Rochester Institute of Technology and Caterpillar Inc., have entered into a partnership to increase the implementation of sustainable processes in manufacturing and to enhance green industrial development.


A $650,000 gift from the Peoria, Ill.-based company will fund the Caterpillar Professorship in Remanufacturing -- one of the first of its kind in the nation -- and the related Caterpillar Fund at RIT's Golisano Institute for Sustainability. The initiatives will focus on promoting research, education and outreach in remanufacturing, recycling and industrial reuse, while also enhancing the Golisano Institute's programs in sustainable design, pollution prevention and sustainable systems.

"RIT seeks to be a leader in developing new technologies and principles that can assist industrial enterprises in becoming more environmentally sustainable and these new initiatives in remanufacturing will bring tremendous value to our faculty and students working in the field," says RIT President Bill Destler. "We are proud to partner with Caterpillar, which has been a world leader in the use of remanufacturing to promote sustainability in all areas of industrial production."

Remanufacturing is the technical process through which components and parts are restored to 'like-new' condition so they can be reused in manufacturing. It has been used for decades in the automotive sector and, more recently, has expanded to the consumer electronics, computer and energy industries.

The professorship and fund were established by Caterpillar as a result of its long-term research relationship with the Golisano Institute's Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery, the first academic center dedicated to research and development in remanufacturing. RIT hopes to fill the professorship later this year.