On February 24, 2025, the University of Minnesota hosted a National Security Research and Innovation (NSRI) Day. This event brought together more than 180 business and industry partners, national agency representatives, research laboratory leaders, and UMN researchers to explore the latest developments and learn about fundamental advancements taking place at the University.
UMN President Rebecca Cunningham, who helped open the program, said, “If we are to truly excel, ensuring national security is absolutely paramount, and the University of Minnesota is well positioned to play a lead role in bolstering national security efforts.”
Minnesota Fourth District Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who is the ranking member on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, told the conference, “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of you: University of Minnesota, state, private sector. You're working to grow a national security ecosystem right here in the Twin Cities, not only for today but for tomorrow…When it comes to opportunity, Minnesota is right at the edge of being able to leap into this space—and it is a broad space.”
“University of Minnesota has established itself as a leader in forging partnerships between students and industry leaders,” Minnesota First District Congressman Brad Finstad, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a recorded greeting to the conference. “We must maintain this momentum and ensure that higher education is keeping up with the speed of business and continues growing our state as a leader in our national security.”
The day’s breakout sessions centered around six research topics:
Hypersonics: The University is home to the nation’s leading capabilities in the modeling and simulation of hypersonic flight systems and will apply these methods at a national scale hypersonic wind tunnel test facility being built in Minnesota by the company North Wind. This collaboration will be housed at the Minnesota Aerospace Complex (MAC), and will result in a new ground testing paradigm where advanced numerical simulations will be tightly integrated with the test campaigns. During the breakout session, participants discussed how to leverage UMN expertise and the capabilities envisioned at the MAC to bridge between fundamental and applied research to more rapidly move the field forward.
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: Panelists presented a sample of ways that UMN is leading the world in Data Science and AI. Topics of research and development spanned areas including foundational AI algorithms, explainability and bias in AI, as well as AI applications in medicine, advanced communications, and resilient power systems. Data Science AI Participants discussed the value of existing partnerships with the University in data science and AI, and industry representatives indicated interest in having a better front door to different areas of the University’s expertise in these areas. The value of UMN as a data generating powerhouse was also seen as an important regional and national asset that could be of value for defense and dual use technology development when linked to the U’s strong AI expertise. Lastly, the need for upskilling our existing workforce and training the next generation of skilled workers in defense is critical. The closer partnerships being forged by this event and others hosted by UMN could provide ways for defense agencies and industry to help shape our curricula to better prepare students for what they are likely to address in the workplace.
Geospatial Imaging: Participants talked about the challenges of geo-imaging data sets related to access, licensing, and availability, and opportunities for open data sharing and the possible benefits for national security. They also discussed barriers to partnerships using high resolution data, both spatial and temporal, precision agriculture, high-throughput phenotyping, mapping and modeling at landscape-to-regional scales, and geoAI.
Microelectronics: Panelists identified 3D heterogeneous chip integration, spintronic technologies, and power semiconductors as areas of opportunity where University research strengths align with industry interests and national security needs. The participants also described the need to develop better ways for University researchers to work together with industry on advanced chip technologies while also protecting intellectual property. Finally, they discussed the requirements for electronics in space and strategic systems, and the opportunities for research in emerging technology areas such as AI and quantum computing.
Materials in Extreme Environments: The development of materials for use in extreme environments is challenged by the interrelated roles of multiple properties governing materials performance. This session began with a discussion about opportunities to leverage computational tools and AI to guide materials discovery to simultaneously improve properties and streamline manufacturing. Subsequent discussion focused on the development of new methods to test the mechanical properties of materials and evaluate materials performance in environments relevant to space exploration and atmospheric reentry. In the follow-on discussion, participants also touched on opportunities to find processes and manufacturing approaches that use existing commercial technologies, which would allow for manufacturers to produce materials and components for smaller markets that might not be feasible with a new process.
Medical Solutions for Service Members: Participants discussed exciting potential technologies, including wearables, biosensors, and extra corporeal technologies for people in the field and for veterans who have returned home with injuries, PTSD or sleep disruptions, and “organ on a chip” technology that would allow more rapid understanding of possible battlefield situations such as ionizing radiation without exposing people to it. They also discussed ideas for preparing service members to care for injured patients, especially related to traumatic brain injury and muscle injury, and the potential of telemedicine for helping patients who live more than an hour from trauma centers.
At NSRI Day, University of Minnesota Vice President for Research and Innovation announced that the University is planning a National Security Research Institute in order to help advance and coordinate strategic partnerships with government agencies, DoD and national labs, academia, industry, and other defense-oriented entities.
“At NSRI Day, between our researchers and all of our partners, we saw an amazing amount of activity and potential for more, as well as a new momentum for national security research, at the U and across Minnesota,” said Priya. “Minnesota regularly ranks in the bottom percentile in terms of per capita spending from the Department of Defense and other national security agencies, and I believe the national security research institute can be the glue or interface that brings together the expertise needed to help grow new lines of research and new industry here in the state.”
Priya told the closing session that his next steps would be to engage in wider discussions with the partners based on the day’s discussions, to validate some of those ideas with national labs and other national security research officials, and to continue to bring national security experts and decision makers to Minnesota to meet with researchers and industry partners. He said he would get back to participants in a few months with a progress update and a tentative timeline for the kickoff of a UMN National Security Research Institute.
For more information and to explore research partnership opportunities, contact UMN Assistant Vice President JoonHyung Cho, [email protected].