Current

We are Current, a nonprofit water innovation hub based in Chicago that is catalyzing a circular blue economy across the Great Lakes and beyond. Since 2016, we’ve partnered with researchers, industry, and communities to solve urgent water challenges while driving economic opportunity, protecting public and environmental health, and safeguarding the nation's most vital national security asset: our freshwater. In 2024, the National Science Foundation awarded us up to $160M over 10 years to lead the NSF Great Lakes RENEW Engine—a 75+ partner coalition turning waste into wealth by recovering energy, nutrients, critical elements and water that would otherwise be flushed down the drain, all while eliminating harmful contaminants like PFAS from our water resources. Together, we’re positioning the Great Lakes region as a global hub for water innovation and industry growth—securing supply chains, attracting water-intensive industry, protecting national security, and shaping a future where economic prosperity and the health of our people and environment go hand in hand.