UNM: Working for Economic Development in New Mexico

Direct Support of Business Development and Planning

Through a variety of units and programs, UNM directly promotes economic development by facilitating the start-up and development of new businesses and by providing expert information that can be utilized by the business community in its planning efforts.

A. Support for Start-up and Development of New Businesses

1. As previously described, UNM's Science and Technology Corporation (STC) is designed to promote technology transfer by patenting, and licensing UNM research discoveries and by helping to create new companies based on those discoveries. Additionally, STC manages a new business incubator in the UNM Research Park that supports the development of both UNM and non-UNM start-ups.

2. The Management of Technology program at UNM's Anderson Schools offers degrees in managing the development and commercialization of new technologies. The program not only provides the state with professionals in the area of technology transfer, it also directly supports technology commercialization by helping new high technology spin-off companies construct meaningful business plans, marketing plans, and financial services analyses.

3. The Small Business Institute at UNM's Anderson Schools focuses on the support of a range of different kinds of small businesses in the state. Like the Management of Technology program, the Institute works with businesses to create business, marketing and financial services plans.

4. Capstone student projects throughout the Anderson Schools require that students work directly with business entities to create various kinds of analyses and plans that will benefit the business entities involved.

B. Support for Business Planning in New Mexico

1. Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER). UNM's BBER is the most comprehensive and respected source in the state for data and analyses concerning New Mexico's economy, its demographics and its complex socioeconomic status. BBER maintains a comprehensive data bank for the state, it publishes a monthly statistical report (New Mexico Business--Current Economic Report), it provides short-term projections of employment and personal income through its FOR-UNM Economic Forecasting Service, and it periodically prepares long-term projections of the state's population by county. BBER also conducts contract research for a variety of businesses and state organizations covering numerous economic and demographic topics, and it disseminates its research findings widely to the public. Its Economic Forecasting Service is used extensively by businesses and other state organizations for short-term planning decisions.

2. Institute for Public Policy (IPP). UNM's IPP contracts with a variety of business and governmental agencies to conduct state-of-the-art opinion surveys on a broad range of public policy issues. The opinion data gathered by the IPP is used extensively for planning initiatives within state organizations.

3. Earth Data Analysis Center (EDAC). UNM's EDAC utilizes Geographic Information Systems and Global Positioning Systems to maintain a technologically advanced spatial information center. This center produces highly detailed mappings of current land uses in a variety of selected areas, and this information is utilized by several state organizations to plan for the location of new construction and infrastructure needs.

4. UNM Technical Assistance Office. The Technical Assistance office is the Economic Development Administration's University Center at UNM. This office provides a variety of consulting and support services designed to strengthen the organizational effectiveness of small, non-profit economic, business and community development organizations throughout New Mexico.

5. UNM Statistics Clinic. On a contract basis, this clinic provides statistical consults to university clients, government agencies and local industry. The Clinic's data analysis expertise is utilized in a variety of planning and outcome assessment projects.

6. School of Architecture and Planning. Through Design Studio projects, UNM faculty and students support local organizations in developing architectural designs and community plans that are utilized by business and government in planning for future construction.