Southwest Research Institute
San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
Official language | English |
---|---|
Revenue | Nearly $726 million (FY 2021) |
Employees | Nearly 3,000 (FY 2021) |
Website | swri |
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is an independent and nonprofit applied research and development (R&D) organization. Founded in 1947 by oil businessman Tom Slick,[1] it provides contract research and development services to government and industrial clients.
Description
The institute consists of eleven technical divisions, The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, a
A partial listing of research areas includes space science and engineering; automation,
For 75 years, Southwest Research Institute has addressed challenges from deep sea to deep space and everywhere in between. For example, early work in submersibles has led to engineers developing remotely operated deep water rescue vehicles for the U.S. and Australian navies. SwRI is currently adapting extensive expertise in engines, fuels and lubricants for electrified powertrains and alternative fuels research. SwRI's initiatives in robotics and artificial intelligence enable automated vehicles, medical diagnostic support and industrial maintenance, including a mobile robot to remove coatings from commercial aircraft using laser ablation.
SwRI operates a large space science and engineering program, which is home to principal investigators for five major NASA missions, including the
SwRI's experience also includes advanced pharmaceuticals, direction finding antennas, cybersecurity, and aircraft and infrastructure life extension.
SwRI initiates contracts with clients based on consultations and prepares a formal proposal outlining the scope of work. Subject to client wishes, programs are kept confidential. As part of a long-held tradition, patent rights arising from sponsored research may be assigned to SwRI's clients. SwRI generally retains the rights to institute-funded advancements.
The institute's headquarters occupy more than 2.3 million square feet of office and laboratory space on more than 1,500 acres in San Antonio. SwRI has technical offices and laboratories in Boulder, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Warner-Robins, Georgia; Ogden, Utah; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Rockville, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Beijing, China; and other locations.
SwRI's technical magazine is published three times each year to spotlight the research and development projects currently underway. A complementary Technology Today podcast is also available.
In 1950, the institute was the focus of Research Ranch, a Screenliner short subject produced by RKO-Pathé studios.[2]
Technical divisions
The organization consists of eleven divisions, each with their own respective field:
- Applied Physics
- Applied Power
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Defense and Intelligence Solutions
- Fuels and Lubricants Research
- Intelligent Systems
- Mechanical Engineering
- Powertrain Engineering
- Space Systems
- Space Science
- Solar System Science
See also
References
External links
- Official website
- Southwest Research Institute from the Handbook of Texas Online
- "Form 990 Filed with IRS" (PDF). Foundation Center. SwRI. 2013.