UCR’s OASIS Innovation Hub Turns Research into Action

Economic development and outreach are typically not the first things that come to mind in top-tier research universities, but an ambitious initiative led by the University of California, Riverside, sets out to change that.

“We are moving beyond traditional research and scholarly work to engage with the community and contribute to economic development as one of only 20 R1 Hispanic-serving universities in the country,” said Rodolfo Torres, UCR vice chancellor of Research and Economic Development.

The Opportunities to Advance Sustainability, In- novation, and Social Inclusion, or OASIS, is a partnership between public and private stakeholders to drive regional economic development through applied research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development around sustainability, clean technology, and social inclusion.

“The combination of UCR’s impressive student success and diversity, the great research already taking place on campus, and opportunities for economic growth in the region puts us in a unique position to have a more prominent and clear impact on the Inland Empire and beyond,” Torres said.

The first phase of OASIS, which consists of physical infrastructure and pro- grammatic activities, is establishing a clean technology park anchoring diverse stakeholders interested in clean energy, sustainable transportation, agriculture, community health, and natural resources. The initiative received state and federal funding to secure an 8-acre site along University Avenue, building upon the City of Riverside’s planned innovation corridor between downtown and the UCR campus. Torres said the clean technology park is not a typical development for the university.

“The park will anchor research laboratories, professional educational training, offices, and com-