Colorado-Wyoming Innovation Engine

2024

Key Technology Area

Climate
Climate Resilience

Ecosystem

Activate
Chevron
City of Boulder, CO
City of Denver, CO
City of Fort Collins, CO
Clean Air Task Force
CO-Labs
Colorado Cleantech Industry Association
Colorado Community College System
Colorado Office of Economic Development
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Denver Water
ICLEA
Innosphere Ventures
Lockheed Martin
Mars Corporation
Maxar
Metro Denver Economic Development Co.
Metropolitan State University of Denver
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin.
National Renewable Energy Lab
Nat’l Center for Atmospheric Resources
Nat’l Inst for Standards and Technology
Nvidia
Palantir
Rockies Venture Club
Shell
The MITRE Corporation
Third Derivative
Trimble
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado
University of Wyoming (UW)
USDA ARS
UWY High Plains American Indian Institute
Wyoming Business Council

Innosphere Ventures

The Colorado - Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine will advance innovative pathways toward climate resiliency by translating environmental monitoring technologies, data science, and predictive analytics into reliable and trustworthy decision support systems to mitigate climate change's environmental and economic threats. Research and commercialization efforts will focus on the application of these technologies across several topics including methane emissions, soil carbon capture, earth sensing, water scarcity, wildfires, and extreme weather. The Regional Engine will drive economic growth through programs in use-inspired research, workforce development, translation of products, and strategic partnerships.


Description

The Engine will focus on environmental monitoring technologies and predictive analytics for climate resiliency. The CO-WY Engine will work with core partners and stakeholders including community members, researchers, and industry partners to prioritize R&D initiatives that will build more climate-resilient communities, address user needs, and demonstrate market potential through an integrated co-production process. The research and translation goals of the NSF Engine are to: (1) accelerate community-driven R&D in monitoring technologies and predictive analytics for climate-resilient communities; (2) de-risk translational projects with accelerator programs and rapidly scaling promising innovations; and (3) generate and attract more substantial investments, technologies, and startups to build a sustainable NSF Engine that will nurture a diverse, skilled workforce for a climate-tech innovation ecosystem across Colorado and Wyoming. Collectively, these goals will enable the region to become a global leader in innovations for climate resiliency and accelerate regional economic growth. The leadership team brings deep expertise across all core functions of the NSF Engine to ensure the NSF Engine goals are met. This expertise includes climate science and data analytics, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, small business management, and development of sustainable partnerships across higher education, industry, community, and government.

The Engine has engaged economic and workforce development organizations, industry, national labs, and technical colleges across Colorado and Wyoming to build training and mentorship opportunities. Specific activities include a range of work-based learning programs, talent matching programs to connect employers to future employees, and the development of credentialing programs for a climate science workforce. Workforce development activities will prioritize rural and historically underserved communities within the region of service.

The Colorado – Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine has brought together a strong coalition of partners and identified strong alignment with regional assets and priorities. The NSF Engine has identified critical R&D topic areas that must be advanced to build climate-resilient communities worldwide. It will support R&D and translational activities to cultivate an innovative ecosystem of technology companies focused on climate science, while also driving economic growth through job creation and training opportunities.