Why partner with NCIR?

NCIR is a multidisciplinary hub advancing industry innovation and technology through collaborative research and development. Partner with us for your product development and process improvement needs – we are here to support your success. Whether your company is large or small, and regardless of where you are on your innovation journey, we can tailor to your needs.

Expertise and Facilities

The NCIR team brings together expertise across diverse fields, including biotechnology, biological sciences, instrumentation, computational modeling, fluid dynamics, coatings, material processing, separation and purification, computer science, virtual reality, humanoid technologies, and transportation. We are here to support your unique industrial needs, offering contract-based research, development, testing, and prototyping for companies of all sizes.

Engineering Faculty Biology and Biochemistry Faculty Computer Science Faculty

Laboratories

NCIR strives to conduct research, development, testing and prototyping to meet industrial needs in companies of all sizes. In addition, we help develop a highly skilled science and engineering workforce. These laboratory spaces can be a resource to outside agencies and companies who might lack the technology in the areas of biotechnology, materials testing, and product development.

Electronics Laboratory	Engine Laboratory	Soils and Concrete Laboratory
Introduction to Engineering Laboratory	Machine Shop	Materials Laboratory
Physics Laboratory	Thermo-Fluids Laboratory	Senior Design Laboratory
Simulation Laboratory	Surveying Laboratory

ALL LABS

Ways to Partner

We are a dedicated team of faculty and researchers committed to supporting companies throughout the entire product development process. From early-stage research and concept exploration to prototyping, market analysis, and product adoption, we aim to provide guidance at every step of the product life cycle. Each project is overseen by faculty with specialized expertise in the relevant field. We welcome projects of all sizes:

Class Projects

2-3 week project for a single student or a team project. Examples are testing and simple analysis.

Proposal Form

Senior Capstone

A 9 month full academic year project for a team of 2-4 senior students of complementary skills. Example projects are design and prototyping.

Proposal Form

Research Projects

Research project of any length led by a faculty researcher or a team of faculty researchers with students as research assistants. Examples are in-depth analysis with sophisticated tools or equipment for cutting edge product and process development.

We have hired three interns from UNW to work in electrical design and embedded firmware maintenance and verification. One of these has been with us for several years and came on full time following graduation while the other two are still students. All three are very curious, love to learn, are solid contributors to their teams, and work hard. In my interaction with NWU students, an attribute I have truly come to appreciate is integrity and honesty. Its common today for job candidates to present distorted resumes and have difficulty with telling it like it is. I truly appreciate the character of the UNW students and graduates.

Brian Brockway

Employer | President and CEO, Vivaquant

We have had great experiences with UNW graduates Aaron Anderson and Briggs Carlson. They have become fantastic additions to our team and valuable resources for our customers.

Tony Prostrollo

Employer | Director of Engineering & Manufacturing, Midwest Interventional Systems

Primary points of contact for the Northwestern Center for Innovation & Research

We are a dedicated team of faculty and researchers committed to supporting companies throughout the entire continuum of product development. From initial research and concept exploration to prototyping, market analysis, and product adoption, we strive to guide businesses at every stage of the product life cycle. Our goal is to empower your innovation journey, ensuring that each phase is met with expertise and strategic insight, ultimately driving successful outcomes in the marketplace.