NSF Advancing M-SPIRE

Partnerships advancing plastics circularity

Join us in our mission to advance sustainable plastics in our regional innovation ecosystem! We assembled an incredible foundation in the proposal to the U.S. National Science Foundation for a Midwest Sustainable Plastics Innovation Regional Engine (M-SPIRE). After reaching one of sixteen finalists during the inaugural competition in 2023, our group was awarded an NSF Engines Development Award ($1 M / 2 years) to continue strengthening the ecosystem and lay the groundwork for a successful submission during the upcoming NSF Engine Opportunity.

Development Phase

Programmatic Goals

01 Engine Ecosystem

Maintain and establish partnerships with companies that represent the entire plastics ecosystem, organizations that support workforce development, firms that support entrepreneurs and their startups, and non-profits to amplify their work.

02 Workforce Development

Define the workforce supporting sustainable plastics and forecast needs. Support agreements across education institutions and support recruitment and training for a diverse workforce pipeline.

03 Translation of Innovation

Support connectivity between entrepreneurial and startup community with strategic partners and investors to enable growth and scale. Publish a landscape and market analysis. Map partnerships across the ecosystem.

Our Team

There is no one solution to the plastics problem and as such, each problem needs to be addressed holistically and thoughtfully with the consideration of the use of the material from its production to its disposal and potential for harmful byproducts.

Contact us to discuss how we can collaborate and amplify the work you are doing!