By trial and error and sheer necessity, the clean-tech industry is starting to develop an alternative ecosystem for developing, proving and commercializing clean-tech hardware.
National laboratories have launched accelerators that mimic Cyclotron Road’s playbook. Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago started its accelerator in May and is selecting its first cohort. Oak Ridge National Laboratory outside of Knoxville, Tenn., announced its version, called Innovation Crossroads, in September. On Oct. 26, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a similar effort, focused on several fields including energy.
Each will rely on its strengths: Argonne is one of the world’s top developers of battery technology, while Oak Ridge is particularly strong in advanced manufacturing. “One thing that sets us aside that we’re Oak Ridge, and you can do things you can’t necessarily do at Berkeley or Argonne,” said Tom Rogers, Oak Ridge’s director of industrial partnerships and economic development.
