CLEVELAND, OH – Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) has formalized a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Discovery Pier and Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), the co-founders of The Freshwater Research and Innovation Center (The Freshwater Center or FWC). This tri-party agreement is designed to establish a powerful, end-to-end support system for water technology innovators, further establishing the Great Lakes region as a global hub for freshwater solutions.

Uniting Complementary Strengths

This new partnership is built on the combined, complementary capabilities of all parties to support the full lifecycle of water technology development, often referred to as Technology Readiness Levels (TRL):

• The Freshwater Center (FWC) and NMC bring robust capacity for early-stage technologies (TRL 0-5), including world-class academic and workforce development programs, a future 40,000 sq. ft. facility with a makerspace and wet labs, and premier trialing capacity for surface water applications.
• Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) provides essential support for later-stage technologies (TRL 5-9), offering extensive trialing capacity across surface, drinking, waste, and industrial water systems, a vast network of over 300 industry partners, and a robust international deal flow.

“This partnership is a natural fit," said Ebie Holst, Director of Data and Innovation at Cleveland Water Alliance. "Together, we can support a far broader range of technologies throughout their entire lifecycle, from the earliest stages of prototyping to late-stage commercialization. This collaboration truly helps to fortify the innovation pipeline for the entire Great Lakes region."

Strategic Collaboration for Regional Growth

The aim of the partnership is to leverage each organization's assets and networks to accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative technologies that solve critical water challenges and grow the Great Lakes freshwater economy.

The long-term goals of the partnership focus on pursuing joint funding opportunities, building out a more connected and robust Great Lakes freshwater innovation ecosystem, and ensuring regional economic growth through Blue Tech leadership.

About Cleveland Water Alliance

Established in 2014, Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) is a world-renowned water cluster, establishing Ohio as a top global destination for freshwater innovation. Supported by robust testbed infrastructure and industry expertise, CWA leverages multi-sector partnerships to support market-driven innovation, economic impact, and sustainable solutions for regional and global water challenges.

About The Freshwater Research and Innovation Center (FWC) 

The Freshwater Research & Innovation Center is a joint venture of Discovery Pier and Northwestern Michigan College with support from Traverse Connect, Michigan Technological University, and 20Fathoms. Located on Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Mich., the center will serve as the epicenter of water innovation by connecting education, research, industry, and community for sustainable growth in the blue tech sector.

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