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Bluetech Business Incubation & Acceleration

Innovating Water Technology from the Great Lakes

Stewarding the United States’ Freshwater Resources

Developing the Future of Marine Technology and Mobility

Located on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay

The Freshwater Research and Innovation Center will be a collaborative hub that protects freshwater for future generations by uniting education, research, and innovation — a place where ideas become solutions, technologies become ventures, and opportunities become careers.

Economic Development

The Freshwater Research and Innovation Center will include business incubation and accelerator space and programs to support the transformation of top innovations into successful companies and careers — helping transfrom innovative technology into marketable products and a trained workforce.

Research

With direct access to Lake Michigan, research vessels, and high‑tech equipment and lab space, researchers will develop new methods and systems to understand our freshwater and marine environments, informing discoveries that improve the Great Lakes region and beyond.

Innovation

By aligning education and research with innovation space, experts can lean into cycles of learning, development, and refinement to fast‑track the creation of new technologies and advance our understanding, management, and preservation of freshwater.

Education

Through partnerships with leading colleges and universities, the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center will provide unique space for nationally recognized career programs in Freshwater Studies and Freshwater and Marine Technology, strengthening and feeding the workforce pipeline.

About The Center

The Freshwater Research and Innovation Center is positioning Northern Michigan as the epicenter of water innovation by connecting research, industry, and community for sustainable growth in BlueTech and the Blue Economy.

Join Our Community

When global researchers, companies, and funders look for a partner in BlueTech innovation, they choose the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center because it delivers on‑the‑ground impact — moving ideas from lab to market, training the workforce of tomorrow, and accelerating sustainable technologies in a region designed for discovery.

Support the Center

Until the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center is fully staffed and occupied by core tenants, partner organizations will champion brand messaging and help execute outreach to prospective tenants, businesses, higher education institutions, and other key audiences.

Powered by Collaboration

News from the Center

Local Partners Band Together To Make Traverse City A Global Freshwater Leader

For years, experts have been predicting that eventually, clean, fresh water will take its place as the most valuable resource on the planet. Now a team of players from throughout and beyond the Grand Traverse region are banding together to pursue a shared mission: positioning Traverse City as the global epicenter for freshwater research.

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Milestone reached in effort to build new freshwater research center in northern Michigan

LEELANAU COUNTY, Mich., -- Two organizations came together Wednesday to celebrate a significant milestone in the plans to build a new freshwater research and innovation center in Leelanau County. Northwestern Michigan College, in partnership with Discovery Pier, will start a nonprofit corporation.

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Traverse City’s Discovery Pier gets $1.6M in federal funding toward research center

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Water-related research projects could begin this summer at the Discovery Center & Pier in Traverse City thanks to $1.6 million in federal funding, according to a news release. The funding is a “significant piece” of what’s needed to build a classroom, lab and docks for research vessels on the pier.

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Driving Blue Tech Forward

What does this mean for the Great Lakes, the Traverse City area, and beyond?

Support the Center

Marine Technology

Promote the development of freshwater technologies and innovative solutions by co-locating working pier space, high-tech lab space and equipment, expert thought-partners, and on-going research and support.

Workforce Pipeline

Inspire and grow a strong workforce pipeline through hands-on education and professional certifications and degree programs.

Business Incubation & Acceleration

Foster an inclusive approach to attract others to our mission through public engagement opportunities, scholarship programs, and support for start-up businesses.

Top Talent

Attract students, educators, researchers, and innovators in the blue technology sector to create a continuum of top talent.

Blue Economy

Establish the Grand Traverse region as an epicenter for the development of blue technology and applied freshwater innovation and the state of Michigan as a leader in the Blue Economy sector.

Freshwater Management

Long term, we believe that the technological advances that come from the new center will be used by scientists to inform decision-making and better management of water resources around the world.

Stewardship

Build public awareness around the current issues facing the Great Lakes to promote stewardship for generations to come.