News

Imagine: stronger-than-steel wood that replaces metal in cars and planes and slashes steel production emissions. Lightweight, long-lasting, and backpack-sized non-flammable battery packs that soldiers and rescue workers carry with them wherever they go. A compact, cordless air-conditioning robot that follows you on a muggy summer day, keeping you comfortable while drastically reducing the cost and environmental impact of cooling huge office or warehouse spaces.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland has launched a new business development arm to nurture quantum-focused startups. The Quantum Startup Foundry—created through an initial $25 million investment from the university’s newly established Discovery Fund, and with key funding from the state of Maryland—will support new businesses in the quantum technology field.

Fossil fuel energy sources like coal are quickly being overtaken by renewables like solar and wind power when it comes to affordability, offering the prospect of rapid decarbonization of the U.S. and world economy—a shift that could bolster U.S. plans to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, a UMD researcher says.(Smokestacks photo by iStock; windmills by John T. Consoli)