NRL Hosts Innovation Day for Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –   The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) hosted an Innovation Day for Industry, May 7, at NRL-DC headquarters to inform industry and to assess interest in a focused set of six emerging technologies that are ready for collaboration with industry partners.
 
The event showcased a range of NRL-developed technologies ready for further development, prototyping and commercialization through partnerships with industry. The nearly 30 industry attendees gained valuable insights into NRL’s research and development efforts, including presentations, facility tours, and networking opportunities with NRL scientists, engineers, and technology transfer specialists.
 
"Our work is complex, theoretical, and often long in timeline, but it is grounded in something simple; we are here to protect the nation. Our science has a mission. Our innovation has a warfighting purpose. And this intent – this scientific purpose – is what makes NRL such a rare place," said NRL Director of Research Dr. Bruce Danly, SES.
 
"At NRL, we know we can’t do this alone. Our collective mission demands rapid innovation. That necessitates partnering with industry to bring together NRL innovations with the best of commercial technology and the commercial world’s ability to rapidly scale new technologies into operational reality,” he added.
 
Key areas of focus included:
 
Materials and Energy Technologies: NRL presented breakthroughs in iron sulfide cathode materials for rechargeable batteries, porous metal electrodes for energy storage and water desalination, and end-of-life battery deactivation technology.  These advancements hold significant potential for military and commercial applications in energy storage, water purification, and battery safety.
 
Electronics Technologies: Industry participants learned about NRL’s advancements in heterogeneous integration of GaN RF transistors, high-frequency midwave infrared detectors, and high-power electronics utilizing SiC or GaN-based transistor technology. These innovations could revolutionize fields such as communications, sensing, and power electronics.
 
Tropical Cyclone Prediction Methods: NRL shared its computationally lightweight global models for predicting tropical cyclone potential intensity, offering the potential for more accurate and timely forecasts, a critical need for military operations, disaster preparedness and mitigation.
 
Adam Freesman was one of the industry representatives from who attended Innovation Day to discuss future opportunities related to high power electronics. Freesman noted that the most valuable part of attending NRL’s collaboration days is the opportunity to learn about the breadth and depth of NRL’s areas of research, and how companies like his can support the NRL mission.
 
Taylor Brownline, an Innovation Day attendee, is most interested in learning how to expand his partnership with NRL. He noted that there is always something  to learn at NRL, within your industry’s field and beyond!
 
“We get siloed in our focus areas and businesses, so these Innovation Days help us expand our horizons and see what else is going on in the world,” Brownlie said.
 
NRL Commanding Officer Capt. Jesse Black kicked off the day’s activities encouraging participants to build networks and share information.
 
"When we collaborate, we’re not just building systems. We’re building capability that saves lives, deters conflict, and ensures our forces have the decisive edge. The most powerful technologies are the ones shaped by mission, hardened by need, and delivered by partnership," he said. "We all bring different information and perspectives to the table and by involving different organizations in our work, we will all have a better ability to identify the risks associated with emerging technologies as well as develop solutions for how to successfully navigate them."
 
NRL is actively seeking industry partners to further develop and commercialize these technologies through shared programs, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), licensing agreements, and other collaborative mechanisms. Companies interested in learning more about these opportunities are encouraged to contact the NRL Technology Transfer Office.
 
About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL, located in Washington, D.C. with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
 
For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil. Please reference package number at top of press release.