Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (Arizona, Nevada and Utah), led by Arizona State University, aims to equitably transform water security, renewable energy and net carbon emissions in the region by incentivizing new technology and governance, expanding infrastructure and capacity for knowledge translation, and preparing a diverse and highly skilled workforce.
Region of service: Arizona, Nevada and Utah (tied together by water scarcity challenges) .
Competitive advantage: The Southwest region comprising Arizona, Nevada and Utah is especially vulnerable due to extreme aridity and heat coupled with rapid population growth. Within the next 10 years, temperatures will rise to more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and drought conditions will be more severe. The scale of the challenges in the American Southwest demands a coordinated approach across state boundaries. This shared urgency has created a common drive for regional innovation in atmospheric water security, capture and planning; carbon capture; and long-term energy storage. This NSF Engine, anchored by Arizona State University, has assembled an effective and unique coalition of partners to commercialize or otherwise scale potentially hundreds of critical technologies to bolster the sustainability and climate resilience of the region.
NSF award: NSF-2315479
| Critical and emerging technology areas |
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| Disaster prevention and mitigation, advanced energy and industrial efficiency technologies, robotics and advanced manufacturing. |