Discover(ing) Sustainability

Today Governor John Lynch and UNH President Mark Huddleston announced the new Green Launching Pad.

How cool is this? As its website says, the Green Launching pad will:

“…connect entrepreneurs and private industry with technical, scientific and business faculty and students at UNH and statewide to successfully launch new green businesses. The goal is to launch a competitive “green” energy technology commercialization program, which is accessible to NH entrepreneurs, businesses, and innovators. Projects funded under this program will specifically address commercialization of energy efficiency, energy conservation, renewable energy, and/or sustainable energy projects, programs, services, or techniques that will quickly lead to energy savings and emissions reductions and business and employment growth. The Green Launching Pad will bring together and support interdisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, economists, faculty, entrepreneurs, and others. They will work to accelerate the development of new “green” businesses and growth of existing businesses that will directly reduce energy use and carbon emissions while creating new jobs and economic opportunities. The teams will broaden the use and applicability of commercially available energy efficiency and carbon reducing products and services.”

The Green Launching Pad ties in well to many of the themes in UNH’s new strategic plan, which President Huddleston announced yesterday, from sustainability to the spirit of enterprise to commercializing UNH’s intellectual capital. It’s an innovative example of a public/private partnership as the NH Office of Energy & Planning is a partner with UNH in the effort, which has been started with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for two years. And it demonstrates engaged scholarship for sustainability as part of UNH’s Climate Education Initiative and broader commitment to sustainability.

Learn more.