Industry Engagement
Acorn Economic Development Advisors helps colleges and universities build deep, institution-wide industry engagement strategies that go far beyond traditional career services. We work with academic leadership to design and operationalize structured pathways for industry collaboration, including industry-sponsored research, applied learning experiences, capstone projects, executive education, and workforce development programs. Our goal is to help institutions become indispensable partners to employers by aligning academic talent, research capacity, and training programs with real industry needs.
We assist institutions in creating scalable engagement models that are easy for companies to navigate and valuable for faculty and students to deliver. This includes developing partnership frameworks, pricing and contracting models, faculty incentive structures, and internal coordination systems that reduce friction and increase participation. By strengthening how universities engage industry across teaching, research, and workforce development, Acorn helps institutions generate new revenue streams, enhance student outcomes, attract corporate partners, and demonstrate measurable economic impact for the communities they serve.
