Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are turning lab innovations into real-world solutions through programs like Energy I-Corps. Nicholas Gregorich and Syed Islam recently completed the program’s training and are now engaging with industry leaders. They have collaborated with GENERON’s R&D manager, Zamidi Ahmad, to refine Green Capture, a cost-effective, energy-efficient carbon capture system, as per the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Supported by the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, the technology is designed to absorb CO2 from industrial emissions, advancing sustainability efforts.

But the path from lab to market is speckled with challenges, especially when it comes to communication. "The ability to explain your research to somebody who doesn’t have the same scientific background is extremely important when trying to build partnerships or bring research out of the lab and into the real world," Gregorich told ORNL News.

The duo didn't just stop at Energy I-Corps. They also participated in ORNL's fledgling Safari program, which has since been renamed Catalyst and seeks to arm researchers with the communication skills critically necessary to pitch and promote their tech. This type of coaching ensures the scientists are just as adept at marketing their inventions as they are at creating them. "Being in the Safari program gave me more tools to better explain our technology to someone who’s not a chemical engineer," Gregorich said, as stated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which focuses on applied research, Gregorich and Islam know that commercial success hinges on industry partnerships. "I learned to focus on the metrics that matter, the goal we’re trying to achieve and the specifics of what we're looking for in a partner," Gregorich explained, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory noted.