Growth through Innovative Organizations

Riverside is ushering in a new generation of innovative companies by building talent pools of intellect, creativity, and engineering expertise.

Discover all what Riverside County has to offer.

CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the primary state agency responsible for actions to protect public health from the harmful effects of air pollution. From guiding the activities of 35 local air pollution control districts, to leading our states efforts to address global climate change, CARB has pioneered many of the approaches now used worldwide to address air quality problems. CARB recently opened the doors of its relocated Southern California headquarters bringing together the latest in modern green architecture under one solar-powered roof.

The structure is a 20-year effort to replace an aging facility and an opportunity to design a building that represents what the government agency sees for the future. A decision to build the CARB facility in Riverside is based on the advantages of being next to the University of California Riverside (UCR) campus and anchoring the city’s Innovation District. CARB chose Riverside in March 2016 after deciding the land owned by the University of California on Iowa Avenue would provide the best opportunity for growth in the coming decades.

UCR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY (CE-CERT)

The Bourns College of Engineering, Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CE-CERT)’s mission is to be a recognized leader in environmental education, a collaborator with industry and government to improve the technical basis for regulations and policy, a creative source of new technology, and a contributor to a better understanding of the environment.

Established in 1992 and now operating as the largest research center at the University of California at Riverside, CE-CERT brings together multiple disciplines throughout campus to address society’s most pressing environmental challenges in air quality, climate change, energy, and transportation. CE-CERT’s activities encompass all three aspects of the University of California’s overarching mission: research, education, and public service.

SMARTRIVERSIDE

SmartRiverside is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2006 that is working to close the digital divide in Riverside. The City of Riverside formed non-profit SmartRiverside in 2005 to provide high technology public use solutions for the community. In 2006, SmartRiverside awarded a competitive bid to AT&T to build out a City-wide WiFi network for both public and private use. The project included provisions for a free public use broadband infrastructure that would help the community bridge the digital divide.

SmartRiverside also aims to introduce students to the possibilities and careers computer programming presents through its Code to Careers program. Code to Careers’ goal is to create and conduct a computer coding training curriculum for youth. SmartRiverside is working with partner organizations also interested in helping youth learn computer programming to create a working team. School Districts and Community Centers offer introductory classes using Google’s CS First program. SmartRiverside provides a robotics class using the Raspberry Pi device.

Local universities provide student volunteers to assist with instruction. Many of these classes target youth from low-income families who are in after-school and summer camp programs. Code to Careers aims to provide them with coding skills that will allow them to expand their pursuit of a computer programming and understand the opportunities available in that field.

UC RIVERSIDE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION OASIS OVERVIEW

The Opportunity to Advance Sustainability Innovation and Social Inclusion (OASIS) is a public-private partnership led by the University of California Riverside (UCR) to drive regional economic development through solutions-driven applied research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development around sustainability, clean technology, and social inclusion.

As the home of more than 20 multidisciplinary research centers, UCR faculty and research staff have developed a deep understanding of how sustainability-oriented solutions can help address regional challenges.