Emerson Electric entered into a new partnership with the University of Texas at Austin for research on artificial intelligence (AI), energy, semiconductors, and several other key technology areas. The three-year plan will help make UT a core research partner for Emerson and drive the advancement of capabilities within UT, such as those for the Texas Institute of Electronics (TIE).
Roger Bonnecaze, Dean of UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering and a chemical engineering faculty member, highlights the long-running relationship between Emerson Electric and UT: “Emerson has been an important partner for UT, the Cockrell School of Engineering and our chemical engineering department for decades.”
Regarding this latest partnership, he added, “This investment will strengthen our relationship, further elevate Austin as a national technology leader, and push the boundaries of research, innovation, and education in semiconductors, energy, AI, automation, and more.”
This latest partnership is valued at $8.5 million. It brings the total to more than $20 million that St.-Louis-based Emerson has donated to UT over the years of their working together (see image above). Most of the funds have supported the Cockrell School of Engineering and its McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. With its acquisition of Austin-based test-and-measurement hardware and software developer National Instruments, Emerson now has a geographical connection to Austin.
Regarding the teamwork, Lal Karsanbhai, president and CEO of Emerson, said, “This is an exciting new chapter in Emerson’s storied history with the University of Texas at Austin as we build on our vision to accelerate automation and innovation that transforms vital industries.” Emerson will donate technology and equipment to modernize the Montopolis Research Center, the former Sematech facility in South Austin being modified as part of a $840 million partnership with DARPA for semiconductor advancement.
Emerson will also help upgrade the Process Science and Technology Center (PSTC) on UT’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus and start a three-year team research effort on AI-enabled automation. Moreover, it will contribute to the Engineering Discovery Building (EDB), a new building on the main UT campus that will be the center of the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering and the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (to open in 2026).
