Innovation at WorkInnovation at Work

Science Science Foundation Foundation Arizona Arizona (SFAz)(SFAz)

Who We Are

• Non-profit public-private partnership

– Established in 2006 by Arizona business community, legislature and governor and modeled after Science Foundation Ireland

– Arizona business leaders fund all operations

– State has made a five-year $135M commitment to fund research

– Every state dollar is matched (1:1) by the private sector

Science Foundation Arizona mission is to help diversify Arizona’s economy bycreating an environment that promotes innovation and establishes significant University-Industry partnerships to create a competitive advantage for Arizona’s industry.

What We Do

Federally Funded Research

Technology Transfer

Industry

Joint R&D Proposals UndergoExpert Peer-Review

University-Industry Partnerships

SFAzInvestment

What We Do

• Academic-industry partnerships can alleviate many of the barriers to innovation by

– Defining the product early (research stage) with consideration to development and manufacturing

– Managing risks at early development stage– Establishing industry standards during R&D phase– Bringing in thought leaders from the beginning of a project– Modeling costs early in R&D process– Developing innovative industry relevant education curriculum

Partnership Advantages

Why We Do It(Renewable Energy)

• World energy consumption in 2005: 16 Terawatts (1.6 X 1013 watts)• Yet 1hr sun provides more energy than all energy consumed by humans in 1 yr.• With abundant sun and arid land, Arizona is the ideal place to exploit renewable sources that use the sun’s energy

World Energy Consumption

University-Industry Partnerships In Sustainability Funded by Science Foundation Arizona

Six Solar Energy Projects

Sustainable Mining

University of Arizona with Freeport McMoRan, others

Pre-competitive partnership with 15 of the worlds largest mining companies will result in developing sustainable mining practices with increased ability to find new minerals and extract them with minimal impact to the surrounding communities.

Above: Wim Vermaas,

Biodesign Institute, Cynobacteriuim and Biodiesel

Below: A rendering of a rooftop pilot production facility to produce biodiesel. The cyanobacteria are grown in large, transparent tubes that capture sunlight necessary for growth.

ASU Biodesign Institute with British Petroleum, Arizona Public Service

Biodiesel From Blue-Green Algae

Jet Fuel From Algae

ASU PolyTech Campus with Heliae Development LLC

Dr. Milton Sommerfield (above) Qiang Hu (below) grow algae in bioreactors which produce medium chain fatty acids that can be converted to JP-8 jet fuel without expensive cracking. New company formed to commercialize.