Academic research transforms regional industries and communities

/ Contributed By Jeff Gulley Today at 10:08 AM Listen Comments Share Share this article In October 2026, a small school in Minnesota became a pioneer. Through a partnership with the University of Minnesota Duluth, Vermilion County School in Tower, Minnesota, became home to the state’s first interconnected solar commons. The innovative program turned sunlight into a shared public “commons.” The program will not only lower the school’s energy costs, but the savings are also pooled into a long-term community trust which will be distributed by a vote of the students. ADVERTISEMENT The "Solar Commons" model was created by Katherine Milun, Ph.D., and a University of Minnesota research team. Milun is a researcher, a scholar and an anthropologist. She has been interested in her academic career with how people share things. “This has been from the very beginning a community-based research project,” Milun said. As an anthropologist, I was interested in building a prototype of the model with community input. I raised the I raised funds; I had community partners and together then we figured out how to do it but it's a university research project. My research should benefit the public and my community. I feel the university is doing its job when it's helping to create these kinds of benefits for communities.” Our economic systems have long been driven by innovation and pushing new boundaries and the catalyst for much of this innovation that drives industry and economic development begins at the university level. University research connects students to industry, allows industry to ask questions, solve problems and promote growth and can create a better life for those who live in the communities they serve. Universities in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota have created an environment of collaboration that ensures they can serve the unique needs of the region “It is to be a continuum between creative, faculty-led problem-solving and research,” Dr. Daniel Scholl, South Dakota State University’s vice president for research and economic development, said. “Then moving the results of some of that research that promises solutions into the intellectual property protection process and commercialization. There are a lot of choke points along the way, but that's the pathway that we envision. Scholl said SDSU has all its research and economic development resources under one roof, which helps facilitate the work. ADVERTISEMENT The research that these universities do has real-world applications that are driven by the needs and with the collaboration of industries. From the agriculture industry to fish and wildlife or the industrial industry to small business and communities, the applications and collaboration with university research is vital. Collaborations and partnerships can come from many places or relationships. Scholl tells of a conversation between an industrial microbiologist and a fish nutritionist while the pair were pheasant hunting that led to a research collaboration. “The fish nutritionist was talking about a problem that they have in their economic sector and that is dwindling stocks of fish for fish meal for aquaculture diets,” Scholl said. “Because of some previous research center work, the microbiologist said, ‘You know, I think I've got a solution for you.’ Ultimately, their collaboration led to the development of a microorganism, a yeast, that could reprocess through metabolism into a higher value protein product that was suitable for fish nutrition.” That product, Scholl said, was invented, patented and taken to a venture capital firm. And now there is a $100 million processing plant five miles from the Brookings campus providing jobs for workers and researchers and ultimately being sold for use in Atlantic salmon diet. At North Dakota State University, the research portfolio is heavily focused on agriculture, as they are the land-grant institution in the state. Heidi Grunwald, Ph.D., vice president for research and faculty development, said North Dakota produces more crops than anyone else in the country and research at NDSU focuses on breeding programs, designing varieties that are disease-resistant and resilient in the extreme climate and soil types. They have also been active with technology used in precision agriculture. ADVERTISEMENT But it’s not all about agriculture. NDSU has been pioneering projects working with the defense industry and pharmaceutical industry, addressing the issue of rural pharmacy sustainability. Grunwald said one of the exciting projects is a partnership with a local company called Badland Batteries. “Every other drone battery in the country is right now sourcing their battery cells from China,” she said. “They just opened a manufacturing plant here right in Fargo to manufacture their own battery cells so they will be producing fully U.S. supply-chain drone batteries.” Grundwald said collaborations and new ideas come from weekly conversations both within and outside the university. And those conversations allow them to push boundaries both in research and economic impact. “There are economic impact studies out there for the return on every dollar invested in research, and they vary because there is direct economic impact and then there is all of the indirect economic impact,” she said. “If you read the scientific literature, a lot of the economic development studies talk about a 2.5 multiplier. So, every dollar that NDSU or UND brings in to do research, we're putting $2.5 back into the economy, bringing scientists here, workforce, we're bringing labor, attracting talent that stays here. We are talking right now about the two Research 1 institutions in the state, UND and NDSU are commissioning an economic impact study for the almost half a billion dollars that we bring into the state for research.” These projects are not just research to make the universities look good or bring prestige; they are projects that enhance agriculture, solve rural problems and even solve large defense needs, benefiting everyone Milun said the solar project goes beyond technology and reaches the heart of a problem that many communities experience. ADVERTISEMENT “I have to say it's been such an honor to work with the small community of Tower (North Dakota) and we're working in an unusual area where, when we talk about commonwealth and common good, we're also talking about indigenous peoples who are stewarding the wildlife and other things through treaty rights,” Milun said. “That's how solar commons is designed so it absolutely works for them and anybody else can use it too, but I want to make sure it really works well for our small rural communities and our underserved urban neighborhoods.” Comments Share Share this article Listen to this article Conversation ADVERTISEMENT What To Read Next ADVERTISEMENT Get Local Must Reads The Vault The Forensic Investigator episode explores relationship between law enforcement, journalists 55m ago · By Staff reports College UND linebacker Mike Devereaux growing in role as defensive leader 1h ago · By Tom Miller Local Grand Forks woman honored with city's Griggs Award 3h ago · By Pamela Knudson North Dakota NDUS, Higher Ed Board look to recruit more adult learners 3h ago · By Delaney Otto