Membrane technology is a new and fast-growing area of research in separation and purification. New separation technologies, reactors and catalytic syntheses are essential to the development of the next generation of process technologies in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food, environmental and biotechnology industries.

Synthetic membranes are widely believed to be a most important source for new separation technologies and separative reactors with significant advantages over existing separation processes. The capacity of membranes to compartmentalize different regions of space and create special environments for catalysts is of considerable interest in catalytic/biocatalytic synthesis. Membranes are also vital to different types of biomedical devices and controlled release technologies. Finally, membranes are key to many sensors and an increasing number of analytical applications.

An academic-industrial interface through a properly structured Center for Membrane Technologies can play a significant role in developing this emerging technology. Faculty researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Rowan University, Rutgers University (New Brunswick) and Stevens Institute of Technology have recently come together to establish such a center, headquartered at NJIT. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology (NJCST) has provided seed funding for this center via its R&D Excellence Initiative.

Universities in New Jersey, particularly NJIT, have an established track record of developing effective industry-university cooperative research centers in a multi-university context. The center structure encourages simultaneously generic precompetitive research as well as research sponsored by individual corporations enjoying preferential Intellectual Property Rights in an environment conducive to technology transfer.

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