PRESS RELEASE
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. – A new five-year strategic plan to additional construct West Virginia’s science and expertise sectors calls on the state to redouble its efforts and transfer ahead in advancing the position of training, analysis, and innovation in its economic system.
Vision 2030: West Virginia Science & Technology Plan (Vision 2030) identifies high-priority science and expertise analysis areas of strategic significance to the state to align stakeholders round priorities that advance West Virginia’s analysis enterprise and business progress.
“Our updated Vision 2030 Plan is not simply another document—it’s a living roadmap for building the essential infrastructure that supports our state and local economies,” mentioned Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor for Higher Education. “We are seeing returns on our investments in science and research, from breakthroughs in institution-led innovation to tangible growth in our workforce and industries. This plan is our call to action: a blueprint for higher-paying jobs, robust economic development, and a future in which our state’s commitment to science translates into real, measurable progress for generations to come.”
The plan focuses on high-priority areas that signify rising university-based analysis and academic actions aligned with West Virginia’s goal industries and workforce objectives:
- Life Sciences: Health Science; Agriculture; and Natural Resources Resilience
- AI/ML and Data Science: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning; and Data Analytics and Data Science
- Advanced Manufacturing: Robotics and Autonomy; Manufacturing Efficiency; and Materials
- Advanced Energy: Energy Reliability and Efficiency; and Exploration and Production
- Fundamental Research
- STEM Education: Okay-12 Schools; Community and Technical Colleges; and Regional and Research Universities
The improvement of Vision 2030 fulfills a key requirement of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which helps states like West Virginia which have traditionally lagged in competitiveness for federal analysis funding. The plan was developed with enter from quite a lot of stakeholders representing authorities, business, academia, and enterprise improvement organizations.
“Our mission is for West Virginia to compete and succeed in the global economy by increasing research capabilities and cultivating a highly skilled STEM workforce,” mentioned Dr. Janet Rorrer, senior director of science and analysis on the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. “Through Vision 2030, we are advancing economic diversification rooted in innovation and talent. The investment of NSF EPSCoR and targeted state funding has helped support foundational sciences at our colleges and universities. We are strategically positioned to expand into high-impact areas that align with our state’s economic development goals.”
STaR Division: Science, Technology & Research, a division of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, and the Science & Research Council, established by the West Virginia State Legislature in 2009, developed Vision 2030 with RTI International and Keen Point Consulting. It was authorized and adopted by the Science & Research Council on June 26, and by the Commission on September 19.
The full digital model of Vision 2030: West Virginia Science & Technology Plan is available online now.
STaR Division: Science, Technology & Research gives strategic management for the event of aggressive analysis alternatives in science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic. The workplace directs NSF EPSCoR in West Virginia and manages the state-funded Research Challenge Fund.
RTI International is an unbiased, non-profit analysis and consulting institute headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC. RTI’s mission is to enhance the human situation by turning information into observe. Keen Point Consulting is a technology-based financial improvement consulting agency situated close to Cleveland, OH.
Follow STaR Division: Science, Technology & Research on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.