Office of Economic Development

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Sustainable Tourism Outreach

In partnership with the Office of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development, the Center for Sustainable Tourism and the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development, a statewide outreach coordinator position has been created to help support and promote sustainability in the tourism industry across North Carolina. The coordinator works with all partners to facilitate sustainable tourism education, research and outreach.

As agriculture and manufacturing continue to change in North Carolina, many communities are now turning to tourism as a source of economic development, particularly in rural areas. The coordinator works to find practical and applicable solutions to the problems for the industry as a whole by working with existing programs and serving as the link between organizations and businesses.

For more information about the Sustainable Tourism Outreach, please contact Alex Naar at 252-737-1346 or email naara@ecu.edu.

Design & Innovation

Imagine a place where creative impulses are indulged... risk taking is encouraged... and innovation is ignited. Currently in the upfit stages, the Innovation Design Lab (IDL) is a unique environment for designing solutions to complex problems, from a new medical device to advanced learning technologies to new public policies. The IDL is yet another exciting way that East Carolina University expands the innovation capacity of our industry clusters, creates new jobs and investment, and sustains vibrant and livable communities. It will be housed in the Willis Building with a satellite companion facility in NC State University's College of Design. Its environment will encourage transdisciplinary innovation research and enable execution of practical design and technology projects in support of regional innovation and economic development. A best-in-class facility, the IDL sets the stage for breakthrough thinking and the advancement of new knowledge, technologies and products by

  • Enhancing the innovation capacity and competitiveness of NC's firms;
  • Building regional networks to generate advanced manufacturing opportunities;
  • Fostering creativity and entrepreneurship on campus and throughout the region;
  • Supporting team-based education that creates social entrepreneurs on the cutting edge of product development;
  • Building an innovation culture that values creativity, risk taking and disciplined implementation.

For more information about the Innovation Design Lab, please contact Ted Morris at 252-737-1380 or email morrisja@ecu.edu.