The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to accelerate battery research and innovation, and bolster domestic supply chains for energy storage manufacturing.
The agreement, formalised on 22 July at Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility, brings together UTD’s BEACONS centre – Batteries and Energy to Advance Commercialisation and National Security – and Argonne’s Advanced Energy Technologies directorate. The collaboration targets critical challenges in energy, mobility, materials and manufacturing.
“We are excited to enhance our partnership with the Argonne National Laboratory to advance energy storage technologies and facilitate US battery manufacturing,” said Dr Joseph Pancrazio, UTD’s vice president for research and innovation. “By expanding our collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory researchers, we have the potential to drive advanced energy storage solutions from the bench to the marketplace.”
Launched in 2023, BEACONS is backed by a $30 million US Department of Defense award to establish an Energy Storage Systems Campus at UTD. The initiative supports battery research and development, workforce training, and industry engagement.
The MOU also enables joint efforts to secure critical materials for domestic battery production and offers professional development opportunities for UTD students. BEACONS is working with partners including Associated Universities and LEAP Manufacturing – a consortium focused on advancing US battery technologies.
In April, BEACONS opened a battery prototyping facility to support research and commercialisation efforts, reinforcing its role as a national hub for energy storage innovation.
Image: Dr Joseph Pancrazio (left), vice president for research and innovation at UT Dallas, and Argonne National Laboratory director Dr Paul Kearns signed the MOU on 22 July to accelerate battery research and innovation.
