The Mountain West is home to three U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories and more than 30 federal research facilities, which underpin regional innovation, attract and grow talent, and accelerate business development in the Mountain West. In this panel, leaders from the federal science community shared how these laboratories are supercharging regional innovation.
According to Mr. Dan Powers, Executive Director of CO-LABS, federal laboratories and research centers possess a distinct ability to collaborate with industry and drive large-scale regional success. To initiate a discussion on their impact, he invited fellow panelists to share how their institutions have fostered innovation and collaboration.
Dr. Kristan Corwin, Chief of the Applied Physics Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), drew inspiration from NIST’s mission statement: “To promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.” Through this mission, NIST has a significant role in the success of two highlighted ventures during the Tech Talks – LongPath Technologies and Quantinuum — as NIST has collaborated with both firms to on research.
“It took thirty years to get solar on the grid. We do not have that long to make the next big leap in energy technology.”
Dr. Martin Keller
Director
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Dr. Martin Keller, Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), shared a fundamental truth: his laboratory alone cannot create a better planet. To effectively disseminate the technologies and innovations it develops, NREL must engage partners. The laboratory currently maintains over 1,500 active partnerships and continually seeks new opportunities. These collaborations span a range of entities, from the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to industries looking to mitigate risks associated with their innovations, including both small startups and global corporations like Shell and Exxon. The impact of these partnerships has been significant; when NREL was established, the idea of solar energy contributing to the grid was widely dismissed, yet today it is the fastest-growing segment of our energy mix. Dr. Keller cautioned, however, that this transition took thirty years—a timeframe we cannot afford today, and to accelerate the timeline, even more partnerships are needed.
Dr. Mark Peters, President and CEO of MITRE Corporation, brings a wealth of experience from his career leading U.S. DOE National Laboratories. MITRE, which overseeing the management of six of the forty-two federal research centers, is an important driver of innovation in the United States. According to Dr. Peters, the U.S. DOE National Laboratories serve as the "anchors" for other federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), playing a crucial role alongside a skilled workforce and strong connections with local leaders—elements he noted are present in the Mountain West. However, he challenged regional leaders to seize the opportunity to enhance manufacturing within the area. While he recognized no single region can excel in all sectors, he specifically highlighted energy production and supply chain localization as key areas of opportunity for the I-25 corridor.
When asked about the intersections between quantum science and other fields, Dr. Peters highlighted how MITRE is collaborating with Sandia National Laboratory and MIT on projects related to quantum sensing and communications—both of which are critical areas for future military capabilities. Quantum technology also has significant potential in climate resilience, though is yet to have the same disruptive impact as artificial intelligence (AI).
Dr. Keller added that while NREL is not strictly a "quantum lab," it is deeply invested in exploring how quantum technology can be applied to the challenges the lab seeks to address. In fact, the integration of quantum technology and AI could be particularly transformative for complex issues like grid management, which is expected to grow increasingly intricate over time. Currently, the three independent U.S. grid systems operate manually, but automated monitoring and control are on the horizon. These systems will be enhanced by millions of sensing devices (the Bay Area alone has as many as two million such devices today). Effectively processing all this data and determining optimal actions requires substantial computing and machine learning capabilities, which is why NREL is keen on investigating the frontier of quantum computing technology in conjunction with AI.
“Before a federal researcher can commercialize their discoveries, they must step off a cliff. That is not right.”
Dr. Kristan Corwin
Division Chief
Applied Physics Division
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Dr. Corwin highlighted that NIST possesses the world's most advanced single-photon detectors, a technology that has primarily found applications in laboratory settings. However, over the past decade, significant efforts have been invested in leveraging these detectors as the foundation for a new AI architecture, culminating in the recent successful demonstration of an AI “synapse.” Despite this breakthrough, she noted that while this technology can only be developed at NIST, it unfortunately cannot be scaled there due to restrictive policies. Specifically, federal researchers wishing to commercialize their discoveries face significant challenges, as fundraising is nearly impossible while still employed by the government, which often requires them to resign, or more often, not take certain potentially beneficial risks.
Dr. Keller similarly experienced beurecratic frustration, as it has hindered his own commercialization efforts on two occasions. While at Oak Ridge, he experienced delays with a hydrocarbon project, which took two years to advance due to regulatory red tape. Additionally, he faced challenges in commercializing a large-scale 3D printing technology, ultimately deciding to publish his findings and make the technology publicly available.
Dr. Peters attributed the situation to both federal research institutions and the federal government, highlighting how transactional attitudes and misaligned incentives can impede technology transfer efforts. Drawing from his experience in the nuclear industry, he acknowledged proper regulation is necessary but processes need to accelerate. He appreciated how Congress and the Administration are prioritizing regulatory reform.
“We will know in the next five to seven years whether fusion power will work or not.”
Dr. Mark Peters
President and CEO
The MITRE Corporation
Looking ahead to the technologies that would define the coming decades, Dr. Peters believed that fusion power would have a transformational impact, noting how quickly fusion changes our grid will be determined only by how much we invest in it. Dr. Keller made the case that AI would be the most fundamental technology going forward, but access to energy will be a critical factor in its adoption. He expressed support for the “energy dominance” model, but stressed the need to consider all power sources as a part of it, warning that waiting for fusion to change the world would be a mistake. Instead, the nation ought to focus on microreactors and advanced renewable technologies to solve growing power needs driven by AI. Dr. Corwin noted that some AI models showed far lower power consumption than traditional models, possibly blunting their future energy requirements, but that it was important to pursue multiple pathways towards a more energy-resilient AI industry at the same time.
Asked how their organizations are engaging in innovation ecosystem building, Dr. Corwin brought up how NIST is working with young scientists through Elevate Quantum to encourage entrepreneurship, making them aware of the resources available to support them. Importantly, NIST uses its specialty in standards setting to support growing innovative fields. NIST recently published a single-photon technical dictionary to standardize communication in the growing field. While she acknowledged standards setting as a balancing act between acting too early or too late, setting them now creates certainty and efficiency in fields that are often in rapid flux. Dr. Keller, meanwhile, mentioned how as technology advances, it inevitably disrupts communities and social systems, and we need a more holistic approach to managing disruption. Dr. Peters, however, argued disruption itself is something we need to cultivate, especially inside the federal government, rather than accepting a status quo.
Mr. Powers, in his wrap up, asked each panelist to highlight the value of their organizations for U.S. innovation, which may be less well-known. Dr. Corwin pointed to NIST’s role in supporting basic research, the ultimate progenitor of commercializable technology. Dr. Keller focused on the name of his laboratory; today, he always calls it “NREL” rather than the “National Renewable Energy Laboratory,” as its portfolio of work has expanded far beyond traditional renewable energy research. Finally, Dr. Peters reminded participants that the federal research organizations, especially the U.S. DOE National Laboratories, understand science and systems integration better than anyone else in the world. To him, they represent the nexus between economic and national security, and must be supported to keep both pillars of U.S. leadership strong.
