Milwaukee, WI – Oct 2, 2017 – NASA’s Glenn Research Center and The Water Council are partnering to help businesses solve technical water challenges through Glenn’s Regional Economic Initiative, with an event called TechConnect: Water Challenge Workshop. This is the first ever NASA TechConnect event focused specifically on water technology.
The event, which was announced today during the 2017 Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition & Conference (WEFTEC) in Chicago, is a unique opportunity for companies to receive up to 40 hours of support from NASA Glenn’s world-renowned subject matter experts in solving technical challenges they are having with new or existing products or within their manufacturing operations.
“NASA Glenn Research Center is pleased to partner with The Water Council,’’ said Laurie Stauber, NASA’s Water Initiative Lead and manager of Glenn’s Regional Economic Development team. “Our Tech Connect events with organizations in the Midwest have been successful in solving challenges proposed by small, medium and large companies who need assistance with in-house technical issues. Glenn’s subject matter experts provide a unique perspective in helping with these challenges, with the goal of developing new jobs in the region.“
“We look forward to supporting the Tech Connect event and also to developing additional partnerships connecting our organization to regional companies who may be interested in NASA’s water-based capabilities and technologies.”
“The opportunity for water engineers to work alongside some of the world’s most highly-regarded scientists is matchless, and a great recognition of how our cluster continues to move the needle forward on public-private partnerships to spur innovation and opportunities,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council.
Up to four U.S. owned businesses will be selected to participate in the event that will be held in the spring of 2018. Those selected will have the opportunity to work with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP), who will assist businesses in articulating a concise problem statement that corresponds with NASA competencies.
NASA experts will then assist the selected companies through a face-to-face, one-day consulting session on March 21, 2018 at the Ohio Aerospace Institute in Cleveland. These selected manufacturers will also have the opportunity to apply for an additional 32 hours of technical assistance.
“Accelerating technology development and adoption is core to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and WMEP’s mission. WMEP is proud to partner with The Water Council to identify technologies that will aid their member companies bringing new products to market,” said Tim Wiora, CEO and executive director of WMEP.
NASA Glenn designs and develops innovative technology to advance NASA’s aeronautics and space exploration missions. The center specializes in:
Businesses interested in applying must meet the following criteria:
Interested businesses should apply online by completing the program application at www.globalwaterport.com/techconnect. The application portal is currently open, and the deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. CT on December 15.
All entries will be reviewed by a panel of NASA, The Water Council and WMEP senior staff and subject matter experts. Recipients will be notified in January and the TechConnect workshop will be March 21, 2018. More details will be provided to selected participants.
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About The Water Council
Headquartered in the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, next to the world’s largest freshwater system, The Water Council is a non-profit organization that drives economic, technology and talent development to support the global water industry. As the leading U.S. cluster, and one of the most powerful water technology hubs in the world, the organization convenes global water leaders and supports more than 190 members from small and mid-sized businesses and large global corporations to engineers, entrepreneurs, utilities, government agencies, education programs and non-profits, with valuable services, programming and networking opportunities. Established as a 501(c)(3) in 2009, the driving force behind its success is the vibrant spirit of collaboration between public, private and academic sectors with a strong, shared commitment to finding innovative solutions to critical global water challenges. For more information, visit www.thewatercouncil.com.