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2017 | Doing Business in Connecticut 21 Education, Research & Technology T echnology is evolving rapidly, and the demands of the workforce are changing with it, making it critically important for Connecti- cut's colleges and universities to provide students with the right tools for today's marketplace. rough strategic partnerships, and a strong commitment to joining the academic world and the business world, the education sector is making Connecticut fertile ground for students surveying a jobs landscape that is moving faster and becoming more cutting edge by the second. Tech-driven careers "e low cost and availability of computing power and memory processing has revolutionized the workforce," said Lou Manzione, a tech-industry veteran and director of collaborative research and economic development at the University of Hartford. "We emphasize strategic partnerships to keep us plugged into the needs of an industry." ose relationships help the university move beyond simply being aware of new technologies and how they may impact the workforce, to actually developing opportunities for students, Manzione said. A case in point is the university's partnership with Hartford Hospital, which teams computer and biological engineering students with the hospital's Center for Education Simulation and Innovation, which is developing virtual-reality training applications for medical professionals. "We are aware of virtual reality, but we wouldn't be developing an opportunity with Hartford Hospital if we didn't have that rela- tionships," Manzione said. "And tools like this are going to be very important. ese are invaluable tools and our students are getting a heads-up on it." Much of the drive to forge academic-business relationships is being fueled by students themselves, Manzione said, noting that students graduating from universities today represent the first generations to have grown up with the internet. "Increasingly we hear from prospective students about how [degree programs] lead to jobs, and how we can help keep them connected to the job market and to a career path," Manzione said. "And all of the disciplines on campus are changing, whether it's the visual arts, or the performing arts or engineering or health care." "e jobs of the future will be dealing with the reams and reams of data generated by the Internet of ings, the billions of Bluetooth Continued on page 22 > IMAGE/JARED RAMSDELL High Tech Higher Ed Connecticut's colleges and universities continue to drive innovation By Matthew L. Brown