For almost two decades, the Northeast-Midwest Institute has been a leading source of policy, scientific, and technological innovation to advance “clean trade” in the Northeast-Midwest region and beyond, especially through the prevention and management of aquatic invasive species in waterborne commerce. Clean trade is the commercial movement of goods without negative environmental effects such as aquatic invasive species introductions. The Institute is now expanding this clean trade focus to address other trade and transportation externalities, including preventing the introduction and spread of non-native forest pests and diseases, and minimizing carbon dioxide and other air emissions.

The Institute's Waterborne Trade and the Environment / Invasive Species portfolio is outcome-oriented, and ranges from paper studies to plankton counts. The objective of the program is to nurture trade and transportation opportunities that preserve and improve the region’s natural resource capital and other regional assets. The Institute’s program targets and enables win-win opportunities to improve environmental and economic conditions within the region. Its primary activities include: