Our vision and goals
Our goal in forming GEMI is to attract new sources of funding for high-impact programs that are not tapped through traditional methods. We believe that many industries, foundations and governments are eager to find solutions for this problem — and that those solutions should be scalable, and applicable across many segments of society.
Through GEMI internal research programs, we will develop technology readiness level three and higher foundational technologies. Through collaboration with Virginia Tech’s departmental centers, GEMI will advance the development of technologies that will benefit people around the world, such as:
- Discovery of bio-inspired principles that could have a transformational impact on the energy landscape.
- Facilitating the realization of smart buildings and smart cities to create a sustainable world.
- Fundamental materials science that could provide insight into new energy conversion mechanisms.
- Roll-to-roll printing of flexible solar cells.
- Technologies for renewable energy generation, transmission, and storage.
- Mechanisms for converting household and industrial waste into materials and bio-fuels.
- Understanding the manufacturing-energy nexus to provide sustainable pathways for social adoption.
- Optimizing and securing nuclear infrastructure and nuclear waste.
A unique funding model will support high-impact projects in targeted cluster areas, spurring innovation and collaboration to deliver meaningful solutions.