Federally-funded labs help put research to use

In the 1970s, studies showed the U.S. falling behind its international competitors in almost every high technology industry. Many predicted that our best days were behind us.

A series of laws were passed allowing our federally funded laboratories and universities to work with the U.S. private sector to turn cutting edge research into products benefiting the public. The result was the creation of new fields like biotechnology.

A great resource of the U.S. is our unparalleled system of federally funded laboratories and universities. The combination of scientific knowledge with unique laboratory facilities holds great promise for creating the industries of the future as well as helping the world community address the serious environmental and health problems plaguing humanity. But this potential will only be realized if research is turned into results by the private sector entrepreneur.

Still, the road to the future is not normally a smooth one.

In 1876 a nervous young man walked into the White House to demonstrate his newest invention to the president. After the demonstration, President Rutherford B. Hayes said: "That's an amazing invention, but who would ever want to use one of them?"

Luckily, Alexander Graham Bell recovered from his disappointing reception and went on to commercialize the telephone.

Adding this spirit to the U.S. research base is our secret weapon in the global marketplace. Thus, the full potential of our federal research and development system can only be realized if we develop effective partnerships with industry.

Taking an early stage technology from a facility like U.S. EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati that I am privileged to lead and turning it into a product requires a great dedication of key research staff and public sector companies and investors. Luckily, we have a system where agencies like EPA can partner with U.S. companies to turn our research concepts into products that can help meet serious environmental needs while creating good paying jobs in our region.

Let's look at one area: the need to protect drinking water.

The United Nations estimates that 450 million people in 29 countries suffer right now from water shortages. It is estimated that 20 percent of the world's population lacks access to safe, clean drinking water and this problem could get much worse. Some studies show that by 2025, 2.8 billion people will live in areas with scarce water resources.

This stark reality creates large markets for technologies meeting these challenges. The present drinking water market is $104 billion and growing. Technologies helping companies treat industrial wastewater are a $90 billion global market. Funding clean technologies is the hottest trend for international investors.

We have a unique opportunity to grow our economy while helping the world's population satisfy a basic need: access to clean, safe water.

So how do EPA-industry partnerships fit in? Let's look at a few examples.

MAR Systems of Cleveland, Ohio, was interested in doing joint research with my laboratory to look at the problem of removing toxic contaminants, such as arsenic and mercury, from groundwater. This is a serious concern worldwide that also affects our own state. Under the Federal Technology Transfer Act, agencies like EPA can partner with companies to move our research forward while allowing the partner company to develop practical products that benefit the public. A great side benefit is having the best and brightest in the public and private sectors collaborating on finding solutions to serious problems.

The result? Working together, we found an exciting new technology using a recycled catalyst that removes mercury and arsenic, is low cost and meets the new drinking water standards going in effect in the U.S. The technology was patented, MAR System went to an Ohio- based venture fund, secured funding and is now off and running.

Working with our neighbors at the University of Cincinnati, our scientists found an equally exciting technology for treating municipal and industrial water through a gravity fed system removing a wide variety of containments. The technology is simple and effective and holds great promise in the global marketplace. We are now looking for company partners for commercial development.

On Sept. 5-6, we are hosting the 2007 Clean Water Partnership Summit with attendees coming from all over the world looking at the needs for protecting our water and EPA technologies with the potential to protect the public. Such arrangements draw upon the best of our public and private sectors. We can only succeed by working together.

Sally Gutierrez is director of the EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory, which is located in Cincinnati.