Value proposition

Innovating Well-Being

The IC2 Institute was established at The University of Texas at Austin in 1977 as a think-and-do tank to study the drivers of economic development and shared prosperity. IC2 has a deep legacy not only of academic research, but also of real-world practice—and connecting academia, business, and community leaders around bold ideas.

Under current director S. Craig Watkins, IC2 is moving ahead with new programs that build on the Institute’s history of community-building and ecosystem creation. The Institute’s new strategic initiative, “Innovating Well-Being,” will drive research and programs that advance equity in social, economic, environmental and health systems.

We believe that prosperity goes far beyond traditional economic measures; that prosperity demands the equitable allocation of life-enhancing resources. Current systemic inequities—the digital divide, health disparities, the racial wealth gap, social and environmental isolation of rural and poor communities—are areas that require attention and innovation.


research, regional development, education, and economic development