At the LVOC, there are a growing array of opportunities to collaborate on some of the toughest, most intractable technical challenges facing our nation and the world. Activities at the LVOC currently focus on issues in energy, computing, bioscience, and nuclear detection, but will expand in the future based on the needs and interests of participating collaborators.

Featured programs

Current areas of growth

Energy

Energy partnerships at the LVOC transform research discoveries into commercialized technologies. Work in this subject area, especially when focused on transportation issues, also influences local, state and national policy. New programs such as Research, Engineering, and Applications Center for Hydrogen (REACH) and Advanced Systems for Power from Integrated Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) play a key role in LVOC energy-related activities. Partners of LVOC energy programs often include the Energy, Climate, and Infrastructure Security area of Sandia. Many partners are also part of the incubator program Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence (i-GATE), a California state initiative for innovation based in Livermore.

Computing

In the computing realm, high-performance computing and cyber security are of particular interest. Partners in this subject area have access to world-class computing facilities at Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories. Ongoing programs include the Center for Cyber Defenders (CCD), a Sandia internship program that is growing the next generation of talent in cyber security, and the emerging Cybersecurity Technologies Research Laboratory (CTRL), which is part of Sandia's Cyber Engineering Research Institute (CERI).

Bioscience

The understanding of biological systems and the ability to predict their behaviors is key to protecting our environment and defending against biothreats. Biothreat and bioenergy issues are particularly emphasized in LVOC bioscience programs, but a new program — the Institute for Translational Biomedicine — is a not-for-profit institute that significantly expedites the process of converting biomedical research into real-world pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Detection technologies

The world faces a growing threat of nuclear proliferation, with bad actors motivated by geopolitical factors and potentially taking advantage of the expansion of nuclear power. Nonproliferation and arms limitation treaties, which aim for stability in the long term, depend on the development and implementation of new monitoring and verification technologies to be fully effective. Emerging collaborative programs at the LVOC, such as the National Neutrino Detection Center (NDC), promote collaborative approaches to detection technologies.