Innovation in a hurry? That may not sound like the ideal setting for lasting, breakthrough solutions. But if necessity is the mother of invention, then historic examples like the 1893 Columbian Exposition and the Space Race demonstrate how collecting bright minds in one place and focusing them on an urgent mission certainly can pay off.
And that appears to be the scenario now playing out in Tennessee, where last week Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and international design giant SOM announced AMIE1.0, the fruit of a broad public-private partnership focused on rapid innovation and collaboration to produce global energy solutions.
Bi-directional, sustainably-sourced energy that is shared between building and car, efficient enclosed spaces and advanced manufacturing that focuses on zero waste all are exciting developments. Now on the brink of reality, they may yet have a fantastic impact on creating a more environmentally sustainable future.