Area tech startups now have access to a broader and more enhanced network of resources, thanks to a new partnership announced recently between the University of North Carolina Wilmington Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and the Wireless Research Center of North Carolina (WRCNC).

New and existing tech companies can use the WRCNC’s engineering services and testing for wireless communications, funding opportunities and intellectual property guidance, according to a news release from the CIE.

The new partnership will “allow our technology entrepreneurs to make new connections throughout North Carolina and beyond,” CIE executive director Jim Roberts said in the release.

Based in Wake Forest, the WRCNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wireless research hub that offers a safe environment for invention and development of wireless technologies, the release stated, adding that the center, the recipient of a grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation, has a global customer base that produces a diverse range of wireless products.

"We are excited to offer, through CIE, broader access to the unique public asset that is the WRCNC," Larry Steffann, WRCNC’s general manager, said in the release. "This partnership will help budding companies address emerging opportunities such as the Internet of Things, where more than 50 billion Internet-connected devices will be turned on over the next few years."

According to the release, the WRCNC can assist with regulatory requirements and provide insight into how well products align with industry standards. It also offers portable specialized testing facilities.