Engineering Clusters

The College of Engineering recognizes the importance of linking the College’s resources and expertise to global challenges. Because research clusters thrive on the synergy of multiple and varied partners, they tend to forge welcome connections between the university and community. Seven research cluster opportunities have been identified in the College of Engineering. These clusters focus on market-driven, external needs and build on existing strengths of our faculty and laboratories, extending their impact.

Clean Energy

Clean energy is energy derived from highly efficient, networked, clean technologies, including ultra clean internal combustion engines, smart electrical grids, distributed energy resources, renewable energy and combined heat and power.

Engineering faculty at Colorado State across multiple engineering disciplines have research programs, technology development activities, and consulting experience in many aspects of clean energy. The college has partnered with business, government, and community leaders to form the Northern Colorado Clean Energy Cluster.

Other clusters envisioned for future development and partnerships include:

Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure is a term used in the USA's National Strategy for Homeland Security, which was issued in July 2002. It is defined as those "systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitation impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters." These indispensable resources include energy supply, telecommunications, financial and accounting services, transport and logistics, emergency services, health care (including water supply), retail trade and public administrations.

Aware Environment

An aware environment is a pervasive sensor network in the context of a realtime, in situ application. A sensor network is a computer network of many, spatially distributed devices using sensors to monitor conditions at different locations, such as temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion or pollutants. Usually these devices are small and inexpensive, so that they can be produced and deployed in large numbers, and so their resources in terms of energy, memory, computational speed and bandwidth are severely constrained.

Strategic Space

Strategic Space recognizes that space operations are becoming ever more vital to U.S. and global economies, and military space capabilities are becoming increasingly indispensable to U.S. national security. Space power is inextricably linked to military operations on land, sea, and in the air. Key military functions have already migrated to space–intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); ballistic missile detection and early warning; weapons guidance; position location; communications; and environmental monitoring. Read more about CSU's Colorado Space Grant research.

Health Care (Quality of Life)

Synergy between medical practitioners, life scientists, biomedical device manufacturers, the biomedical engineering faculty and staff for direct practical application of research results and developments, leading to new sophisticated methods and products directly resulting in improved quality of life for all.

Water-Energy-IT Nexus

The energy security of the U.S. is closely linked to the state of its water resources. No longer can water resources be taken for granted if the U.S. is to achieve energy security in the years and decades ahead. At the same time, U.S. water security cannot be guaranteed without careful attention to related energy issues. Underlying both energy and water is the necessity of a secure cyber infrastructure.

International Sustainability

International Sustainability in the form of leadership and emerging experience in sustainable building, transportation, energy, and waste and resource management can provide products and services to a world market. We work with government, corporations and non-profits to build the sustainability industry through exposure to global best practices. We train local villagers in sustainability practices and assist in micro financing of projects. We work to develop business opportunities for villagers to sell its products and services.