Asheville, N.C. – Today The Collider, a first-of-its-kind physical and intellectual space for “strategic collisions” between business and science, opened its doors to the public. The Collider’s goal is to bring business and science together to facilitate the innovation and rapid commercialization of solutions for environmental and climate change adaptation and resilience.
At the launch, The Collider’s CEO Bill Dean was joined on stage by founding philanthropist Mack Pearsall, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and North Carolina native U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, all of whom gave opening remarks.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation remains committed to strengthening resilience in our nation’s infrastructure while also mitigating transportation’s contribution to climate change,” said Secretary Foxx. “Making these kinds of forward-looking investments in our transportation system will need to be a group effort. We are thrilled to see organizations like The Collider serving as a venue for all parties to come together to propose and act on real solutions that will allow us to protect our environment and plan for a cleaner future.”
The next-generation innovation center is situated just steps from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), a division of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Leveraging the world’s largest archive of environmental and climate data at NCEI, The Collider’s mission is to help businesses commercialize this data to develop groundbreaking products, services and technologies to accelerate an emerging trillion-dollar climate resilience industry.
“The Collider will provide the physical and intellectual space where leaders in business and industry, science, engineering and entrepreneurship can work collaboratively to identify and solve problems focused the environment and climate change challenges,” said Bill Dean, a veteran science park executive and CEO of The Collider. “By combining the best talent, knowledge, teams, and tools in collaborative, high-tech offices and meeting space, The Collider will drive innovation and job creation. It’s Asheville’s moonshot.”
While the science of climate change might still be debated on Capitol Hill, The Collider is focused on working within the free market to address the very real challenges climate change has already created. Global economic experts predict that in the near future there will be more than $10 trillion in climate adaptation infrastructure investment opportunities—The Collider will allow business and innovators to start capitalizing on climate adaptation solutions and bring them to market while creating job opportunities for Americans.
The Collider presents a unique opportunity for the federal government and the private sector to work together as partners, focusing on achieving the goals set forth by the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan and promoting a more sustainable future.
Fully equipped with world class connectivity and collaboration technology, The Collider will be located within the newly renovated Callen Center on the top floor of the Wells Fargo building on Haywood Street at Pritchard Park.
The Collider is a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative to develop high-tech products, services, and educational programming related to global environmental and climate change. The next-generation innovation center offers coworking, business, educational, and event space focused on climate and environmental sciences. The Collider is also building an international network of public, private, academic, and nonprofit members that will offer additional opportunities for connecting, collaborating, and innovating. For information visit thecollider.org or contact The Collider at 1-828-CLIMATE or info@thecollider.org.
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