Energy and innovation

University and national labs partnerships

We collaborate with leading universities and institutions around the world as part of our commitment to finding meaningful and scalable solutions to meet global energy demand, while also minimizing the environmental impacts of energy use, including the risks of climate change.

COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

Fueling future energy discoveries

ExxonMobil continually looks for ways in which science and technology can help drive innovation in the work we do. Every day, we engage with diverse academic institutions to research and develop new solutions to help us meet society’s dual challenge: meeting energy needs while also minimizing the environmental impacts of energy use, including the risks of climate change.

Our work focuses on the research of breakthrough lower-emissions technologies, including advances in materials science and carbon capture and storage. These collaborative relationships with many of the world’s most advanced research colleges and universities can fuel new discoveries and empower advanced energy research.

Advancing climate solutions

>80

universities around the world which Exxon has partnered with, including MIT, University of Texas, Stanford, National University of Singapore, and National Technical University of Singapore.

>20K

scientists and engineers employed by ExxonMobil, including more than 2,200 with Ph.Ds

$100M

investment over 10 years with U.S. Department of Energy’s National Labs.
NATIONAL LABS COLLABORATION

Developing breakthrough solutions

In addition to partnering with over 80 universities, ExxonMobil in 2019 proudly launched collaborative programs with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Together, we are working to develop scalable energy solutions and greenhouse gas mitigation technologies that make a global impact. The joint research will also investigate ways to reduce emissions from fuels and petrochemicals production.
Learn more about this partnership

innovative partnerships

Reducing methane emissions

ExxonMobil is working to find new and better ways to monitor and reduce methane emissions through a new collaboration involving universities, environmental groups and other industry partners.

Called Project Astra, the effort is focused on developing an innovative sensor network to continuously monitor methane emissions across large areas to enable quick and efficient detection and repair of leaks.

The company is working with the University of Texas, Gas Technology Institute, Environmental Defense Fund and Pioneer Natural Resources.

Project Astra will create a network of sensors to feed data to a central system that can quickly alert the right people to fix a leak. This high-frequency monitoring system will enable operators to more efficiently direct resources to a specific location. If successful, the project could provide a more affordable, efficient solution to reduce methane emissions.

ExxonMobil is also testing a host of other solutions, including satellites, aircraft and unmanned drones, to detect these emissions.

Take a deeper look at Project Astra

All articles about university partnerships

What an energy efficient grid could look like Two years ago, ExxonMobil and the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories – including the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and National Energy Technology Lab (NETL) – expanded their work together to research advanced technologies with the potential to help societies achieve a lower-carbon future. Within the partnership’s purview is a project on how to optimize the energy grid to meet future energy demands while lowering emissions with the most cost-effective approach.

Research partners Energy Factor • July 22, 2021

Researching a sustainable energy solution with metal-organic frameworks A new family of materials could help transform how the world reduces emissions.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and ExxonMobil have developed a new material called metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs.

Carbon capture Energy Factor • July 12, 2021

Collaborating with leading universities to meet global energy demand ExxonMobil has worked with dozens of leading universities and academic research institutions around the world as part of our commitment to finding meaningful and scalable solutions to meet global energy demand and reduce emissions.

Research partners Article • Nov. 16, 2020

ExxonMobil expands agreement with Global Thermostat, sees promise in direct air capture technology IRVING, Texas – ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat have expanded their joint development agreement following 12 months of technical evaluation to determine the feasibility and potential scalability of Global Thermostat’s technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air.   

News News releases • Sept. 21, 2020

A medical school's safe return When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools around the world, medical student Deep Patel wanted certainty that he and his classmates could return to the classroom and clinical environments for their final year at Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. He knew that they’d need essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to make this possible.

Research partners Energy Factor • Sept. 18, 2020