The The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ABB recently announced the formation of an energy research partnership aimed at helping to meet the world’s need for clean electricity and energy efficiency.

Through this partnership, ABB officially joins MIT’s Energy Initiative (MITEI) and will support research in a several key areas including: nanofluids, power electronics, intelligent robotics and equipment heat management.

As a Sustaining Member of MITEI, ABB will also have a seat on the MITEI governing board and provide input on the direction of the Initiative’s research portfolio.

“A MITEI partnership with ABB creates enormous opportunities to provide technology solutions to global energy challenges,” said Professor Ernest Moniz, director of the MIT Energy Initiative. “The ABB corporate portfolio offers a range of potential research focus areas in which MIT has substantial research capability and could make a major contribution. ABB’s commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is especially exciting from a research perspective.”

According to company sources, ABB spends some $1.1 billion per year on research and development and energy efficiency, a key area of ABB’s research and development activity, represents approximately half of its research investment.

In addition to supporting the research program, ABB’s five-year, $5-million collaboration will support graduate fellowships and MITEI’s energy research “seed fund.” The fund was set up to promote the development of innovative energy technologies from researchers across the Institute.

Professor Robert Armstrong, the MITEI deputy director, noted that: “Over the length of this partnership, ABB will support 10 graduate energy fellowships at the Institute, the ABB-MIT Energy Fellows. ABB’s commitment to developing the next generation of energy technologists will help nurture and develop young energy researchers to meet the global energy challenges of the next several decades.”

MITEI is an institute-wide initiative designed to help transform the global energy system to meet the challenges of the future. The MIT Energy Initiative includes research, education, campus energy management and outreach activities in an interdisciplinary approach that covers all areas of energy supply and demand, security and environmental impact.

web.mit.edu/mitei