Nine Innovation Crossroads companies pitched their technologies during ORNL’s Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days (M2IND) Aug. 19–20. The event brought together leaders from industry, government, academia and the national laboratory system for demonstrations, facility tours, discussions and partnership announcements.
Kairos Power announced the Nuclear Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Precast, an initiative focused on maturing new manufacturing and construction methods and developing vocational training for skilled workers in East Tennessee to support the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors.
ORNL and Idaho National Laboratory are collaborating to advance wire arc 3D printing of large pressure vessels and strengthen the domestic nuclear manufacturing supply chain. The labs will combine advanced manufacturing, AI and data science to accelerate the production and qualification of critical nuclear components.
ORNL and KVA Stainless completed a DOE-funded study validating the performance of welded Grade 91 steel for use in high-temperature energy systems. The results will help KVA refine its advanced welding technology and support the development of durable materials for future fission and fusion reactors.
M. Parans Paranthaman was named R&D World’s 2026 Researcher of the Year for turning materials science discoveries into impactful technologies.
Skuld, Cohort 2023 of Innovation Crossroads, continues to improve upon its manufacturing process with help from ORNL's MDF.
Researchers at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, demonstrated an AI-driven workflow that guided data collection in real time during a beamline experiment at Cornell University's CHESS facility. The approach allowed the AI to adjust measurements as data was collected, advancing autonomous scientific research and supporting DOE's Genesis Mission.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers developed a high-throughput microbial QTL mapping platform that combines synthetic biology, AI, automation and gene editing to identify the genetic basis of complex bacterial traits up to 10 times faster than previous methods. The platform enables more precise engineering of microbes for applications including specialty chemicals manufacturing, bioenergy and critical minerals recovery, and is available for licensing.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Laboratory of the Rockies have launched the ACCENT Center, a national hub to accelerate the development of advanced cement and concrete materials and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The center combines testing, AI-driven modeling, data resources, and pilot-scale production to speed innovation and support infrastructure, housing, and industrial competitiveness.
Six entrepreneurs have been selected for the next cohort of Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The program provides energy-related startup founders from across the nation with access to ORNL’s researchers, facilities and technical expertise, as well as connect them with experts, mentors and networks to accelerate their efforts to take their promising ideas to the marketplace.
Megan O’Connor, CEO of Nth Cycle, used Innovation Crossroads at ORNL to help springboard technology scale-up.
DOE's Office of Science’s Isotope R&D and Production program has re-established and revolutionized its domestic stable isotope enrichment capabilities. Led by pioneering advancements at ORNL, this expansion stabilizes the national isotope market, reducing decades of reliance on foreign suppliers for critical medical, national security and industrial technologies.