The wet labs are designed to support the operations of a single entity or researcher. Each of the approximately 1,000-squarefoot labs is equipped with the following amenities:

• Large common area lab space
• Separated offices area
• Shared lab each equipped with the following:
  • Fume hoods (upper floors only)
  • Equipment exhaust snorkel
  • Emergency power
  • DI water
• Flexible casework
• Space for user-dedicated equipment

First Floor/Main Lobby

Interactive public display space showcasing the building’s activities and work being undertaken in the Great Lakes with an emphasis on the role of marine technology in data collection and use. 

Second Floor

Building-specific community space that supports research collaboration and meetings along with a cafe.

EDUCATION

Through partnerships with leading colleges and universities, the Freshwater Center will host nationally recognized career programs for Freshwater Studies and Freshwater & Marine Technology to strengthen and feed the workforce pipeline.

RESEARCH

With direct access to Lake Michigan, research vessels, and high-tech lab space and equipment, researchers will develop new methods and systems to understand our natural world, informing discoveries that bring about a better future for the lands, waters, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes region and beyond.

INNOCATION

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.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Freshwater Center will include new business incubation and accelerator space and programs to remove barriers and support the transformation of top innovations into successful companies and careers. Our ability to facilitate the transfer of innovative technology into marketable products and a trained workforce will make us unique and a key contributor to the blue technology sector.