Partnerships at ORNL

ORNL Partnerships: Open for Collaboration

Through strategic partnerships, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurship, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is driving innovation-based economic growth and opportunity via scientific advances in energy security.

We’re building supportive and resilient innovation networks in the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area, in Tennessee, and in the United States.

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Partner with ORNL

Cynthia Jenks, associate laboratory director for the Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, left; David Goodloe, director of Branch Technology’s Branch Regenerate business unit, center; and Robert Wagner, ORNL associate laboratory director for the Energy Science and Technology Directorate, sign a licensing agreement Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, during Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days, or M2IND, at ORNL.

License a Technology

ORNL offers a broad portfolio of lab-developed inventions and copyright-protected software that can be licensed by industry, academia, and government agencies.

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ORNL Industrial and Economic Development Manager Jesse Smith, right, leads a tour of the finer points of 3D printing techniques with potential industry partners following a Knoxville Chamber event.

Boost a Tennessee Company

The lab actively implements strategies to leverage ORNL capabilities to support the economic development of the regional business community.

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Yadukrishnan Sasikumar and Jackson Flenniken work together on spent fuel canister research in a laboratory.

Conduct Collaborative Research

ORNL has several partnering mechanisms including cooperative research and development agreements, strategic partnership projects, and user agreements.

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Megan O'Connor holds a canister in a laboratory.

Accelerate an Energy-Related Startup

Innovation Crossroads connects top innovators with facilities, experts, mentors, and networks to take world-changing ideas into the marketplace.

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Economic Impact

ORNL operates at the center of the nation’s innovation ecosystem by translating federal research investment into scientific breakthroughs, technology commercialization, workforce development, and industry partnerships that strengthen productivity and contribute directly to long-term US economic growth.

In fiscal year 2025, the laboratory created an economic output of $6.6 billion across the United States.

See the full report
Parans Paranthaman and Jayanthi Kumar perform direct lithium extraction from brine samples in a laboratory in Building 4100 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“The Partnerships Office catalyzes the impact of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s science by forging trusted collaborations, cultivating intellectual property for commercialization, and creating economic opportunity to enhance our nation’s prosperity, security, and quality of life.”

Shaun Gleason
ORNL Partnerships Director