History/Background

The seed for the Charlotte Research Institute was planted in early 1998 when the Charlotte Chamber retained ICF Kaiser's Economic Strategy Group to talk with business and civic leaders to define issues and initiatives critical to the region's future. One of the most prominent initiatives identified was the acceleration of UNC Charlotte's development as a top-tier research university. To achieve this, it was proposed that the university create a dedicated public/private research institute on campus, which would complement and stimulate the economic growth of the region.

The Charlotte office of McKinsey & Company conducted a pro-bono, 12-month feasibility study and strongly concluded that such an initiative should be undertaken. The report recommended that the university establish an institute that simultaneously would accelerate UNC Charlotte's development as a research university and stimulate entrepreneurship and economic growth in the Charlotte region. It further recommended that the university carefully select focused research areas that possess the greatest potential for success.

Heeding these recommendations, UNC Charlotte established the Charlotte Institute for Technology Innovation (now the Charlotte Research Institute) in December 2000. The Charlotte Research Institute is the portal for business-university technology partnerships at UNC Charlotte. Building on the internationally known results of its research centers, CRI supports new research ventures, university partnerships with regional and national enterprises, and spin-off companies created from UNC Charlotte research results. Our research vision continues to grow as UNC Charlotte expands with emerging initiatives in Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, and Motor Sports and Automotive Engineering.

CRI continues to track the rapid expansion of UNC Charlotte, North Carolina’s urban research institution. With an enrollment ranking it fourth among the 17 schools in the UNC system, it is the largest public university in the greater Charlotte metropolitan region. A doctoral institution, UNC Charlotte serves the region through applied research, knowledge transfer and engaged community service. For fall 2009, approximately 24,700 students, including 5,300 graduate students, were enrolled in one of the University’s comprehensive doctoral, master’s or bachelor’s programs.