The Water Industry Deserves Credit for Innovation
By Vincent Caprio

We hear our elected officials use the word “Innovation” daily in their speeches.  Have you noticed that you never hear a Governor, Senator or Congressman use the words Innovation and the Water Industry in the same sentence?  Innovation as defined by Webster’s dictionary is the following:

1: The introduction of something new
2: a new idea, method or device

During the last 5 years I have had the opportunity to listen to hundreds of presentations from engineers and scientists employed by GE, Veolia, American Water and United Water.  Here are a few presentations from the past year that emphasize Innovation and cite a variety of new methods and devices.

An interesting look at the evolution of technology in the water industry:
Terry E. Biederman, P.E., Global Industry Manager- Water, GE Intelligent Platforms

Leveraging Data to create a paradigm shift from Reactive to Proactive Utility Management:
Brent Fewell, VP, Environmental Compliance, United Water

Mobile + Data + Analytics = Future
Kyle Reissner, Senior Marketing Manager Automation Software, GE Intelligent Platforms

Why does the Water Industry not get recognition for Innovation?

Americans’ Understanding of Water Lifecycle and Solutions Falls behind Water Challenged Countries…

1) Americans take their access to water as a birthright. Water is the family member they have always had their entire life. 31% of Americans don’t know where their water comes from, compared to only 14% of those in China and 15% of those in Singapore.

2) Most Americans take their water supply for granted and with their lack of science do not have the skill set to understand a water system. The Water Industry is under the radar and is very effective in solving their problems. 42% of Americans don’t know how their water is purified, compared to only 17% of those in China and 19%of those in Singapore.

3) Americans have a lack of understanding of science, emerging technologies and innovation breakthroughs. Americans in the 1980s began to equate Information Technology (formerly known as Data Processing or Management Information Systems) as America’s leading technology. The 1980s Information Technology revolution led to the 21^st century Consumer Electronics revolution.  Today, Americans’ perception of innovation is an application for a smart phone or a tablet.

I have always enjoyed the following quote from Peter Drucker, Management Consultant. It sums up my thoughts in regard to Innovation. “Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation.”

The Water Industry should be proud of the thousands of innovative products they have created during the last 20 years. Remember to tell your friends and family what we have achieved. We are Innovation.

Griff Kundahl and I will be participating in the 2013 NNI Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop.  The NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA) recommends this workshop to our members and the Nanotechnology Community.

DATES: June 11-12, 2013

LOCATION: USDA Patriot Plaza Conference Center, 355 E Street, SW, Washington, DC

SCOPE: The 2013 NNI Stakeholder Workshop will obtain input outside the U.S. Government on the future directions of the NNI. The recommendations of this one-and-a-half day workshop will inform the development of the 2013 NNI Strategic Plan.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this workshop is to obtain input from stakeholders – both those new to nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and those already familiar with these fields and with the NNI – regarding revisions to the NNI Strategic Plan that will be proposed in advance of the workshop.

Participants will be invited to suggest additions to and provide feedback on wording and emphasis areas in the NNI goals, the objectives that support these goals, and the Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives. Comments will also be solicited on the relationship between these topics and the revised Program Component Areas, which will be presented at the event.

AGENDA: Click here for an agenda in downloadable .pdf format.

Click here to REGISTER.

This workshop is free and open to the public with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is now open and will be capped at 120 people.

HOTEL: A limited number of hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hotel are available until May 17th. Reservations can be made online by following this link or by phone at 888-847-1675 with booking code N8N.

NANO NEWS
CDC sets carbon nanotech safety guidelines
USA Today quotes Lynn L. Bergeson in Article on NIOSH’s Nanotech Safety Guidelines

Seven Words of Advice for EPA Chief Gina McCarthy
By Scott E. Rickert, CEO, Nanofilm Ltd.

Nanotechnology could bring affordable clean water to rural poor

Unique Method for Creating Uniform Nanoparticles Developed by Researchers

Hope to see you in DC.

Regards,
Vincent Caprio “Serving the Nanotechnology Community for Over a Decade”
Executive Director
NanoBusiness Commercialization Association
203-733-1949
vincent@nanobca.org
www.nanobca.org
www.vincentcaprio.org

Today, we would like to share the Agenda Updates for our Water 2.0 Conference on Wednesday, May 15^th in Washington, DC.

The Water 2.0 – Water Innovations Alliance Foundation Conference will focus on the social/economic benefit of digitally enabled water solutions:  Big Data Solutions, Information Powered Utilities and Smarter Customers.  We will be discussing our smart water network and other water infrastructure issues.

