TECHNOLOGY
Sandia Labs partners with University of Michigan on quantum, AI research
Five-year agreement will fund facility sharing and research as the two push discoveries toward market readiness
Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Michigan, the state鈥檚 flagship public research institution, said Wednesday they have entered into a five-year partnership to advance quantum and artificial intelligence technologies toward market readiness.
鈥淭his is about moving faster from discovery to public value,鈥� Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation at the university, said in a statement. 鈥淭he most important problems do not fit inside one discipline or one institution.鈥�
University of Michigan researchers have already collaborated with Sandia鈥檚 scientists on computation, materials science and energy research in years past. Together, they created a high-temperature computer memory for extreme environments, a coating that removes snow from solar panels and glass scintillators, devices that emit light when exposed to radiation.
But the five-year memorandum of understanding allows them to share specialized facilities and support researcher and student exchanges with federal funding. The two institutions will work on projects involving AI, quantum and information science, advanced manufacturing and workforce development.
The partnership comes as New Mexico, its universities and national labs push for larger quantum investments, funding startups both inside and outside the state.
Douglas Kothe, associate laboratories director for advanced science and technology and chief research officer at Sandia, said working with the public research university 鈥渂rings perspectives and talent that strengthen the science behind our mission.鈥�
Officials with Sandia and the university said each side will cover their own costs, and the partners will seek funding from government and industry sources to support joint projects.
鈥淓veryone is asking how we move discoveries from the lab to the kitchen table faster,鈥� Monica Dus, director of the university鈥檚 Office of National Laboratories, said in a statement. 鈥淭he national labs have always been part of the answer, and today they matter more than ever. That is why we are building new alliances with the labs and with the extraordinary civil servants who help turn science into positive impact.鈥�
Justin Horwath covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach him at jhorwath@abqjournal.com.
