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Brainstorming
for a Green Chemistry Demonstration Center
For Haverhill and Merrimack Valley
Join Our LinkedIn
Group to Participate
[ Please
click here to join. ]
I recently held a Business Networking
Breakfast in Haverhill, MA. Dr. John Warner of the Warner-Babcock
Institute for Green Chemistry challenged the community to develop
the nation's first "Green Chemistry Demonstration Center."
As the hub of the wheel it would make Haverhill a leader in this
new and exciting approach to industry and the future of manufacturing.
As a prime mover, the Center
would perform four roles 1) validate new products derived from
Green Chemistry, 2) test existing products for toxicity, 3) provide
a forum for companies and academia to share ideas and 4) perform
community and regional outreach.
Since Green Chemistry can be
applied to so many industries (e.g. Pharmaceutical, Biotech,
Specialty Chemicals, Building Materials, Printing & Ink,
Textiles, Cosmetics, and Consumer Products), it could also be
a catalyst for attracting other emerging and traditional industries
to the area. Perhaps the existing businesses in Haverhill could
be the first to pilot new green products validated at the demonstration
center, to give them an edge.
Dr. Warner has already pitched
this idea to the Governors in Michigan and California, respectively,
so there is little time to waste. At least two colleges in the
Merrimack Valley have expressed interest in playing a role in
the Green Chemistry Demonstration Center.
We have already visited the University
of New Hampshire's InterOperability Lab to learn about their
successful business model in validating networking products against
industry standards. UNH had the foresight to develop this non-profit
enterprise that employs 150 graduate and undergraduate students
and more than 30 full-time staff members. They are fully funded
by their member companies, such as Cisco. The students provide
participating companies with a pool of experienced job candidates.
Likewise, industry standards
will need to be developed for green chemistry. The Green Chemistry
Demonstration Center will then validate new products against
industry standards. It will also need a technician training program.
It is envisioned that The Warner-Babcock Institute for Green
Chemistry and its associated Beyond Benign Foundation will play
key roles in developing industry standards and training, respectively.
The trained technicians will provide a pool of experienced job
candidates for green chemistry companies, as well as for overlapping
industries, such as the Pharmaceutical industry. A tour of Warner-Babcock
is currently being planned.
A LinkedIn Group called "Haverhill's
Green Chemistry Demonstration Center" has been formed
to brainstorm its formulation. It already has 28 participants
from Haverhill, the region, nation and world. If you have an
interest in participating in the brainstorming activity, please
request to join the LinkedIn Group either directly through the
LinkedIn network, or by sending me an email at john@michitson.com.
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