The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
Centrepolis Accelerator, EGLE, other Michigan partners team up for initiative to reduce industrial carbon emissions
August 21, 2023
Michigan startups and innovators are encouraged to submit applications starting today, Aug. 21, for the Industrial Decarbonization Innovation Challenge, an initiative to discover and support groundbreaking technologies and entrepreneurs focused on decarbonizing the industrial sector.
The Southfield-based Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) announced the competitive challenge in partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), Whirlpool Corp., Gerdau, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Breakthrough Energy.
The challenge has three focus areas:
- Decarbonize How We Build Things.
- Decarbonize the Built Environment.
- Decarbonize through the Circular Economy.
Centrepolis Accelerator and its partners invite startups and established firms with technologies fitting the challenge criteria, as well as additional sponsors to participate in this groundbreaking initiative.
Challenge applicants will have an opportunity to engage in a paid pilot project where up to $250,000 will be made available to support industrial decarbonization demonstrations and other technology development services.
Participants will be able to demonstrate their technologies and solutions to industry leaders, potential commercial partners, and climate tech ecosystem disruptors alike. Companies selected will have the opportunity to engage in paid pilots and secure potential commercial relationships, networking opportunities, and mentorship from industry experts.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 30, 2023, and winners will be announced in January 2024. For more information, including application details and eligibility criteria, visit centrepolis.org/industrial-decarbonization.
LTU Centrepolis Accelerator staff have scheduled a webinar at noon on Sept. 14 for those who wish to learn more about the submission process, the challenge focus areas, and the challenge’s corporate sponsors.
“The U.S. industrial sector accounts for approximately 35% of total U.S. end-use energy consumption and 33% of total U.S. energy consumption. Michigan has a strong industrial base with over 10,000 manufacturers. It is essential that we support their transition to reduce energy consumption and emissions,” said Dan Radomski, CEO of Centrepolis Accelerator. “By doing this effectively, we also provide our local manufacturers with an opportunity to improve their operational margins and improve their global competitiveness.”
Clean innovation in industry is part of the Roadmap to 2030 in the MI Healthy Climate Plan, Michigan’s route to a prosperous, healthy, equitable, carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
As of 2019, Michigan’s industrial sector accounted for 15% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Plan calls for process-specific solutions with a focus on research and development, facility efficiency, cleaner products and fuels, and new markets for byproducts.
Key strategies in the Roadmap to 2030 include using low-carbon and circular-economy products in public and private-sector procurement programs; tripling the state’s 2019 recycling rate to 45% and cutting food loss and waste in half; encouraging collaborative clean innovation hubs; clean industry process improvements; and carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration.
Learn more about decarbonization in industry on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office website.
About Centrepolis Accelerator
Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University is a leading organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the growth of cleantech and advanced manufacturing startups. In partnership with MEDC, EGLE, Whirlpool Corp., Gerdau, NREL, and Breakthrough Energy, Centrepolis Accelerator is committed to fostering innovation and driving industrial decarbonization through programs including the Industrial Decarbonization Innovation Challenge, C3 Accelerator and the MI Climate Wise Business.
About EGLE
The mission of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is to protect Michigan’s environment and public health by managing air, water, land, and energy resources. EGLE works side-by-side with partners at local, regional, state, and federal levels to safeguard Michigan’s environment while supporting the economic growth and development crucial for our state’s future.