Through its development of innovative, practical solutions to today’s pressing environmental problems, the EERC is helping the area economy grow. Because of the entrepreneurial, market-driven culture of the EERC, its impact on the regional economy is substantial.

Regional Economic Impact

• Total expenditures in FY12: $45.1 million
• Regional impact: $117.2 million

Job Impact
The EERC is also creating environmentally friendly, high-tech jobs that pay well. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, just 16 coal, oil, and natural gas projects worth over $257 million at the EERC are providing approximately 7342 direct and indirect jobs regionwide.

EERC Employment

The EERC's staff is a multidisciplinary team of around 300 highly skilled scientists, engineers, and support personnel representing more than 120 different disciplines, making it one of the world's leading developers of energy and environmental technologies. This includes 20 full-time-equivalent employees supported elsewhere on the University of North Dakota (UND) campus.

Employment Breakdown

• From North Dakota: 55%
• From Minnesota: 22%
• Degreed employees who are graduates of UND: 58%
• Degreed employees who are graduates of the North Dakota University System: 68%

Fueling the Regional and National Economy

The EERC is supporting the regional and national economy in other ways as well, by purchasing equipment, arranging for employees to travel, and building new facilities.

EERC Stats

• The total value of the EERC contract portfolio in FY12 was over $188.6 million.
• Approximately one funding proposal is sent out a day.
• There were 264 active contracts in FY12—not grants.
• 96% were nonfederal partners.
• Research represents 48% of the total externally funded research at UND.

Contracts by Customer

• Private entities – 86%
• Federal – 4%
• State agencies – 10%

Clients

• Since 1987, over 1230 clients in 52 countries and all 50 states

Client Specs

• Governmental clients: 101
• Academia: 56
• International market: 160
• Private corporations: 925

Useful Links

EERC Economic Impact fact sheet (PDF)