I had the honor this past week to bring members of the MAPLE Business Council's NY chapter, a regional cross border executive networking group I lead as Executive Director, to the Advanced Energy & Technology Research Center at Stony Brook University (AERTC), and the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), one of the nine US Department of Energy research labs.
We learned of these amazing institutions efforts to develop new battery technology, and wind power right off the coast of Long Island, among many other renewable energy and scientific research designed to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and current battery technology, and to understand the structure of atoms.
Ion Collider
We were given a tour of the Brookhaven Labs Ion Collider, housed in a huge facility that Yankee Stadium can fit into that houses a two-mile-long circular collider where scientists from around the globe crash lasers into atoms to peer into the structure of matter, and the origins of the universe. The only one of its kind ever built... and right here on Long Island.
Battery Research
We were shown how BNL's scientists are now able to peer into the structure of batteries while they are discharging energy to better understand their function and dynamics.
Partnering with Industry And how both organizations are partnering with companies in the transportation and logistics sector and like UPS, BMW and other sectors to develop and test new battery technology that will eventually replace the combustion engine in the future.
New York Hydroelectric Power Project
And finally, we heard from the COO of Hydro- Quebec's US Subsidiary, Serge Abergel, on their current project with NY State to bring hydroelectric power from Quebec to downstate NY region.
It was enlightening to learn that Long Island, which is often mischaracterized as primarily a bedroom community of New York City, is at the leading edge in US renewable energy research and development... and partnering with members of the Transportation & Logistics industry and other sectors in this endeavor.
Many thanks to Bob Catell, Chairman of the AERTC and Dave Manning, Director of Stakeholder Relations and External Affairs at BNL and their teams for hosting our members for a unique and amazing day of learning.
John Costanzo
Founder & CEO
LDK Global Logistics