Gov. Perry Announces $2 Million Emerging Tech Fund Investment in UTEP

EL PASO – Gov. Rick Perry today announced the state will invest $2 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) to create the Center for Inland Desalination Systems at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a world class global research center. Desalination expert Thomas A. Davis was recruited from the University of South Carolina to lead this research and commercialization effort.

"Saltwater desalination is a viable remedy for the water shortages we face in inland areas of our state and can help create a sustainable water supply for cities such as El Paso,” Gov. Perry said. “The state’s investment through the TETF will help position UTEP as a world class center of research and commercialization for this innovative technology and attract top experts in the field to Texas.”

The premier research center will focus on technology that will not only add quality of life for Texans but commercialize technology to solve global water issues. Applying current desalination technology to address immediate water needs, the facility will research ways to capture and recycle the byproduct of the desalination process; develop small-scale portable desalination equipment for use in remote locations; and develop processes that can reduce energy and water use during desalination.

UTEP is partnering with El Paso Water Utilities and the U.S. Army to develop the center and implement current desalination technology. The TETF investment will be matched with $2 million from UTEP and The University of Texas System. UTEP also will raise another $2 million in sponsored research from industry partners, to bring the total funding to $6 million.

The TETF is a $200 million initiative created by the Texas Legislature in 2005 at the governor’s request and was reauthorized in 2007. A 17-member advisory committee of high-tech leaders, entrepreneurs and research experts reviews potential projects and recommends funding allocations to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House. To date, the TETF has allocated $115 million in funds to Texas companies and universities.

For more information on the TETF, please visit http://www.emergingtechfund.com.