Arrowhead Center receives $1 million for clean energy tech development

A $1 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy will help NMSU’s Arrowhead Center promote the development and commercialization of high-tech clean technologies in New Mexico.

The project, an expansion of the New Mexico Clean Energy Resilience and Growth, or NM CERG, cluster at Arrowhead Center, is in collaboration with the New Mexico Economic Development Department, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.  

The funding builds on work to develop the initial NM CERG cluster and run a hybrid accelerator for New Mexico clean-tech businesses, EnergySprint + Small Business Innovation Research. The accelerator is funded through a $50,000 competition prize the DOE’s Energy Program for Innovation Clusters, or EPIC, awarded to Arrowhead Center in 2020.

“We are proud of this important effort, working alongside the state’s national laboratories and other collaborators, to ensure New Mexico is positioned to be a leader in high-tech job growth,” says NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu. “NMSU’s Arrowhead Center is a proven catalyst for economic development and a true asset to the entire state.”

Arrowhead Center provides education and support to startup businesses, while NMEDD supports cluster expansion and promotions. Los Alamos and Sandia provide NM CERG participants with access to lab expertise, facilities and technical programming.

Arrowhead Center is NMSU’s technology transfer office, entrepreneurship center and economic development engine, providing services across New Mexico. Arrowhead’s offerings include startup accelerators, mentor networks, and funding and technical assistance programs.

“Sandia is proud to be a part of this important work,” says David Kistin, manager of technology and economic development at Sandia National Labs. “We look forward to expanding opportunities for New Mexico businesses and entrepreneurs alongside Arrowhead Center, Los Alamos and NMEDD.”

EPIC is a $10 million funding opportunity created by the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions to underscore the importance of regional clusters, which increase productivity of area companies, drive the direction and pace of innovation, and stimulate the formation of new businesses, further reinforcing the cluster itself.