Page 44: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2017)

Fresh Water Monitoring

The “Erie Hack” $100K Challenge

The Start to the

Smart Lake

By Max Herzog, Project Manage at the Cleveland Water Alliance nnovation has long been a part of DigitalC quickly saw the value of tech solutions. The competition quickly life and work on the Great Lakes. CWA’s vision. As a catalyst of North- gained following, engaging more than

IThe unique water resources of this east Ohio’s civic technology ecosystem, 100 partner organizations as it put some region set the stage for technological DigitalC sees the Great Lakes as an op- of the region’s best minds to work.

advancement and continue to drive one portunity to leverage big open data for Many of the strongest Erie Hack teams of America’s most dynamic regional positive community impact. focused on monitoring for nutrient pol- economies. Despite their essential role By bringing technology leaders to- lution as a means to address harmful in our commerce, industry and entre- gether to craft digital solutions for wa- algal blooms (HABs), the type of eco- preneurship, the Lakes are consistently ter, DigitalC would help CWA acceler- logical disaster that deprived Toledo undervalued as an economic asset and ate the growth of a regional sector of residents of public water in 2014. Cur- catalyst of innovation. data-driven solutions with the potential rent research suggests that blooms of

However, the systemic undervaluation to ignite creativity and innovation across this scale will become an annual norm, of the Great Lakes has not gone unno- the nation. threatening a regional loss of $1.3 bil- ticed. The Cleveland Water Alliance It was this shared vision for commu- lion over the next 30 years. This loom- (CWA), a collection of forward-thinking nity, economic and ecological develop- ing crisis has prompted the governments research institutions, industry leaders, ment through the cultivation of an eco- of Ohio, Michigan and Ontario to pledge environmental organizations and public system of innovative water technology a 40% reduction in nutrient pollution of utilities, came together to develop a new solutions that created the Erie Hack in Lake Erie by 2025.

way of thinking about regional econom- early 2017. CWA and DigitalC saw that the Erie ic development. This framework focus- Erie Hack was a $100,000 innovation Hack teams were onto something; proj- es on creating a Blue Economy where challenge that activated more than 200 ects funded by these regional govern- innovating and monetizing solutions techies, creative thinkers, entrepreneurs ments, like the Sandusky Bay Initiative, to water challenges replaces continued and environmentalists from six cities are placing Lake Erie at the cutting edge pollution of our resources as a key driver around in the U.S. and Canada to tackle of nutrient pollution mitigation, but of prosperity. Lake Erie’s key challenges with creative there is a key piece missing. Nutrient

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