The PAWES planning grant is working to establish partners in innovation with industry, local communities, policymakers, and organizations like the Water Research Foundation to better address the universal need for water conservation, energy security, and community development. This networking effort will lead to an entrepreneurial and commercial component for sustained growth of the innovation pipeline, and involves reaching out to potential partners and engaging stakeholders at an early stage to understand the types of innovations needed to make a sustainable impact for businesses and communities.

To that end, significant feedback from customers along the entire value chain is required. The NSF I-Corps program offered by the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business in collaboration with the UT Research Foundation, is one conduit being used for the PAWES planning grant to ensure technology development is customer-driven and based on customer needs. As water becomes a scare commodity, PAWES will provide public and private companies, both large and small, with cost-effective wastewater treatment methods and clear technical guidance for reuse.