The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine is one of the first Regional Innovation Engines supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation to catalyze and foster innovation ecosystems across the United States.
Regional Innovation Engines advance critical technologies, address pressing national and societal challenges, cultivate academic-industry-public sector partnerships, promote and stimulate economic growth and job creation, and spur regional innovation and talent.
R&D themes
SWSIE pursues an integrated, systems-level approach to sustainability innovation.
Visioning and roadmapping
Water security
Renewable energy
Carbon capture
Systems transformation
Research translation
SWSIE’s overarching goal is inclusive and rapid access to R&D applications, getting technology and governance innovations rapidly to market and practice, and connecting currently distributed resources, expertise and programs for commercialization and translation. SWSIE supports several interrelated translation efforts:
Translation training
Incubators and tech transfer hubs
Venture capital
Software development
Workforce development
SWSIE engages state and local economic and workforce development organizations, industry, universities, and community and technical colleges to address workforce gaps with a portfolio of entrepreneurship, technical career and upskilling workforce programs aligned with SWSIE partners and designed to be inclusive of underserved populations through:
Sustainability innovation education for K-12 students
Managerial, municipal training
Entrepreneurial mentoring and small business support
Shared digital and in-person platform for workforce upskilling and training
New community college curriculum
