At the heart of the Milwaukee Water Council’s economic development efforts is the strengthening and growth of the region’s own water technology assets. One major effort has been the creation of the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Collaborative Research Center (I/U CRC) which was announced in May 2010. This $2.75 million initiative links together the research between UW-Milwaukee, Marquette University and six businesses within the Milwaukee region. The Center will not only help boost economic growth and improve water quality, but it will also advance understanding of new water technologies and help water equipment manufacturers increase competitiveness by adopting new technologies and stimulating entrepreneurship. The first seven research projects have been identified and are currently being developed.