REGISTER TODAY $250

We have added several new speakers:

Alan Hinchman, Global Marketing Director-Infrastructure, GE Intelligent Platforms

Kathryn Craig, Director, Workflow Solutions, Hach Company

David Drake, Founder & Chairman, LDJ Capital

John M. Przybyla, PE, GISP, Senior Vice President, Woolpert

Jon B. Freedman, Executive Counsel – Government Relations, GE Power & Water

Jud Hill, Managing Director, NGP Global Adaptation Partners

Amanda Brock, CEO, Water Standard

Dr. Paul Boulos, President & COO, Innovyze

Blythe Lyons, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council Program on Energy & Environment

Kevin McGovern, Chairman & CEO, The Water Initiative

Dennis Nelson, President & CEO, Project WET Foundation

Erik Hromadka, CEO, Global Water Technologies

Cat Shrier, Ph.D., P.G., President & Founder, Watercat Consulting LLC

Terry E. Biederman, P.E., Global Industry Manager- Water, GE Intelligent Platforms

Click here to see the presentations from our last Water 2.0 Conference on February 26^th 2013 at 30 Rock in NYC.

RESERVE HOTEL TODAY  $319 per night
The Westin Washington, DC City Center
1400 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

WATER NEWS
Is Water or Gas More Fractured?
Written by Ron Steiger

Our Blue Horizon: Children and the Future of Water
Written by Dennis Nelson

GE Unveils New Corrosion Protection Technology for Refinery Steam Systems

GO GREEN! EPA News You Can Use – April 2013 EARTH DAY EXTRA

Looking forward to seeing you on May 15^th in Washington, DC.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio
Executive Director
Water Innovations Alliance Foundation
203-733-1949
vince@waterinnovationsfoundation.org
www.waterinnovations.org
www.vincentcaprio.org

We recently completed our 5^th Annual Nanotech Commercialization Conference, April 9-10^th at the Wake Forest Biotech Place in Winston Salem, NC.  We would like to thank our 225 participants who had the opportunity to hear a fabulous line-up of Speakers.  During our last NanoBCA conference call we had the opportunity to hear a presentation from David Leech, Senior Analyst for Industry and Technology Evaluation, TASC, Inc.

The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is sponsoring a small study to assess the value of voluntary consensus standard in emerging technologies. Their focus is on the existing nanotechnology documentary standards that have been developed by ISO/TC229 (Nanotechnologies), ASTM E56 (Nanotechnology), and IEC/TC113 (Nanotechnology Standardization for Electrical and Electronics Products and Systems). The assessment leader, David Leech, discussed the nature of the effort with our group at our weekly teleconference, March 21, 2013. Mr. Leech asked for NanoBCA help on two items: (1) quick-turn responses to qualitative background questions from our members; and (2) our participation in a survey (a few weeks away) that will try to quantify some of the kinds of benefits discovered in the background question responses. The nine background questions are below.

Our industry needs consensus standards to close some of the many gaps in definition, measurement, risk analysis, and regulation that exist today. Supporting this assessment will help NanoBCA move the ball forward by demonstrating the economic significant of standards development activities and encouraging our industry’s participation in standards efforts going forward.

Economic Impact of Nanotechnology-Related Documentary Standards

– Background Questions –

1. What business units, and key personnel from your organization were involved in the development (and/or use) of nanotechnology-related documentary standards? (Did key personnel make presentations or publish papers that we can read?)

2. What dates bound your involvement in the development process? If there were important activity phases, or interdependencies with the activities of other organizations, please indicate their start/stop dates?

3. In a sentence or two, what has changed within your organization because of your involvement in the standard development activity and due to the availability of the standard(s) in question?

4. What conventions, processes, and/or standards were in place prior to your involvement in the standards development activity? How long had they been in place?

5. Why were existing processes or standards deemed inadequate? What changed to make them inadequate? What evidence could you offer in support of the claim that something significant had changed to which your activity was responding?

6. How did the development of the standard(s) in question hope to solve the problem?

7. Can you provide points of contact (POCs) in business units external to yours (or in other organizations altogether) that you believe may have benefited from your participation in the standards development process and the publication of the standard(s)?

8. Given the compelling need for the documentary standard(s) in question (provided in the response to question #5), if the specific standard development process in which you engaged had not (or does not) come to fruition, what alternative (competing?) approach(es) to addressing the problem could have been utilized? (This is a historical question, not a conceptual one. Often there are several rival solutions — not all equally good — to a given standards-related problem that could have come to the fore in the absence of the one in which you actually participated?)

9. If the standard development project(s) in which you participated offered the best, most cost-effective, solution to the problem at hand, what made it superior to the alternative approach(es) identified in your response to question #8? Did the development/adoption of the standard result in “resource” savings, or schedule advantages over alternatives identified in your response to question #8?)

I urge NanoBCA members to take 15 minutes to respond to Mr. Leech’s “Nano Standards Background Questions,” by email response David.Leech@TASC.COM or by phone (at a convenient time to be worked out with him). Mr. Leech is anticipating our responses. Please try to respond by Tuesday, April 30th.  All the answers you provide to David will be held in the strictest confidence. They will not be shared with NIST or the standards development organizations whose standards are the focus of the analysis. Information from the background survey will be used in such a way that no individual person or company will be identified.

Thank you.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio “Serving the Nanotechnology Community for Over a Decade”
Executive Director
NanoBusiness Commercialization Association
203-733-1949
vincent@nanobca.org
www.nanobca.org
www.vincentcaprio.org