Since taking the helm as laboratory director in November 2015, Martin Keller, Ph.D., has been unwavering in his commitment to enhancing the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) impact through building partnerships and ensuring basic science research is transferred to industry and commercialized.
Keller’s effort starts within the lab, where he frequently urges postdocs, interns and early-career staff to partner with industry, consider intellectual property protection for their research and work with the lab’s Technology Transfer Office. A recent survey found that lab staff believe a culture of innovation is pervasive at NREL and encouraged by management – correlating to a high number of innovations, licenses, CRADAs and publications, according to a multi-lab study.
Under Keller’s leadership, NREL’s active partnerships have grown from 696 in 2015 to more than 1,100 in 2023. In 2017, Keller challenged the business development team and laboratory leadership to aim for $100 million annually in new partnership work – and three years later, the lab had surpassed that goal to reach an all-time high in new technology partnership project agreements. These agreements accounted for $130 million of the laboratory’s total business volume. In Fiscal Year 2023, NREL signed a record $143 million in partnerships, with 30 agreements executed at $1 million or more.
Many of NREL’s partnerships are a direct result of Keller’s promotion and frequent speaking engagements throughout the year, where he emphasizes the value of partnerships and maximizing impact by bringing innovative technologies to market. In just two years, he addressed state, national and international groups and events including the U.S. Energy Association’s annual Advanced Energy Technology Forum, the Global Clean Energy Action Forum and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. In all his public appearances, Keller references the lab’s successful partnerships and examples of technology transfer with great pride. His enthusiastic support for industry partnerships, entrepreneurial engagements, and the economic development that flows from these activities has encouraged an inclusive approach to technology development and commercialization.
During NREL’s annual Partner Forum, Keller actively collaborates with representatives from numerous organizations, fostering existing partnerships and exploring potential collaborations. Notably, a collaboration initiated at the 2018 Partner Forum with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has evolved into a highly impactful partnership. This collaboration, born out of an initial project utilizing DOE supercomputers, has enabled NREL to provide crucial expertise and cutting-edge technology to revamp key operational capabilities at the system level for the airport's ambitious 2030 net-zero carbon emissions goals.
Keller was named one of 2022’s Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal, particularly for his remarkable leadership amidst a global pandemic. His visionary approach has not only led to significant partnership growth but has also contributed to staffing and infrastructure expansion at NREL.