Overview
At William and Mary, we have a strong commitment to support economic development. We are eager to connect our faculty and students to opportunities to work with business, non-profit, academic and public partners in collaborations that strengthen our programs and contribute to new economic opportunities both here & throughout Virginia.
Economic development initiatives. . .
- Create research and technology transfer opportunities
- Develop infrastructure and skills that support high value-added work opportunities in the Commonwealth
- Expand cultural, research and employment opportunities for students, faculty, and the community.
According to an economic impact study done by the Wessex Group in 2005, expenditures by the university, our students and faculty, and visitors to campus contribute more than a half a billion dollars and over 7,000 jobs to Virginia each year. But like other universities, William and Mary’s economic contribution is much broader than that. Our most important technology transfer occurs each spring as our graduates bring their new knowledge, skills and habits to productive applications throughout their lives. While they are here, our students and faculty are engaged in a variety of research and outreach programs that add tremendous economic value.
Our office:
The Office of Economic Development has been active in initiatives in bioinformatics, aging and geriatric health, sensors, entrepreneurship, education, marine science, and more. The Office facilitates meetings of the VIMS-Industry Partnership Committee, and supports the development of a new William and Mary Real Estate Foundation. We have the leadership role in developing and implementing targeted projects designed to help the state, our region and Greater Williamsburg achieve their economic development goals. Click here to learn about our current regional projects
We have very close relationships with the Vice Provost for Research and the Director of the Technology Transfer Office, and we work as a team in helping to make it easier for companies to gain access to applied research and streamline technology transfer processes. We are very interested in helping young technology companies expand, particularly those that involve our faculty or can benefit from their research. Our Technology and Business Center actively seeks connections with technology and knowledge-based companies.
We can help you…
- Start a new business
- Expand your current business
- Move your business to our area
The Office is located in New Town at 5308 Discovery Park Boulevard. New Town is a 300-acre mixed-use community just to the west of the main campus. Our new offices in the Discovery II Building are co-located with the William and Mary Research Institute, two high-tech classrooms and the area workforce development coordinator of Thomas Nelson Community College, and James City County's Economic Development Office.
Learn more about the Office of Economic Development Staff.
