The NSF–funded Colorado-Wyoming Regional Innovation Engine Launches Digital Twins Accelerator Program to Drive Innovation in Community Resilience Technologies 

The U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program has funded the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) in collaboration with leading U.S. corporate partners, including Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, NVIDIA, Chevron, MARS, and Trimble. Together with lab partners NSF NEON and NSF NCAR, the CO-WY Engine today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Digital Twins Accelerator program. The goal of this innovative and thematic program is to help early-stage startups that are incorporating digital twinning as a key part of their solutions to accelerate their commercial pathway and company growth.  

The Digital Twins Accelerator program will focus on supporting ambitious and commercially-minded startups that align to one or more of the CO-WY Engine’s identified focus area use cases which include soil health and productivity, natural hazard preparedness and response, and water quality and availability. Operating the accelerator program is a key part of the CO-WY Engine strategy for supporting the translation of high-impact technologies to the marketplace that drive higher levels of community resiliency. 

The Accelerator’s collaborative access to its partners, combined with targeted expertise and the connecting power of the CO-WY Engine ecosystem, will provide startups accepted into the program with an unmatched opportunity to learn, develop, prove, connect, and grow. 

“We believe the application of digital twins can transform approaches and power innovative pathways toward community resiliency by translating environmental monitoring technologies and predictive analytics into reliable and trustworthy decision support systems that enable key aspects of resilience,” said Mike Freeman, CEO of the CO-WY Engine.  

The program will offer a holistic and impactful range of benefits including access, connections, expertise, perks, and a showcase. These elements, combined with the CO-WY Engine’s regional innovation-driven ecosystem, will provide startups in the program with an unmatched opportunity to learn, develop, prove, connect, and grow. 

Applications are now open and will run through Jan. 24, 2025, and the program will run March – August, 2025. Startups interested in being considered for the Accelerator and apply here  https://www.co-wyengine.org/digital-twins-accelerator-application