Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine Celebrates Launch at UW

A regional effort to expand research and innovation that will shape the future of carbon management technologies has launched at the University of Wyoming and its partners.

A kickoff event for the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) took place at UW recently, attended by prominent figures, including Gov. Mark Gordon; UW President Ed Siedel; Mike Freeman, CEO and principal investigator of the CO-WY Engine; and Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development.

The CO-WY Engine was one of 10 groundbreaking initiatives nationwide selected to receive funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. With an initial award of up to $15 million over two years and potential funding of up to $160 million over 10 years, the CO-WY Engine is set to be at the forefront of environmental and climate technology innovations.

“As we launch the CO-WY Engine, our commitment extends beyond advancing climate resilience technology; we aim to drive substantial economic development throughout Wyoming. This initiative is not just an investment in our future but a strategy to harness innovation and foster collaboration,” Freeman says. “By creating new job opportunities and strengthening our economy, the engine acts as a catalyst for transformative growth, turning regional challenges into opportunities for prosperity. This launch of the CO-WY Engine marks a pivotal moment not only for our region, but for the broader fields of environmental monitoring and sustainable technology.”

In addition to UW, the collaborative effort includes major research institutions, such as Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, the University of Colorado-Boulder, the University of Colorado-Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Northern Colorado.

In Wyoming, the state’s community colleges, the Wyoming Business Council, the Department of Workforce Services and UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute also play critical roles. Moreover, UW is partnering with the National Center for Atmospheric Research-Wyoming Supercomputing Center to support this extensive project.

For more information about the CO-WY Engine and to follow its progress, visit www.co-wyengine.org.

About the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine

The CO-WY Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in climate resilience and sustainability across the Colorado-Wyoming region. Supported by the NSF Engines program, the CO-WY Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical environmental challenges, fostering economic growth and enhancing community well-being.

About the NSF Engines Program 

Launched by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships in May 2022, the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research, development enterprise and regional-level resources. For more information, visit the NSF Engines program website.

---