With their overwhelming support for the $2 billion Connect NC bond, the state’s citizens approved $160 million for two NC State facilities that will drive research and innovation in engineering and agriculture. NC State alumni and supporters are raising an equal amount through private donations to fund two key projects.

The first is the Plant Sciences Initiative, a partnership with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. By investing $85 million in the Plant Sciences Initiative Research Complex, the bond positions North Carolina to emerge as the Silicon Valley of plant sciences.

Agribusiness is the state’s top economic sector, and plant science is a fast-rising field in the industry. Over the next quarter-century, 84 percent of new agriculture jobs will be in plant sciences.

The second project is the Engineering Oval building, which will enable the College of Engineering to continue advancing research excellence and driving the state’s 21st-century economy.

NC State produces 2,300 new engineers and computer scientists every year. That contribution to the engineering workforce is only one element of the university’s impact; NC State engineering research has launched more than 40 startup companies in the last decade, as well as more than 220 consumer products.