Commentary - Forty Years of Partnership

Forty Years of Partnership

E.O. Lawrence established Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with a vision of partnership across organizational boundaries to achieve the highest level of deterrent for this great nation. In 1985, this spirit of partnership brought the Department of Energy (DOE) together with the research divisions across the armed forces of the Department of Defense (DOD). Since those initial discussions leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), four decades of the resulting Joint Munitions Program (JMP) have spun out Lawrence Livermore technologies from the nuclear weapons programs to enhance the capabilities of conventional munitions. Many at the Laboratory have watched with delight and satisfaction the spin-back of complementary technologies from our partners in the DOD, completing the virtuous cycle of partnership.

This legacy of partnership is the lead topic of this issue of Science & Technology Review. The feature article outlines the many ways JMP—a force for unifying research in a way that benefits both DOE and DOD—supports the ongoing transformation of the nuclear security enterprise by improving the technology basis of model-based chemistry, physics, and engineering for a range of materials (explosives, metals, composites, polymers) using techniques that integrate the latest advancements in machine learning, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and high-performance computing—just to name a few. The article’s presentation of real-world examples illustrate the teamwork, commitment, mutual benefit, and impact this program has had on the warfighter and the careers of those privileged to contribute. The agility and resiliency of the partnership is showcased by projects adapting nimbly to the latest tools and techniques for computational science excellence and manufacturing. At its core, JMP embodies the Laboratory’s commitment to bridge gaps between DOD and DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), uniting these historically separate entities under a common MOU. The partnership spanning Lawrence Livermore, our sibling NNSA sites, and the DOD armed-service laboratories is not only critical to the success of our national deterrent, it provides a roadmap for potential partnerships in the future.

This partnership is personal. The rapid design cycles enjoyed by the DOD’s quickly evolving landscape provide an unparalleled ecosystem for staff development. Our people flourish when enabled to adopt and adapt new technologies to meet the needs of the warfighter and then see their contributions manifest as a tangible product in a real-world testing scenario. In those moments, the scientists and engineers from DOE and DOD stand shoulder-to-shoulder and share a level of achievement only possible with exceptional collaboration.

Furthering the theme of partnership, this issue’s research highlights reveal that JMP is not the only example of how Livermore addresses national security challenges through collaborative research. The first research highlight describes the outcomes of a Laboratory Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with TOTAL Energies aimed at building an industrial-scale electrochemical reactor. Research teams apply computer simulations to understand the electrochemical process transforming carbon dioxide into ethylene, a commodity chemical, and then confirm outcomes with experimentation. Their findings will be applied to scale the modeled reactor for economically feasible chemical production.

Also described in this issue is Lawrence Livermore’s collaboration with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). A partnership that started in a series of meetings among research institution leaders has grown to address key areas of shared research interest including solid-state batteries, hydrogen storage, catalysis, joint publications, collaborative research, and researcher exchanges.

DOE’s (and now NNSA’s) investments in science-based stockpile stewardship have instilled confidence in our nation’s ability to design and certify a strategic deterrent without full-scale, system-level testing. Together with our partners and allies across the U.S. and the rest of the globe, the Laboratory is dedicated to collaboratively developing new technologies and adapting research, design, testing, and manufacturing techniques, ensuring our readiness to meet the nation’s evolving needs in a rapidly changing threat landscape. From our capabilities and partnerships through JMP to our partnerships with industry and the international academic community, Livermore delivers innovation and transformation. With our partners, we are poised to rise to future challenges and continue to make essential contributions to national security.