Urban universities have a definite role to play within the context of strategic economic development. Coordination between state and local government, the private sector, and the academic community can lead to effective partnerships to formulate and implement economic development plans. Declining university enrollments and fewer dollars available for industrial research and development encourage collaboration, whereby the university shapes technology strategy more toward near-term applications, and the industrial sector transfers the technology being issued into the manufacturing environment to enhance competitive capabilities. The University of Toledo's partnership with Northwest Ohio industry serves as an example of such a partnership. This consortium was the recipient of a Thomas Edison Grant for the purpose of establishing a stand-alone corporation with emphasis on the development of advanced manufacturing technology and sophisticated training programs for employees and management in highly automated manufacturing environments. The goal of economic development coordinators should be to ensure that the academic components play a key role in industrial and regional economic revitalization. (PS)