WASHINGTON (May 15, 4:55 p.m. ET) — Argonne National Laboratory announced plans to collaborate more closely with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago to speed up discovery of new materials.
In addition, Boeing Co. and other companies working with Northwestern on materials science research are expected to be involved in the regional “innovation ecosystem” that Argonne lab director Eric Isaacs outlined in remarks prepared for a White House meeting on May 14.
Plans include the expansion of the joint Northwestern-Argonne Institute for Science and Technology to include a materials research emphasis, as well as new materials research programs with the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.
The idea is to accelerate development of new materials that will lead to cost-effective solar cells, car batteries and other products.
“At Argonne, we are working toward that goal by building and expanding a materials innovation ecosystem in the Chicago — an ecosystem that leverages the power of discovery science, the deep expertise of academia, the energetic spirit of entrepreneurialism and the pragmatic focus of industry — all powered by the unique suite of scientific facilities at Argonne,” Isaacs said in his prepared remarks.
“We hope this model will dramatically accelerate the discovery and development of new materials, and that it ultimately will increase American competitiveness in an increasingly globalized marketplace.”
