The spirit of innovation propelling Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind continues to drive our College of Engineering community. Today, the generation and use of sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy is one of the grandest challenges for our planet. With the launch of the newest Purdue Engineering Initiative—LEAPS (Leading Energy-Transition Advances and Pathways to Sustainability)—we will step up to a new level of research and education innovation that will cross disciplines, link campus expertise, and empower our future engineers and entrepreneurs. Energy transformations must play a central role in decarbonizing our largest economic driver: the manufacturing sector. With one of the nation's highest concentrations of manufacturing jobs and $34.8 billion in exports of manufactured goods, Indiana must fill the rapidly growing demand for power, products, and processes that are consonant with the energy transition in order to retain and attract Hoosiergrown businesses.

OUR MISSION

To spark and nurture innovations within Purdue University to create scalable technologies for the energy transition, transform the nature of energy-focused learning, and accelerate the translation of these technologies through academic-industry synergies. To be strategic in strengthening a robust intellectual property portfolio that can engineer power systems, products, and processes for a sustainable energy transition and realize a global decarbonized economy.

OUR VISION

To be the thought, intellectual, and entrepreneurial leader in accelerating the energy transition through its research and its empowerment of future engineers to produce affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy and create products and processes that enable economic vitality and wellbeing for everyone.

WHY PURDUE?

Indiana ranks 2nd in manufacturing jobs per capita and 26% of its economic output relates to manufacturing. Owing to this substantial footprint, it ranks 8th in terms of greenhouse gases and 10th in total energy consumed per capita. Purdue provides the intellectual, technical, and human capital via its research, development, and workforce pedagogy engine. It will bring proven capacities for reducing the carbon footprint in the surrounding "living laboratory" while helping to nurture and grow the regional and wider manufacturing ecosystem. Purdue will develop solutions, talent, and transferable innovations to the state and to the nation.

To learn more about LEAPS, email us at LEAPS@purdue.edu