The Business Engagement Center (BEC) is an office of the University of Michigan (U-M) that connects companies with university resources. Located in Ann Arbor, MI on the U-M North Campus, the BEC and partner offices in the College of Engineering, School of Medicine and U-M Dearborn facilitate connections with companies by linking business needs with University resources in research, technology, education, student talent, and strategic giving on the U-M campuses. Currently, the BEC has 12 staff members that collaborate on projects and engagement efforts and works with businesses both large and small.
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History
The Business Engagement Center was established at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2007. The goal of the organization was to strengthen the University’s business and community partnerships and help revitalize and diversify the state of Michigan’s economy. The BEC is funded jointly by the U-M Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office for University Development.
In May 2008, the BEC opened on the University of Michigan Central Campus in the Galleria Building located on South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, MI, where it was co-located with the U-M Office of Technology Transfer. The BEC has three satellite offices: College of Engineering Corporate Relations Office, Medical School Business Development Office, and the U-M Dearborn BEC. These offices work together to create partnerships with companies by linking business needs of these companies with University resources: research discoveries, new technology developments, use of high-tech university facilities, access to student and alumni talent, U-M education programs, and opportunities for philanthropic support.
In September 2010, the BEC moved to the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), where it continues to be co-located with the U-M Office of Technology Transfer. In 2011, the BEC approach went statewide with the launch of the Michigan Corporate Relations Network (M-CRN). The goal of the M-CRN is to provide companies, large and small, with greater access to the deep pool of talent, resources, and facilities at the state of Michigan’s six leading research universities. These university partners include Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, the University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University. Collectively, these six institutions account for 98 percent of the academic research and 99 percent of all patent activity done in the state of Michigan. This initiative helps increase the growth and productivity of Michigan-based companies. Teaching and research opportunities also attract new businesses to the state. For this program, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) awarded a grant of more than $1.8 million to help fund the M-CRN.
Services provided
The BEC connects ideas, technologies, and knowledge created by students, faculty, and departments of the University of Michigan with the needs of both large and small corporations. The BEC team connects business community with university resources. This includes the task of navigating the academic areas and departments of the University to help businesses make the necessary connections and relationships.
Furthermore, the BEC helps businesses identify what they are looking for in a relationship with U-M, and connects them with the appropriate U-M student talent and faculty expertise to meet those needs. This allows companies to more quickly discover joint research opportunities at U-M, connect with student design teams, and uncover technology utilization and commercialization opportunities. The BEC also helps companies to improve professional development (short courses, distance learning, special programs), find lab space and specialized facilities for research and development, as well as connect employees with university advisory boards and to identify strategic giving opportunities.
Who the BEC serves
The BEC staff works with all 19 U-M schools and colleges, maintains relationships with more than 1,000 companies, and is contacted by nearly 200 new companies each year. Within this client portfolio, companies come from a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from start-ups to multinational corporations. The BEC partners in local economic development and works closely with other nearby organizations that drive growth, such as Ann Arbor Spark, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, The Right Place, and Southwest Michigan First. Also, the BEC collaborates with influential local institutions, such as the A2Y Chamber, the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Association of Michigan, and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.
National impact
The BEC represents an example of a corporate relations effort at a national research university. To further these efforts, the Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers (NACRO) annual conference was hosted by the U-M BEC in Ann Arbor during the summer of 2011. NACRO is a nationwide organization that provides professional development opportunities and disseminates best practices to help its members establish and advance comprehensive, mutually beneficial relationships with industry. The goals of NACRO are to further connect major universities to industry, determine the roles corporate relationship professionals on university campuses play in fostering effective management, and to ultimately bridge the cultural divide between academia and industry.