The goal of the Metropolitan Institute Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) is to build collaborative partnerships to support the mutual needs of business, industry, and academia.

Our program provides a means for industry to contribute to and sustain research at the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech. Industrial affiliate partnerships facilitate applied research by faculty and support knowledge exchange related to policy informatics, resiliency, distressed cities and renewal, and smart cities. The IAP offers many benefits to both our industry partners and the university. The MI IAP is an opportunity for industry partners to influence research in directions that maximize benefits to their companies. By identifying needs for applied knowledge that is not being addressed through traditional mechanisms, industry partners can help shape MI research projects. In addition, to structuring research projects, IAP members get access to graduate students who can work on projects, faculty who are experts in their domains, and professional networks that span industry, government, and academic sphere both domestically and internationally.

For more information, visit our Industrial Affiliates page.