lives of its people.
In 2021, the EDC concentrated on four bold ideas that agreed with the university’s strategic plan:
- Provide the staffing and other resources necessary for a successful Office of Business Engagement reflective of a university of the same size and scope as UK, including access to business intelligence data.
- Development of the UK Innovation District including co-location space for UK students/researchers and industry partners.
- Develop multidisciplinary institutes (an consortia) to grow UK’s impact on the Commonwealth.
- Create an Equity Map of Central Kentucky and focus on Equitable Economic Development.
The 2021 goals of the EDC include:
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Create jobs and get more UK students job-ready for open positions in the Commonwealth.
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Coordinated effort with good communication across the entire campus.
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Increase exposure of the activities of the Economic Development Engagement areas.
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Continue development of physical structures at Coldstream and the main campus that increase economic output.
To view the 2021 report and read more about the four bold ideas and goals, visit https://www.uky.edu/edc/content/2021-annual-report.
The EDC was launched in 2019 to focus on how UK will address economic development in the areas of talent, innovation, place and partnership. The EDC also acts as an advisor for the economic development engagement areas to execute UK’s missions and strategies.
The EDC Core Committee is made up of UK leadership from academia and administration across campus. This includes the offices of the president, the provost and finance and administration, UK HealthCare, Office for Student Success, research, Human Resources, information technology, Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, University Relations, Office for Institutional Diversity and UK Athletics.
For more information on the UK Economic Development Collaborative, visit https://www.uky.edu/edc/.As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.