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The pressing energy innovation challenge of the US National Laboratories

Nature Energy volume 1, Article number: 16117 (2016) Cite this article

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An Erratum to this article was published on 24 October 2016

Abstract

Accelerating the development and deployment of energy technologies is a pressing challenge. Doing so will require policy reform that improves the efficacy of public research organizations and strengthens the links between public and private innovators. With their US$14 billion annual budget and unique mandates, the US National Laboratories have the potential to critically advance energy innovation, yet reviews of their performance find several areas of weak organizational design. Here, we discuss the challenges the National Laboratories face in engaging the private sector, increasing their contributions to transformative research, and developing culture and management practices to better support innovation. We also offer recommendations for how policymakers can address these challenges.

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Figure 1: Technology transfer outcomes over time.
Figure 2: DOE- and Lab-directed technology-transfer outcomes.
Figure 3: Percentage of DOE technology funding for programme direction and administration.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge funding from the Harvard Kennedy School Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) programme and the Harvard Dissertation Completion Fellowship. We are most grateful to J. Deutch, S. Koonin, A. Majumdar and S. Maxted for their comments on an early version of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    Laura Diaz Anadon, Amitai Y. Bin-Nun & Venkatesh Narayanamurti

  2. Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London, 36-37 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6EY, UK

    Laura Diaz Anadon

  3. Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 9DT, UK

    Laura Diaz Anadon

  4. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 301 19th Ave S., Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Gabriel Chan

  5. John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    Venkatesh Narayanamurti

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  1. Laura Diaz Anadon
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Correspondence to Laura Diaz Anadon.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Supplementary Data 1

Data and calculations underlying Figs 1–3 (XLSX 74 kb)

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Anadon, L., Chan, G., Bin-Nun, A. et al. The pressing energy innovation challenge of the US National Laboratories. Nat Energy 1, 16117 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2016.117

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