This Whitepaper: "Leading the Future: How Universities and Colleges are Fostering Innovation-Driven Regional Economic Development Initiatives," was written by John A. Cunningham, Josh Fenn, Maria Madarieta, David Metcalf, Scott Miller, Daniel O'Brien, and Michael Rosas, with a foreword by Thomas C. Merrick:
As industries accelerate toward digital transformation, universities are evolving from traditional centers of education into engines of innovation, collaboration, and regional economic growth. Today’s most pressing challenges, whether in manufacturing, health, climate, education, etc., require rapid prototyping, interdisciplinary thinking, and immersive problem-solving environments. The convergence of extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and digital engineering provides unprecedented tools to meet these challenges.
This white paper explores how shared XR and digital engineering infrastructure, supported by technology providers like Virtualware and HTC VIVE, is enabling colleges and universities to play a leading role in workforce development, product innovation, and public-private collaboration. By transforming existing physical spaces into connected immersive labs, institutions are not only preparing the workforce for tomorrow, but they are also helping solve real-world problems today.
At the University of Miami, we’ve seen firsthand how immersive technologies can support student learning, faculty research, and strategic industry partnerships. Through my work as Associate Director of VR/AR Initiatives and Chair of the North America Colleges and Universities Committee for the VR/AR Association, I have the privilege of engaging with dozens of universities working to break traditional boundaries and build collaborative ecosystems. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a new educational and economic paradigm, one where immersive tools help visualize the invisible, prototype the complex, and unite diverse minds across distance and discipline.
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