For innovation to thrive, mechanisms to channel, transfer and foster resources must exist. The North Louisiana Partnership for Innovation (NLPI) is the mechanism to forge relationships among academic, public and private sector organizations with the goal of increasing technology-based economic development. Significant changes are taking place in Louisiana with the promotion of technology clusters and the growing emphasis on collaborative research, education, and economic development efforts. NLPI represents a focused infrastructure that provides the means to inform stakeholders, recruit innovation opportunities, and facilitate interaction and the transfer of knowledge and technology among academe, industry and government.

Initial funding for NLPI was awarded in 2003 by the National Science Foundation through its Partnerships for Innovation program. Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is the lead institution for the project, but pivotal to meeting NLPI’s goals is the Consortium for Education, Research and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT).

CERT is an established, unique partnership of all higher education institutions in north Louisiana, formed to meet regional industry research, technology and workforce needs through the resources of the member institutions. Governed by a board that consists of the CEO, Chancellor or President of each member, CERT includes 100% of North Louisiana’s historically black institutions (Grambling State University and Southern University at Shreveport); technical and community colleges (Bossier Parish Community College, Louisiana Delta Community College and 17 campuses of the Louisiana Technical College); an independent liberal arts college (Centenary College of Louisiana); state-supported colleges, universities, a nursing and a pharmacy school, and research institutions (NSU, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, University of Louisiana at Monroe, NSU School of Nursing, Louisiana Tech University, and LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport). CERT’s membership thereby insures broad participation of all types of academic institutions and citizens.

To strengthen CERT’s economic impact in the region, the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, an independent not-for-profit technology-led economic development organization, is the Consortium’s twelfth member.