About Workshop

Workshop Goals

• Enable rapid collaboration through short-form CRADA models to accelerate technology adoption and commercialization.

• Advance U.S. competitiveness in eBeam manufacturing by leveraging ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) capabilities.

• Engage industry and end users to explore manufacturing edge pathways for electron beam (eBeam) technologies as alternatives to high-activity radioactive sources.

• Strengthen domestic supply chains for critical eBeam components, reducing reliance on foreign vendors.

Workshop Objectives

• Define technical and policy barriers impacting U.S. eBeam manufacturing competitiveness.

• Identify industry pain points such as cost disadvantages, low yield components (e.g., RF cavities), and supply chain gaps.

• Explore advanced manufacturing solutions (e.g., additive manufacturing for exotic alloys) to improve performance and reduce costs for pain points and other components.

• Align stakeholders on actionable strategies for scaling and commercialization.

• Develop a roadmap for near-term CRADA opportunities and long-term R&D collaborations.

Key Workshop Topics

• Technical Challenges: RF cavity manufacturing, exotic alloy processing, additive manufacturing feasibility.

• Supply Chain & Market Barriers: Cost competitiveness vs. foreign vendors, scaling issues, lead times.

• Integration Opportunities: Leveraging MDF infrastructure, modeling/simulation, hybrid manufacturing approaches.

• Industry Engagement: Pre-workshop surveys, breakout sessions, one-on-one discussions to capture detailed pain points and draft solution space.

• Policy & Funding Landscape: DOE ORS Alternative Technology portfolio, SBIR opportunities, others. 

What to Expect

• A one-day workshop (with optional follow-up sessions) focused on technical and strategic discussions.

• Development of a draft roadmap highlighting priority technical challenges and partnership opportunities.

• Identification of potential CRADA projects and funding pathways for FY26–FY27+.

• Engagement with DOE sponsors and industry to demonstrate rapid, value-added collaboration.

• Post-workshop report summarizing gaps, goals, and actionable next steps for accelerating U.S. eBeam manufacturing.