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Energy and defense materials supply focus of ISU, INL partnership
IBR STAFF//August 27, 2025//
Idaho State University President Robert Wagner shakes hands with Idaho National Laboratory Director John Wagner at the dedication of a center focused on critical materials and minerals in research. (PHOTO: ISU)
Energy and defense materials supply focus of ISU, INL partnership
IBR STAFF//August 27, 2025//
Critical materials are at the center of an evolving partnership between a state school and major U.S. lab.
At a Glance:
- Idaho State University and INL launch innovation center
- Focus on critical materials for energy, defense, and tech
- Research supports nuclear fuels and energy storage
- Partnership builds careers in energy and national security
Idaho State University and Idaho National Laboratory are collaborating to secure those materials that are necessary in creating several technologies such as nuclear fuels.
In a ceremony on Aug. 26, the Center for Advanced Energy Studies was rededicated as the Critical Materials and Energy Systems Innovation Center. The newly dedicated center will support cooperation between the two institutions, with students, faculty and INL researchers leading accelerated research into innovations using “critical and strategic materials and minerals,” a statement read.
Robert Wagner, president of ISU, said the two entities have a long history of collaborating.
“Establishing a critical and strategic materials center positions Idaho as a national leader in critical materials research, driving innovation and economic opportunity across the region while building America’s energy future and safeguarding national security,” he said. “We continue to seek ways to enhance opportunities for ISU faculty and students to work directly with INL in finding innovative solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.”
According to a release issued by ISU, the Innovation Center will researchers at INL to “develop recovery, extraction and advanced separation technologies to safely and economically process critical materials.” Those materials include uranium, thorium, cobalt and lithium, which are used in the creation of advanced nuclear reactors, energy storage and defense technologies.
John Wagner, director of INL, said Idaho is in the position to secure those needed resources.
“By combining our laboratory’s unique capabilities with ISU’s academic excellence, we’re creating a center of excellence for developing resilient, domestic supply chains for critical and strategic materials, including those needed for advanced nuclear fuels,” he said.
Along with the INL partnership, ISU is partnering with the University of Idaho at the Innovation Center to develop careers in the energy systems, materials science, advanced manufacturing and national security workforces.
