Take a quick look around you. How many things in your field of view run on batteries? Your smartwatch, phone, the earbuds you’re listening to this podcast on, or maybe even the electric vehicle you’re driving–they all use batteries. Batteries also make our electric grids more resilient, enable transportation, and provide backup power to infrastructure such as data centers.

And yet, fewer than 25% of the batteries we use in the US are produced here, which is why our next US National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine wants Upstate New York to become America’s Battery Capital.

I sat down with the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York CEO, Meera Sampath, to learn more about why bringing battery and energy storage innovation and production to the US is so important, and how the Engine is building on Upstate New York’s incredible resources and history of tech innovation.

Meera Sampath is a researcher, innovator, and leader with a global perspective. Throughout her 30-year career in industry and academia, Meera’s focus has been on two key areas: driving impact through technology and building purposeful partnerships across organizations, sectors and continents. Meera is deeply connected with and drawn to serving the Upstate NY community, a place she has called home for the past three decades.

Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player!

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • How Upstate New York’s unique academic and industry resources and infrastructure are helping researchers and startups accelerate use-inspired innovation
  • How the Engine is building partnerships with educational and community institutions that will help develop a battery tech-ready workforce
  • What we risk if we continue to rely on foreign supply chains for battery technology, from grid reliability to defense systems to major economic losses and more

Learn More About Meera Sampath:

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