NCInnovation Names Wilmington Hub Director

Scott Davis ’17, ’18M has been named NCInnovation’s hub director for Wilmington and the southeastern North Carolina region. NCInnovation recently expanded its headquarter locations from four UNC System institutions to seven, including UNC Wilmington. Davis will reside in UNCW’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC). 

“The establishment of the NCInnovation hub and director appointment at UNCW underscores our university’s commitment to fostering economic growth and driving impactful research that addresses real-world challenges within our region and across the state. I look forward to the positive impact that Scott Davis’ leadership will have on the new hub, our campus and the broader North Carolina research and innovation community,” said UNCW Provost James J. Winebrake. 

Davis, an entrepreneur and advisor to startup companies, has deep roots and relationships in the greater Wilmington area and brings years of experience navigating the research commercialization process.  

“UNC Wilmington researchers are working right now on projects that can have real-world impact,” said Davis. “As a UNCW grad, I’m thrilled to help accelerate that work through the university research and development sequence, to the point it can attract private sector interest.” 

Davis earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration (’17, ’18M) from UNCW. In addition to his prior role with OIC as the coordinator of technology transfer, Davis has also advised startups and venture capital funds on the east coast and the Wilmington area. 

"We are delighted to welcome Scott Davis back to UNCW,” said Justine Reel, UNCW’s interim associate provost for research and innovation. “With his vast expertise in venture capital space and entrepreneurship he will help propel, enhance and transform innovation and commercialization efforts on campus in collaboration with UNCW’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship." 

NCInnovation is a nonprofit organization that provides grant funding and other support to UNC System researchers working on discoveries that have practical application and commercial promise. NCInnovation last year approved its  first slate of research grants, including a project at UNCW to develop a universal and longer-lasting flu vaccine, led by Ying Wang, associate professor of chemistry.  

“Researchers at UNC Wilmington are working on groundbreaking discoveries to solve real-life problems here in North Carolina,” said Michelle Bolas, NCInnovation’s chief innovation officer and executive vice president. “Scott will work daily with researchers, university administrators and industry to support applied university research that has commercial promise. This university-to-industry pipeline has been the backbone of American technological might for decades.”