Hosted by Duke’s Office for External Partnerships, the UIDP Southeast Regional Forum, held May 20, 2026 at the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center, brought together representatives from research universities, private industry, and the nonprofit sector for a wide-ranging discussion of university-industry partnership in today’s world.
Formerly known as the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership, UIDP is a “solutions-oriented organization” in which members “identify issues impacting university-industry (U-I) relations and opportunities to develop new approaches to working together.” University participants came from across the Southeast, from as far as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Maryland. Many Research Triangle-based companies were also represented, including Dell, Bayer, BASF, and NC Biotech.
Lively Discussion and Shared Purpose
After a welcome from UIDP president and CEO Tony Boccanfuso, Duke’s Vice President for Research & Innovation, Jennifer Lodge, delivered opening remarks. She noted that the forum was taking place in the Research Triangle, “one of the country’s strongest examples of what is possible when universities, industry, government, and communities work together with shared purpose.”
Operating under the Chatham House Rule, participants spoke candidly and energetically, engaging in lively discussion about the many challenges facing research and development today – or, as one speaker put it, research and deployment: “how fast you can get from the laboratory into people’s hands.”
Speakers and participants agreed that the research community is at an inflection point. One speaker broke the history of US research into 80-year chunks, explaining that the period from the founding of the Union to the Civil War saw the birth of US universities; that the next 80 years saw the rise of industrialization and scientific research; and that the 80 years after WWII saw a boom in research, technology, and globalization through the support of the US government. The speaker called for leaders to reimagine the role of universities and industry in research, and to recognize the need for new ways to bring institutions together for discovery.
The Research Triangle has always succeeded because it embraced collaboration over competition and long-term investment over short-term thinking. That model remains just as important today.
Jennifer Lodge, Office for Research & Innovation VP
Research is Personal
The personal, human side of research became a recurring theme in presentations and discussion. Numerous participants pointed out the importance of university-industry collaboration for undergraduate and graduate students. While many faculty mentors may not have industry experience, research partnerships give students access to see the kind of work they can do after graduation.
The cross-pollination cuts both ways, as well. Industry representatives explained how working with university partners brings in new perspectives and innovations, as well as opening up a proven talent pool for the company.
As one participant remarked, outsiders may view a university-industry partnership as one big institution collaborating with another big institution. But the day-to-day reality is more personal – a few researchers in a specific lab, working with a person or team within a company. These partnerships are not institutional, but relationship-based, and changes in leadership or roles impact all the people involved.
Preparing for the Future of Research
“We were pleased to host the UIDP regional assembly on our beautiful campus,” OEP Executive Director Ed Pagani shared. “At Duke, we believe research universities have a responsibility to lead in building partnerships that move ideas from discovery to real‑world impact. By convening leaders from academia and industry, we’re creating connections that will expand opportunities for all, while strengthening the research-to-commercialization ecosystem.”
As part of their SAMI (Strengthen and Modernize Initiative) project, UIDP led three breakout sessions focused on developing better strategies for U-I collaboration. Topics included navigating intellectual property ownership, forging university-industry partnerships, and developing industry-specific Ph.D. programs. Participants’ recommendations will help shape UIDP policy and strategy in the future.
With frank, thoughtful discussion and impactful presentations, the UIDP Southeast Regional Forum tackled thorny questions around university-industry partnerships and the future of the research community at large.