The Water Council launches a commercialization initiative that will match manufacturers, utilities, and the agricultural industry with promising water and water-related technology research and innovations for advancement into the marketplace. As part of an expansion of The Water Council, the ICE (Innovation Commercialization Exchange) Institute will aggregate, evaluate, and connect emerging technologies that address water issues across a wide range of industries.
Working in partnership with the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and Alliance for Water Stewardship – North America, the ICE Institute will reportedly serve as a technology-vetting program, providing:
“Water technologies are often a generation behind, due to a variety of factors, including lack of federally led channels or venture capital, siloed research in university and federal labs, and lack of awareness and resources among small and medium businesses,” says Rich Meeusen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Badger Meter and co-founder and co-chair of The Water Council. Meeusen adds, “While water technology solutions may readily be available in labs across the country, industry is likely unaware of the research nor can they easily access this work.”