Watershed Symposium 2024

Summary:
SWSIE envisions a thriving future for the Southwest as a hub of green innovation, with industries and communities supported by clean water and renewable energy with STEM-enabled jobs and economic growth accessible to all.

Full Abstract:
University of Utah along with six core academic partners are part of a multi-institutional enterprise to confront the climate challenges facing the Southwest and spur economic development in the region. The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) addresses sustainability-driven innovations with an integrated, systems-level approach to equitably transform water security, renewable energy, and net carbon emissions and use of carbon directly captured from the atmosphere. The mission is to transform the Southwest region into a national innovation hub, leading not only to positive climate impacts, but also to high wage jobs, economic growth, and technology-based startups and venture capital investments. The SWSIE Team envisions a thriving future for the Southwest as a hub of green innovation, with industries and communities supported by clean water and renewable energy with STEM-enabled jobs and economic growth accessible to all. To unleash this potential, SWSIE is building an ecosystem of researchers, innovators, educators, and decision-makers to harness STEM innovation and grow a workforce pipeline for the net zero economy. This presentation will provide an overview of the innovation of SWSIE, with a focus on water. The presentation will discuss SWSIE strength in translation of research to commercialization and connecting academia with industry. This includes a roadmap for success, workforce development, and more. Further, the presentation will provide examples of projects and future initiatives. Core academic partners in SWSIE are University of Utah, Arizona State University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Desert Research Institute, the Water Research Foundation, SciTech Institute and Maricopa Community Colleges.