7-Oct-2026 Automation is shaping the future of American manufacturing DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory ORNL researchers are developing intelligent automation systems that help manufacturers operate efficiently with smaller workforces. Work at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility integrates robotics, sensing and advanced controls to increase flexibility and reduce production time. These technologies are strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness by supporting faster deployment and securing domestic supply chains.
7-Oct-2026 National Lab partnership helps launch US lithium supply chain DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory With support from U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Texas-based company Element3 has launched the first domestic lithium mining project in 50 years. This achievement is likely to have a big impact, turning the United States from a net importer of lithium to a country well on the path to greater energy independence, national security, and economic strength. Funder U.S. Department of Energy Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation
6-Oct-2026 Keeping an eye on the sky DOE/Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories offers a look at an observatory that helps track satellites.
2-Oct-2026 Pihl, Splitter named SAE International Fellows DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Two transportation researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Josh Pihl and Derek Splitter, have been named SAE International Fellows, an honor recognizing individuals of exceptional distinction for outstanding and sustained accomplishments in mobility or related engineering.
28-Sep-2026 Engineering Development Laboratory: Where innovation comes to life DOE/Idaho National Laboratory How do you power a spacecraft traveling 880 million miles from Earth?
21-Sep-2026 Partnership between ORNL, Boeing advances manufacturing for aircraft parts DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory A 3D-printed metal mold was developed through a partnership between the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Boeing Company to explore state-of-the-art manufacturing methods for Stamp Form Die tooling in thermoplastic composite production. The SFD will be used by Boeing to contribute to NASA’s Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project.
18-Sep-2026 STAR Lab tests whether battery advances can scale DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Promising battery materials often work in tiny lab cells but falter when made larger. ORNL’s STAR Lab studies what goes wrong during scale-up, using advanced manufacturing, imaging, modeling and testing to build safer, higher-performing batteries.
15-Sep-2026 Device detects traces of nuclear material, enhances safety at fuel cycle facilities DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a new type of monitor that can check every minute or even every second for the buildup of nuclear material in the air ducts of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, promoting the highest standards of safety and security.
9-Sep-2026 Smart farm operating system goes from lab to tractor DOE/Idaho National Laboratory It is July, and Montana farmers are testing software from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on a tractor’s autosteer operating system. The software uses field data to tell a tractor where to travel for the most efficient drive path. Then, the tractor pulls a 90-foot-long agricultural sprayer that covers large swaths of a field with liquids such as fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides.
8-Sep-2026 Tool incorporates city priorities in picking energy project sites DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new algorithm for picking the right spot to build utility-scale power generation or storage in cities. While traditional approaches focus on technical suitability, this algorithm incorporates not only affordable access to grid infrastructure but also social, economic and policy factors. Journal Energies
