The underground construction and tunneling (UC&T) industry is rapidly expanding to meet global needs.[1] This expansion is a direct response for the pursuit of major infrastructure improvements in areas such as public transportation, water supply and storage, wastewater transmission and mining. Examples of this growth include the East Side Access project in NYC[2], the Chicago Deep Tunnel project[3], and the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement project in Seattle, Washington.[4] As with any rapidly expanding industrial field, a primary concern is meeting the demand for qualified and trained personnel. Any technical industry looks to the academic community to fulfill this need, and the UC&T industry is no exception. Consistent with the literature [5], [6], [7], [8], this paper presents findings from a series of interviews with both industry and academic players suggests that academia is not meeting this demand. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to explore the barriers and opportunities that affect prospects for increasing collaboration between academia and industry in the field of UC&T. Investigation of the relationship between universities and the UC&T industry indicates potential problems. Analysis of how new graduates are hired, how the industry fosters academic contributions and how there are a limited number of venues that encourage student participation suggests that the lack of collaboration between academia and industry is failing to create adequate pathways to provide trained personnel and is potentially hindering innovation in the United States UC&T industry. As such, the goal of this paper is to investigate the barriers and opportunities that drive potential collaboration between academia and industry in the field of UC&T.
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