Collaborative R&D partnerships are integral to advancing the Industrial Technologies Program mission. Through a process known as Industries of the Future, the Industrial Technologies Program partners with the most energy-intensive industries to effectively plan and implement a comprehensive R&D agenda. These vital industries—aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum, and steel—account for the majority of industrial energy consumption, and represent the greatest opportunities to increase industrial energy efficiency.

Crosscutting R&D targets efficiency opportunities in the use of enabling technologies that are common to many industrial processes. The widespread application of crosscutting technologies such as combustion, materials, sensor and process control systems, and industrial energy systems such as combined heat and power provide the opportunity for small improvements to yield large energy savings.

Next generation manufacturing concepts often involve one or more core technology challenges that, if solved, can produce dramatic improvements in energy efficiency, environmental performance, and product quality. The emphasis on these "grand challenges" in the Industrial Technologies portfolio is expected to result in high-value projects that will yield substantial energy, environmental, and economic benefits.

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