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.

 Research and development highlights

>80

universities around the world which Exxon has partnered with, including MIT, University of Texas, Stanford, Princeton, 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
The old mindset of ‘my lab is my world,’ has changed to ‘the world is my lab,’ which is why we have created a network of collaborators across disciplines to join us.
Nazeer Bhore manager of breakthrough research
Nazeer Bhore

Global Manager, Technology Scouting & Venturing at ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil’s Role

Building on universities' existing strengths

Initiatives include our collaboration with Princeton University in fields including solar and battery technology, an agreement with the University of Texas to study carbon storage and other technologies, and many others.

In fact, many of the more than 80 university partnerships we are currently engaged in involve close collaboration between academic researchers and the scientists, engineering experts and technologists that work on staff at ExxonMobil.

Collaborating with leading universities to meet global energy demand

ExxonMobil invests $1 billion per year in energy research, emerging technologies

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

$100M

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

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
Energy Factor

From petri dish to pond: Algae farming in pictures

Researching algae takes science, sunshine, some very large ponds and the right kind of algae.
Learn more

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

ExxonMobil expands plans for renewable diesel ExxonMobil recently expanded its agreement with alternative fuels developer Global Clean Energy to purchase up to 5 million barrels per year of renewable diesel. The engine-ready fuel will be partially derived from camelina, a plant that does not displace food crops and can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Advanced biofuels Energy Factor • May 20, 2021

MIT’s Drake Hernandez sees a future with hydrogen solutions First-generation college graduate, Drake Hernandez is clearing a path for young engineers looking to enter the ever-changing energy industry, while also finding the way to achieve a lower-carbon future.

Research partners Energy Factor • April 29, 2021

A recycling innovation taking shape Atando Cabos and ExxonMobil: Reducing Ocean Waste With Innovative Recycling Solutions

Research partners Energy Factor • Jan. 14, 2021