Saw this pop up today, and thought it might be interesting to discuss. Too bad most of the references are to UW-M. Any folks working in the industries or dealing with the engineering programs at MU have any insight?
http://www.wbez.org/story/can-milwaukee-become-silicon-valley-water-93835
The law school is involved according to the snippet below. Not sure about MU's engineering dept., though.
"The Milwaukee region is home to many academic research programs studying water technologies including the Great Lakes WATER Institute, the graduate-level School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, the Marquette University water law program, and the new water business management emphasis at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, which was championed by the Milwaukee Water Council."
http://www.badgermeter.com/Company/News/Badger-Meter-CEO-Helps-Area-Make-Splash-as-Water-H.aspx
Water is the new oil... I've been telling my wife - the environmental lawyer - this for years, but she still doesn't believe me. She'd rather sue railroads and defunct gas station owners. Fresh water supplies are dwindling, and demand is growing worldwide. Unless there are major technological advances, I foresee residential water bills larger than energy bills as the new norm in perhaps as little as 10-15 years. Meeusen is on the ball here, and Milwaukee is in a great position to benefit.
I have been following this for a few years. Meeusen is an engaging (some would say enraging) personality who has really pushed this hard. I think some of the critics are right however...not exactly sure what kinds of businesses or jobs that this ultimately will bring to Milwaukee. But there are a lot of people much smarter than me involved with this.
I think the way the University angle works with this cooperative is as follows.
UW-M is the school with the actual School of Freshwater Sciences which they have been for a while.
There is an engineering co-op between UW-M, Marquette and MSOE that will all work with local businesses on the technology aspect.
Marquette will have the Law School portion of this movement.
A couple years back, a UWM prof derided the idea that Milwaukee would be a Water World.
http://www.insidemilwaukee.com/Article/242011-IsMilwaukeesWaterIndustryDreamaHoax
Quote
Levine suggests the idea of turning Milwaukee into a water technology hub, the Silicon Valley of water research, is completely bogus. The emperor is wearing no clothes, Levine declares, and the overwhelming consensus of local leaders that Milwaukee is a water technology hotbed is complete nonsense.
The problem with Levine is that he focuses more on what Milwaukee used to be, and how the city can get back to the times where "semi-skilled" labor is key. He's a historian by trade...that tends to be how they view the world.
Dr. McGee Young, a political science professor at Marquette, has started an organization with several students that is worth looking into. This is their website, and explains what they do much better than I would be able to:
http://www.h2oscore.com/about
One of Marquette's 'lead' hydraulics engineering professors may or may not have had some child pornography a couple years ago. Does that count?