Apr 2 2004
Patented technology that could turn paper-mill sludge into viable consumer products and boost the usefulness of recycled paper will be developed by Western Michigan University, thanks to an April 1 technology transfer made to WMU's Paper Technology Foundation by consumer giant Kimberly-Clark.
The firm has presented three technologies related to fiber and by-product processing to WMU's Paper Technology Foundation. The gift, which was announced at the foundation's semiannual meeting in Kalamazoo, includes a total of seven patents. The technology will spark three separate research initiatives on campus, as faculty researchers develop and commercialize the technology. Kimberly-Clark's gift also includes funds and equipment to support the research projects.
The patent technology transfer is one of a series of such partnerships announced between WMU and various corporations in recent years, and such initiatives have become a major focus for the University. In December, the WMU Research Foundation was established to facilitate such technology transfer, and the Kimberly-Clark gifts will be among the first technologies to flow through the new foundation.
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