Innovation Hub propels creative collaboration

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Seven gallons of peanut butter wreaked havoc on machines built by Lab engineers at the inaugural innovation sprint in the new Innovation Hub. Credit: LANL

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Access to design equipment and 3D visualization tools is a springboard for engineering collaboration at the new Innovation Hub at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Open to staff, students and even some visitors, the IHUB is coordinated by the Engineering Leadership Council in collaboration with the Partnerships and Pipeline Office’s National Security Education Center along with its Entrepreneurship for Mission Innovation program office.

Why this matters: The Lab attracts brilliant innovators, but access to equipment, space, computational resources, training, funding and open areas for collaboration can be limited. The IHUB was created to address these needs.

• Chief among IHUB goals is to promote National Nuclear Security Administration efforts to anticipate tomorrow's nuclear and national security challenges and facilitate the delivery of timely, innovative solutions.

Key features:

• Available technologies include virtual reality, machining, 3D printers and _­visualization tools, laser cutters and other equipment.
• Equipment training is required before users can reserve time in the IHUB, which is temporarily located in the Engineering Institute lab in Research Park.
• Innovation sprints are weeklong events that bring together engineers across different organizations to tackle a common challenge topic.