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| Abbreviation | SwRI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1947; 78 years ago (1947) |
| Founders | Thomas Slick, Jr. |
| Type | Independent research and development |
| Location |
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Official language | English |
| Revenue | Nearly $915 million (FY 2024) |
| Employees | more than 3,200 (FY 2024) |
| Website | swri |
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered inSan Antonio,Texas, is an independent and nonprofit appliedresearch and development (R&D) organization. Founded in 1947 by oil businessmanTom Slick,[1] it provides contract research and development services to government and industrial clients.
The institute consists of 10 technical divisions. The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, afederally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, also operates on the SwRI grounds. More than 4,000 projects are active at the institute at any given time. These projects are funded between the government and commercial sectors. At the close of fiscal year 2024, the staff numbered approximately 3,200 employees and research volume was nearly $915 million. The institute provided more than $11 million to fund research through its internally sponsored R&D program.
A partial listing of research areas includes space science and engineering; automation,robotics, and intelligent systems;avionics and support systems;bioengineering; chemistry andchemical engineering; corrosion andelectrochemistry; earth and planetary sciences; emissions research; engineering mechanics; fire technology; fluid systems and machinery dynamics; and fuels and lubricants. Additional areas include geochemistry; hydrology and geohydrology; materials sciences and fracture mechanics; nondestructive evaluation; oil and gas exploration; pipeline technology; surface modification and coatings; and vehicle, engine, andpowertrain design, research, and development. In 2024, staff members published 559 papers in the technical literature and made 714 presentations at technical conferences, seminars and symposia around the world; and submitted 50 invention disclosures; filed 35 patent applications; and received 35 U.S. patent awards.
For more than 75 years, Southwest Research Institute has addressed challenges from deep sea to deep space and everywhere in between. For example, early work in submersibles has led to engineers developing remotely operated deep water rescue vehicles for the U.S. and Australian navies. SwRI is currently adapting extensive expertise in engines, fuels and lubricants for electrified powertrains and alternative fuels research. SwRI's initiatives in robotics and artificial intelligence enable automated vehicles, medical diagnostic support and industrial maintenance, including a mobile robot to remove coatings from commercial aircraft using laser ablation.
SwRI operates a large space science and engineering program, which is home to principal investigators for five major NASA missions, including theJuno mission toJupiter, theNew Horizons mission toPluto and theKuiper belt, theLucy mission to multipleTrojan asteroids near Jupiter, and thePUNCH mission to image the outer reaches of thesolar corona.
SwRI's experience also includes advanced pharmaceuticals, direction finding antennas, cybersecurity, and aircraft and infrastructure life extension.
SwRI initiates contracts with clients based on consultations and prepares a formal proposal outlining the scope of work. Subject to client wishes, programs are kept confidential. As part of a long-held tradition,patent rights arising from sponsored research may be assigned to SwRI's clients. SwRI generally retains the rights to institute-funded advancements.
The institute's headquarters occupy more than 2.4 million square feet of office and laboratory space on more than 1,500 acres in San Antonio. SwRI has technical offices and laboratories in Boulder, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Warner-Robins, Georgia; Ogden, Utah; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Rockville, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Beijing, China; and other locations.
SwRI's technical magazine is published three times each year to spotlight the research and development projects currently underway. A complementary Technology Today podcast is also available.
In 1950, the institute was the focus ofResearch Ranch, a Screenliner short subject produced byRKO-Pathé studios.[2]
The organization consists of ten divisions, each with their own respective field:
29°26′33″N98°36′45″W / 29.4425°N 98.6125°W /29.4425; -98.6125
