UMass Lowell has long history of developing partnerships with industry both locally and nationally. The underlying philosophy of these relationships is that a partnership is a "two-way street" with an abundance of open communication. A model for this at the University is the College of Engineering, particularly the Department of Plastics Engineering, which has been a leader in establishing strong ties with industry for more than fifty years. The department provides engineering graduates and cutting edge research that ensures corporations have a skilled workforce and new products to meet tomorrow's needs. Companies provide equipment, scholarship support, advice, industry speakers, plant tours and similar support in recognition that by doing so they have an impact on the quality of graduates and researchers that will be available to them in the future. A true partnership is indeed a two-way street that requires regular interaction between the parties to ensure mutual goals are met and a healthy relationship is developed and continually nurtured. In addition to providing workforce and research capabilities, universities such as UMass Lowell offer access to commercially valuable technologies through the Office of Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property-the University's technology transfer office. The University further "bridges the divide" by providing incubator opportunities for promising technologies.
