The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth mission statement says that the school "serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social and cultural transformation on a global, national and regional scale."
While UMass Dartmouth is not alone in defining its mission at least in part to be an economic engine for the area, it is the only institution of higher learning in the region that includes as part of the execution of that mission a business incubator, one recently rededicated to help students and faculty get business-worthy ideas off the ground.
It's not just that publicly funded research universities should be concerned with the health of the towns and cities in which they are located. That is a given.
More importantly, in the 21st century, universities are vital generators of the ideas that spark innovation. It is difficult to imagine an economy that does not value what higher education can contribute to economic development remaining competitive on the global stage. Brown University's recent pledge to build a "translational science complex" in the I-195 Redevelopment District is validation of that idea.
UMass Dartmouth's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, located in Fall River, should be viewed as a regional asset, part of the important work of building an economy in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts that can compete and sustain competitive advantage for years to come. The only question that remains is, how many other institutions will make the same kind of commitment? •