By Edward Coronado |
Riverside is the fastest growing region in the nation and is projected to grow 44% by 2050. The city is highly sought after because of our untapped potential, entrepreneurial spirit, cultural vibrancy, and world-class education institutions.
Launching now is a desirable up-and-coming job sector that will make Riverside the place to live and work. A job sector that will be rooted in the green and clean technology industries of our future. Utilizing local higher education institutions to propel these industries in Riverside is critical.
What has ignited the clean tech movement for Riverside has been the relocation of the Southern California Headquarters of the Air Resources Board. This move builds upon previous successes of businesses like SolarMax and SunSpark—which share a similar sustainability mission, one that is popular and of interest to graduates.
One of the greatest attractions for securing the Air Resources Board was UC Riverside which—like the other three colleges and universities—provides Riverside with local, qualified talent in these desirable 21st century fields. UC Riverside has extensive expertise in sustainability, clean tech, and climate science and UCR’s sustainability expertise is implemented university-wide, across areas of study.
Inland Southern California businesses, governments, and communities are looking for initiatives that will transform the region into an engine of innovation and growth. With that regional desire in mind, UCR created “OASIS” to fill this need–Opportunities to Advance Sustainability, Innovation, and Social Inclusion.
OASIS will be an innovation hub on the campus of UCR focused on sustainability and social inclusion. Inland Southern California sits at the nexus of sectors that impact the environment, qualify of life, and social mobility. The goal is to create a location—an economic ecosystem—that will leverage the university’s strengths. State-of-the-art facilities and living laboratories will be created to support research, entrepreneurs, and catalyze the creation of innovative startups. This goal will work in tandem with the creation of a skilled workforce to fulfill the needs caused by technological changes and prioritize underserved populations.
All these pieces come together to make Riverside a place where a bubble of opportunity and employment will soon explode—adding more reason for graduates to find their dream job here.