Albuquerque, NM – March 3, 2026 – This year marks the 10th anniversary of Innovate New Mexico, a landmark collaboration of major research institutions across the state that promotes and annually reasserts the state’s commitment to collaboration in support of innovation that benefits all New Mexicans. The anniversary is marked today with the 10th Innovate New Mexico Showcase, held at the Lobo Rainforest building in Albuquerque.
Innovate New Mexico brings together the state’s three leading research universities – New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech, and the University of New Mexico – with its three research laboratories: the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Labs. They come together annually for a Showcase that highlights new inventions and innovations resulting from those collaborations, but the Showcase plays a fundamentally broader and more catalytic role: it confirms; it connects, and it catalyzes.
The Showcase confirms and annually reasserts the state’s commitment to research collaboration. It connects the institutions’ representatives with each other and with many additional participating researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and their champions. Those connections in turn help animate a “rainforest” environment of unexpected interactions and catalyze resulting innovation.
Over the past 10 years, Innovate New Mexico has achieved the following, among many other accomplishments:
- Showcased 135 innovations from across the region spanning a range of technology areas including biosciences, energy, space and materials, accelerating commercialization across multiple sectors;
- Consistently attracted investors locally and nationally such as Sun Mountain Capital, the New Mexico Angels, Osage University Partners, Crosslink Capital, Tramway Venture Partners, Cerracap Ventures, and others, creating meaningful pathways for commercialization and capital formation;
- Highlighted and exhibited more than 145 start-up companies creating new opportunities and strategic partnerships.
“For the past decade, the Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory has viewed the Innovate New Mexico Showcase as a key platform for our scientists and postdocs to connect with partners and resources needed to accelerate commercialization,” said James Zahler, Program Director for the Feynman Center for Innovation, Los Alamos National Laboratory. “Bringing New Mexico’s research institutions together each year reaffirms our shared commitment to collaboration and catalyzes an innovation ecosystem that advances scientific discovery and economic opportunity statewide.”
“For the past decade, Innovate New Mexico has played a vital role in strengthening New Mexico’s innovation ecosystem by connecting research, entrepreneurship, and industry,” said Mary Monson, Senior Manager, Technology Partnerships and Business Development, Sandia National Laboratories. “Sandia National Laboratories is proud to be an active partner in this effort, advancing technology-based economic development that translates world-class research into new companies, high-quality jobs, and lasting economic impact for the state. Innovate New Mexico’s collaborative model has proven essential to ensuring that innovation developed in New Mexico benefits New Mexicans, and we look forward to continuing this important work in the years ahead.”
“Innovate New Mexico exemplifies the spirit of collaboration that defines our state’s innovation landscape,” said Sara Telano, Branch Chief, Technology Engagement Office, Air Force Research Lab. “By fostering partnerships between research institutions, entrepreneurs, and industry, we’re turning today’s ideas into tomorrow’s technologies, and AFRL is honored to be part of that journey.”
“Innovate New Mexico is an extraordinary collaboration of premier research institutions that energizes innovation across the state and underscores our longstanding commitment to work together to create a more dynamic economy for all New Mexicans,” said New Mexico State Representative Meredith A. Dixon, opening speaker at the 10th Innovate New Mexico Showcase. “I had the privilege of sponsoring and championing HB20, which led in 2025 to the creation of the state’s new Technology and Innovation Office and the allocation of $90 million for tech startups, research & development, and other support for innovation. It’s, therefore, a great honor for me to be the opening speaker at the 10th Innovate New Mexico Showcase and to continue to champion New Mexico’s preeminence in innovation statewide.”
“NMSU Arrowhead Center takes full advantage of the forum, participants, and energy that we experience at the Innovate New Mexico Showcase,” said Patricia Knighten, Director of Innovation Commercialization, Office of Intellectual Property, Arrowhead Center, New Mexico State University. “We believe that the face-to-face engagement with the researchers, investors, and other stakeholders at this event has made significant impact. Our researchers have broadened and strengthened their collaborations with other NM research universities and the federal laboratories. Many of those collaborations result in licenses, start-up companies, and internships. It is remarkable to observe New Mexico’s ‘innovation ecosystem’ evolve since the first Innovate New Mexico Showcase, and we sure look forward to contributing and to benefiting from the future evolution of the event as part of the energy around New Mexico’s ‘inflection point’.”
“New Mexico is experiencing a watershed moment for innovation and economic development,” said Lique M. Coolen, Vice President of Research and Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs, New Mexico Tech. “By forging essential partnerships between inventors at research institutions and industry stakeholders, Innovate New Mexico is positioned to leverage this inflection point. New Mexico Tech is proud to contribute to this journey, strengthening our state’s science and technology ecosystem for generations to come.”
“As we celebrate 10 years of the Innovate New Mexico Showcase, we are reminded that innovation flourishes only when we break down silos and collaborate,” said Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer, UNM Rainforest Innovations. “UNM Rainforest Innovations is proud to be a part of this effort, bringing diverse partners together to ensure our state’s research moves efficiently from the laboratory to the global marketplace. This decade of partnership has proven that by connecting our world-class expertise with the business community, we can catalyze true economic development for New Mexico.”
The Innovate New Mexico partnership affirms and broadens the collaborations among its partner institutions in a way that sets it apart from other states. Through Innovate New Mexico, an exceptional level of cooperation has been achieved.
For more information, contact Savanah Romero at sromero@innovations.unm.edu.
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