San Diego universities, government and industry rally around local Clean-Te...( San Diego professors who are develop...)

San Diego professors who are developing technologies that will fuel the continued growth of the region's "clean tech cluster" recently received a financial boost through the 2008 Clean Tech Innovation Challenge.

The Clean Tech Innovation Challenge is a partnership between the City of San Diego, UC San Diego's William J. von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and San Diego State University (SDSU). The program is designed to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies out of university labs as part of the city's goal to promote the growth of the local clean tech industry. Program participants include faculty from UC San Diego, SDSU, University of San Diego and Alliant International University. Qualcomm, Inc. co-sponsored the first grant awards.

"This Clean Tech initiative is an example of how the San Diego community, its universities, local government and the private sector can join forces to create economic growth in the region around technology sectors," said Rosibel Ochoa, the von Liebig Center's acting executive director.

Researchers from UC San Diego and SDSU will receive funding and additional assistance to develop and commercialize new solar technologies, unique ways to convert waste heat to electricity, and novel methods of extracting biodiesel from algae.

"Clean tech is a natural extension of some of the academic and commercial strengths here in San Diego, including electronics, chemistry and biochemistry," said Mike Rondelli, director of the San Diego State Research Foundation.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and leaders from local universities and San Diego's technology and business communities industry gathered on Oct. 30 to honor the local researchers receiving grants at the 2008 Clean Tech Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony, which was sponsored by the law firm Morrison & Foerster.

Mayor Jerry Sanders, said during the awards event, "The universities represented here tonight have literall
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