DARTMOUTH, MASS. — November11, 2021 — Yesterday, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and executives from UMass Dartmouth celebrated the announcement of a new $739,936 award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support the development of a new research and development laboratory in New Bedford to study biodegradable and ocean-safe plastics. The new Plastics Biodegradation Laboratory at UMass Dartmouth will enable efficient testing of plastic biodegradation, helping address the significant waste caused by traditional plastics used in textiles, packaging, and other products that accumulate in the ocean and other water resources.
该州赠款是由合作研究与发展匹配赠款计划授予的，这是由马萨诸塞州技术合作社（MASSTECH）创新研究所（MASSTECH）的一项努力，将与100万美元的比赛资金配对，超过45万美元的私人行业合作伙伴，私人行业合作伙伴，超过45万美元。包括领先的高级材料公司，例如Primaloft。新实验室的推出将推进UMass Dartmouth在高级材料和蓝色经济方面的研究，并为行业提供所需的测试功能。
“我们很高兴在sta进行投资te to support projects like this, which are addressing critical demands for new, innovative products,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This investment in new research infrastructure at UMass Dartmouth will further strengthen Massachusetts’ Blue Tech sector, working collaboratively with the private sector to create innovative products and grow jobs here in the Commonwealth.”
“Institutions like UMass Dartmouth play a critical role in preparing Massachusetts’ students for their future careers, teaching them how to tackle major global challenges such as plastic waste,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, who chairs the Commonwealth’s Seaport Economic Council. “This new lab, and the partnerships with leading organizations in manufacturing and research, will solidify the Commonwealth’s role as a global leader when it comes to R&D in the Blue Tech sector.”
The main biodegradability lab will be housed at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) campus in New Bedford, a newly expanded state-of-the-art facility with classrooms, labs, and offices for faculty, staff, and students. The Commonwealth’s capital investment will fund new lab equipment which will address material biodegradability and its environmental impact, specializing in the ocean impacts, and advancing the development of new, environmentally-sensitive products. In addition, investments on the main campus include auxiliary services in toxicology testing and microplastics assays. The lab will fill an important niche for businesses interested in the field, providing additional research capacity for the evaluation of plastic biodegradability.
In addition to PrimaLoft, partners on the project include Radical Plastics of Beverly, Paramount Planet Product, UMass Boston, UMass Lowell, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Boston-based SeaAhead, and the U.S. Army Soldier Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center.
Project estimates call for positive economic impacts within two years of launch, noting the large potential market for biodegradable products being driven by consumer demand and new legislation aimed at limiting plastic pollution. Through the collaborations with Radical Plastics and Paramount Planet Product, the project expects to support the creation of approximately 75 direct jobs starting in 2023 and estimates an additional 232 jobs supported by supply chain and spending effects.
UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Mark A. Fuller说：“我要感谢大众技术合作和Primaloft的合作伙伴，他们帮助UMass Dartmouth继续我们的研究重点是可持续性和蓝色经济的关键领域。”“借助这个新的生物降解实验室，我们的大学将能够为学生和教师创造研究机会，同时为政府和工业提供有影响力的成果和经济利益。”
Primaloft总裁兼首席执行官Mike Joyce表示：“随着可持续性处于最前沿以及新的可生物降解材料和技术的发展，对测试和验证的需求至关重要。”“纺织品材料通常在垃圾填埋场，海洋环境和废水系统中浮出水面，我们开发了可生物降解的技术，可以在纤维水平上解决这个问题。马萨诸塞大学达特茅斯大学提供的专业知识，尤其是海洋科学技术学校，非常适合验证这些技术。UMass Dartmouth在纺织科学中的遗产及其在海洋科学和可持续性中的领导地位使其成为这项新实验室的逻辑位置。”
根据美国人口普查局的数据，美国的塑料制造业在2019年生产的塑料价值为201亿美元，马萨诸塞州的产品提供了39亿美元。但是，可生物降解的替代品占整个市场的一小部分，强调了马萨诸塞州公司提供可生物降解产品并满足未来需求的强大增长机会。
“The Commonwealth’s tech and innovation sector is well known for tackling major challenges and by partnering with UMass Dartmouth and MassTech, this grant will help this sector address a major market opportunity that will have positive impacts on our environment,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “The Baker-Polito Administration has made investments in research and development a critical building block of our economic development plans and this grant will further the momentum we’ve generated while also capitalizing on the South Coast’s centuries-long history in manufacturing.”
Masstech创新研究所主任Pat Larkin说：“创建了合作研发基金，以资助像这样的激动人心的合作伙伴关系，这些项目汇集了学术界，工业和政府的合作伙伴，以解决主要的商机。”“该基金已经在马萨诸塞州的关键行业中进行了关键投资，但这是第一个解决了这样的挑战，直接与一次性消费品和解决问题的公司进行了直接联系。对于南海岸和马萨诸塞州来说，这是一个令人兴奋的机会。”
To date, the Collaborative R&D Matching Grant program has awarded more than $28 million, leveraging more than $50 million in matching contributions from outside partners. This includes 10 projects that have supported innovative industry/academic collaborations and investment in novel R&D infrastructure to bolster the Massachusetts tech and innovation economy statewide. Emerging industries supported include cloud computing, marine robotics, printed electronics, cybersecurity/data science, and nanomaterials/smart sensors. These investments have led to the formation of 79 new industry partnerships and 54 intellectual property and licensing agreements in the past two years.
“蓝色经济的发展是南海岸经济未来不可或缺的一部分。我很高兴UMass Dartmouth获得了这一奖项，这将使它能够继续成为该领域的领导人。“感谢Baker-Polito政府和马萨诸塞州技术合作组织对这个行业的支持，并感谢富勒总理富勒的坚定领导才能使UMass Dartmouth和South Coast保持在蓝色经济的最前沿。”
“UMass Dartmouth continues to be a leader in developing the Blue Economy and solutions to climate challenges in the Commonwealth and beyond,” said Senator Mark Montigny. “I am pleased that this capital grant, supported by the Legislature, from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is being awarded to UMass Dartmouth. It will bolster the campus’ efforts to create critical technology to stop ecological disaster from polluting materials in our ecosystem.”
代表Paul A. Schmid III说：“浮动塑料对我们的海洋和水道造成了不可估量的破坏。”“这项研究有可能减少对我们星球的重大伤害。我很高兴达特茅斯（Umass Dartmouth）在如此重要的工作中发挥了积极作用。”
发表于2021年11月11日
资料来源：MASSTECH合作
