SPOKANE – Itron Inc. and the WSU Applied Sciences Lab (ASL) announced today the establishment of a research partnership between the two organizations.
Itron provided a gift to ASL of $250,000, which will be matched by The Cheney Cowles Foundation. The organizations also entered into a research agreement for $450,000 over three years, for a total commitment to ASL of $700,000 over five years.
“ASL allows Itron to extend our research and development capabilities into areas of material science and other disciplines where we do not have the resources or expertise,” said LeRoy Nosbaum, Itron chairman and CEO. “This partnership allows us to move more quickly from research to real-world application and supports our efforts to build new products for energy efficiency and water conservation.”
Yogendra Gupta, director of the WSU Institute for Shock Physics and founder of ASL, said “We are pleased to partner with Itron in conducting applied research to address Itron’s technical needs. Working with corporations is an important aspect of ASL’s mission. Furthermore, Itron’s support and involvement will ensure that our research efforts have an impact around the globe.”
The primary focus of the work will be on applying advanced materials research from ASL to future Itron products that house sensitive electronics.
The materials expertise of the ASL staff will help Itron ensure that it continues to meet these challenging reliability requirements in the development of more advanced energy and water management products.
Itron, Inc.
Itron Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Itron Inc. consists of Itron in North America and Actaris outside of North America. For more information visit www.itron.com.
ASL
WSU’s Applied Sciences Laboratory (ASL) is a Spokane based, contract research organization that undertakes a broad range of applied research projects for government agencies and private corporations, including the development of commercial applications. For more information visit www.asl.wsu.edu.
