Dorgan Conference Seeks To Link North Dakota Businesses, Research With Growing Polymers And Coatings Industry

DORGAN CONFERENCE SEEKS TO LINK NORTH DAKOTA BUSINESSES, RESEARCH WITH GROWING POLYMERS AND COATINGS INDUSTRY

(FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.) --- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) hosted an Action Summit in Fargo Thursday that drew more than 60 industry experts, researchers and entrepreneurs from the Department of Defense, industry and universities to explore ways of developing commercial opportunities for North Dakota businesses in the expanding field of polymers and coatings.

Dorgan has used his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee to steer a wide variety of research and development work to North Dakota colleges and universities as part of the Red River Valley Research Corridor. The Action Summit held here Thursday focused on the polymers and coatings research that is underway at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Polymers and coatings currently make up a $50 billion industry worldwide, and serve to decorate and protect a variety of everyday objects, including autos, furniture, structures and medical devices.

The research is particularly important to the Department of Defense, which is interested in securing new coatings and polymers that could save it billions of dollars by reducing equipment losses and downtime due to corrosion and other problems advanced coatings could prevent. Savings from the use of more advanced polymers and coatings could be even bigger in a wide variety of private sector applications, Dorgan noted.

"Cutting edge research now underway at North Dakota's universities is helping to develop breakthroughs that could produce highly-advanced new products and could save billions of dollars," Dorgan said. "I want to make sure North Dakota's businesses are fully engaged to help develop these commercial applications. This growing industry has the potential to be very big and North Dakota business can, and should, be a big part of it." North Dakota researchers have been particularly involved in developing anti-corrosion coatings for the Air Force and anti-fouling coatings to protect against barnacles and other things that can impede the speed and fuel-consumption of Navy vessels.

Dorgan said North Dakota is a worldwide research leader in this field, citing the NDSU Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, which Dorgan said is internationally known as one of the world's best facilities for this research.

Several North Dakota companies already have gained a foothold with coatings solutions that have found viable niches in the marketplace, Dorgan said. "We need to build on that. There is a great deal of potential for new economic opportunity for North Dakota."

http://dorgan.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=238444