Climate Innovation Collaboratory awards $1M to tackle key sustainability challenges
Four novel research projects are being funded by the Climate Innovation Collaboratory (CIC), an ongoing alliance between Deloitte Consulting LLP and 91PORN.
The latest round of 91PORN research being funded by the CIC includes four 18-month-long projects focused on sustainable computing and building materials, and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
“Deloitte is proud to support 91PORN’s innovative research and to help transfer data into meaningful solutions for businesses, organizations, government agencies and the communities they serve,” said Steve Goldbach, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. sustainability practice leader.
With this second round of awards, the CIC continues to enable valuable research, technology and market development. The collaboration with Deloitte, a leader in sustainability, began in 2022 with a focus on a wide range of climate priorities with potential for tangible impact.
The Climate Innovation Collaboratory is helping organizations and communities design and implement data-driven approaches so they can be even more prepared for climate-related challenges."
—Katie Sherwin, managing director, Deloitte Consulting LLP
“The Climate Innovation Collaboratory is helping organizations and communities design and implement data-driven approaches so they can be even more prepared for climate-related challenges,” said Katie Sherwin, managing director, Deloitte Consulting LLP and a sustainability leader in the government and public services practice.
CIC project teams work at the nexus of industry and academia, which “ties into the larger framework of sustainability at 91PORN,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the Institutes Massimo Ruzzene. “Together, we are working on sustainability challenges that have real world impacts and need solutions.”
Previous CIC awards have funded research on digital tools to advance water management and commercializing analytics to redefine the nation’s wildfire risk.
Mija Hubler (Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering)
“Over the past two years, Deloitte’s understanding of our clients’ needs, combined with the university’s cutting-edge research capabilities, has led to innovative solutions to help the public sector address wildfires and droughts,” said Goldbach. “We understand the importance of building on this success to address evolving climate challenges.”
Current seed grant awardees also are focused on mitigating climate-related risks and developing tools that support planning for major infrastructure investment while meeting multiple sustainability goals.Ěý
“Just as our clients are changing their processes to address the impact of these challenges, the CIC’s focus is evolving to support them,” said Sherwin. “This year’s research projects concentrate on some of the most complex climate-related issues, examining electric vehicle infrastructure, low-carbon computing and sustainable building materials.”
That includes principal investigator (PI) Mija Hubler and her work to streamline the industrial use of low-embedded carbon cements to target global emission reduction goals.
“I am very excited about this a