3 minute read
A Letter from Sally C. Morton
Innovating the future of national security
Advancing innovation and scientific discovery has reached a critical juncture as we face the pressing challenges of national security and international stability. The U.S. Department of Defense's National Defense Strategy and the White House's National Security Strategy both emphasize the crucial role of the United States' leadership in technological development and operationalization. Joining forces with the Department of Defense and members of the defense and national security industries, Arizona State University is advancing critical technologies such as microelectronics, quantum sciences, space technologies and artificial intelligence.
One example of ASU’s contributions to scientific challenges in the national security domain focuses on critical materials. These materials provide the building blocks for many modern technologies that are essential to our national security and economic prosperity. Foreign countries exert an outsized influence over mineral supply chains, including the majority of the world’s production of rare earth elements. At ASU, expert researchers work to protect the United States from catastrophic supply chain disruptions. They are developing the thermodynamic information needed for critical mineral production, extracting minerals from waste streams and improving smelting and production processes for metals and alloys.
As the Department of Defense proactively seeks to bridge technology gaps in cyber, data, artificial intelligence and other specialized fields, ASU helps to fill the void by training and educating a diverse group of STEM learners who are passionate about pursuing careers in defense and national security. Via our nation’s largest engineering school and other dedicated programs, ASU provides comprehensive education and hands-on training to equip these future professionals with necessary skills.
Answering the call for innovation
ASU’s Global Security Initiative drives transformational research and other capabilities for defense and mission needs. The university is breaking the mold for what is possible by pioneering solutions that empower the U.S. in the contest for global leadership in emerging technologies. We are a national service university, built to accelerate positive outcomes through the integration of cutting-edge technological innovation and to be responsive in what the White House calls “the decisive decade.”
Accelerating speed to market
Our researchers pioneer novel ideas, and an increasing number of them make their way to market. Skysong Innovations, ASU’s exclusive technology transfer and intellectual property management organization, negotiates licensing deals with commercial partners who advance these patented technologies and develop solutions for society. The organization has secured nearly 1,450 U.S. patents and closed nearly 1,400 option or license deals with commercial partners during its years of service to ASU. It has facilitated more than 200 ASU startups that have collectively attracted more than $1.2 billion in external funding.
Driving success through partnerships and collaboration
ASU has a long history of successful collaboration with the Department of Defense and members of the defense and national security industry. These partnerships are diverse and include industry giants, such as Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies, to name a few. ASU’s faculty, students and staff significantly contribute to our nation’s security and protect our natural resources through a multitude of defense-related research and military initiatives.
Our collective efforts hold the key to unlocking new frontiers of knowledge and empowering us to tackle the urgent issues that confront us.
At ASU, we are changing the way the world solves problems. We look forward to partnering with you today for a more secure tomorrow.
