Moniz made his remarks about Perry at an event where Argonne announced the first class of entrepreneurs who would “embed” at the laboratory to advance their energy ideas. That means they will work with mentors at the labs and have access to lab equipment, for two years. The program will cover their salaries, benefits, use of laboratory equipment and office space.
The Chain Reaction Innovations program is the first of its type in the Midwest and similar to an earlier program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The four selected entrepreneurs are developing new designs for fuel cells and jet engines and aiming to harness nuclear waste and wastewater for new clean energy applications.
Moniz said innovation was the “secret sauce” to address climate change and enhance nuclear security.