NEW ORLEANS — Starting this week, the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park will go by its catchy new name: “The Beach at UNO.”
The Beach is a 30-acre site on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain with 800,000 square feet of customizable office and laboratory space. Since the 1990s, public agencies, nonprofit organizations and private companies have set up shop there to “innovate and create through technological, cultural and scientific interaction,” according to a release announcing the name change.
The rebrand – which includes a new website, social media handles, logo and tagline – aims to “reflect the park’s collaborative and inclusive community which fosters a spirit of inquiry and the exchange of ideas to maximize innovation and shared prosperity throughout the Gulf region,” said a Beach spokesperson.
The park is owned and managed by the UNO Research & Technology Foundation, a public-private partnership with the University of Orleans, which is located right next door. Currently, it is home to more than 30 tenants working in a variety of industries, including IT/cybersecurity, logistics and lab testing, coastal protection, wildlife management, naval architecture, marine engineering and banking.
“The New Orleans business and entrepreneurial ecosystem is burgeoning with much opportunity for growth,” said R&T Foundation President and CEO Rebecca Conwell in a release. “Our city benefits from a great depth of brilliant and inspired minds and a network of support for the innovative process. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, businesses and entrepreneurs continue to need supportive, inclusive workspaces that provide amenities, access to equipment and peer organizations, as well as a relationship with the institution that supports their growth — and that is exactly what they will find at The Beach.
The rebranding is one of the first moves envisioned by the R&T Foundation’s 2019 strategic plan. Next on the list are several physical improvements, including updated lobbies, collaborative outdoor space and a crosswalk across Lakeshore Drive connecting The Beach with UNO. The Foundation also plans to invest in enhancements to the Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center.
In addition, the strategic plan calls for the creation of a programmatic division of the R&T Foundation that will “focus on innovation and collaboration while supporting the growth of current tenants and new companies.” The Foundation said it will be spending up to $100,000 a year to incentivize scholarly collaboration between tenants, UNO faculty and students.
“The park has long been one of the University of New Orleans’ closest partners, and we are so excited about this re-energized partnership,” said UNO President John Nicklow. “The Beach combines the best of the Foundation and UNO, providing tenants with access to world-class laboratory space, research equipment and talent beyond the borders of the research park, bringing out the best of academia, government and entrepreneurial endeavors.”
For more information, visit The Beach’s website at www.TheBeachUNO.org.
