NC State ranked 17th in the nation for launching startup companies last year. In all, more than 50 companies have been spun out of NC State since 1980, and those companies now employ almost 1,800 people in fields like textiles, pharmaceuticals, software and environmental engineering. Those figures don't include SAS Institute, which was founded by NC State alumnus Dr. James Goodnight, employs nearly 10,000 people worldwide and has annual revenues of nearly 1.3 billion dollars a year.

The burgeoning Centennial Campus is a testament to NC State’s commitment to fostering economic development. What was once open fields, kudzu and stands of loblolly pine across Western Boulevard is now a world-class model of partnership with more than 100 companies and university units covering more than one thousand acres. Centennial Campus has more than 1.5 million square feet of space and is getting bigger.

But more than buildings and square feet, Centennial Campus is a philosophy based on partnerships—between the university, industry and government—where ideas are exchanged. Businesses collaborate with university researchers; our students get hands-on experience through internships and a head start on their careers. These partnerships build economic opportunity for the citizens of North Carolina. The collaboration fosters innovation—and it ensures action.