University of Utah to launch groundbreaking DARPA-backed critical minerals testbed

The Strategic Materials Accelerator & Research Testbed (SMART) initiative will provide a first-of-its-kind testing ecosystem to accelerate breakthrough technologies for rare earth elements and strengthen domestic supply chains.

SALT LAKE CITY, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Utah, one of the nation's leading research universities, is partnering with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to launch the Strategic Materials Accelerator & Research Testbed (SMART), a major innovation platform designed to accelerate the United States' capabilities in critical minerals and rare earth elements.

SMART will serve as a national hub for cutting-edge biotechnology research, providing organizations with tools to develop, test and scale breakthrough technologies, accelerating solutions that directly strengthen national defense and power the innovations of tomorrow.

The U.S. faces a growing need to strengthen its domestic supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements, the essential components of advanced technologies including electric vehicles, cellphones, renewable energy systems and national defense. Meeting this challenge will require bold new approaches for identifying, extracting and refining these materials.

With deep expertise in earth sciences, engineering and commercialization, the University of Utah is positioned to drive new research pathways and innovation models, advancing U.S. capabilities and helping shape the future of technology and manufacturing.

This effort builds on the University of Utah's recent announcement of the Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals, a university-wide initiative focused on expanding sustainable domestic supply chains through research, education and workforce development. Together, SMART and the institute position the university as a national leader in addressing critical minerals challenges from discovery to deployment.

"Necessity is the core driver of innovation. The U.S. desperately needs a testbed to accelerate our strategic material supply chain," said Jakob Jensen, associate vice president for research at the University of Utah. "SMART is a state-of-the-art testing ecosystem that addresses a pressing need."

"The launch of SMART reflects how the University of Utah is stepping forward to help solve one of the nation's most urgent challenges," said University of Utah President Taylor Randall. "By bringing together our strengths in science, engineering and policy, we are accelerating solutions that strengthen national security and build a more resilient, forward-looking critical minerals ecosystem."

This first phase launches a larger, multi-phase initiative to expand national capacity in critical minerals research, development and deployment. Phase I will support DARPA's Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) program, which is pioneering new ways to unlock America's supply of rare earth elements. SMART is establishing a state-of-the-art benchmarking space on the University of Utah campus to accelerate the path from lab discovery to real-world solutions. Benchmarking infrastructure is often difficult to fund, yet it is essential for validating breakthrough technologies and determining their potential to scale.

"One of the biggest challenges in this space is not invention, but translation," said Sha-Chelle Manning, chief of DARPA's Commercial Strategy Office. "SMART is designed to reduce the risk of scaling new technologies by giving innovators a place to validate performance at meaningful scale, helping accelerate the transition from breakthrough science to actual capability."

The testbed was developed in coordination and with the support of multiple Utah entities, including 47G, the Utah Mining Association and the World Trade Center. This collaboration represents a distinctive model for research-driven innovation and helps position the state as an ideal home for the lab.

"47G is proud to have played a key role in forging the relationships that made SMART possible," said Aaron Starks, CEO and president of 47G. "This initiative is more than a research platform—it's a testbed that will serve our local industry here in Utah while also advancing innovation and supply chain resilience nationwide. Our mission is to connect partners, align priorities and create collaborations that drive real impact."

SMART is just the beginning. By investing in this platform, the University of Utah is helping position the nation as a leader in critical materials research and innovation. We welcome collaboration from industry, researchers and policymakers to expand this work and build a stronger, more resilient innovation ecosystem.

About the University of Utah
The University of Utah is the state's flagship institution of higher education, with 18 schools and colleges, more than 100 undergraduate majors and graduate programs and an enrollment of more than 36,000 students. It is a member of the Association of American Universities—an invitation-only, prestigious group of 71 leading research institutions. Ranked No. 1 public university in the West by the Wall Street Journal, the U strives to be a model public university in delivering unmatched value in higher education and health care while making social, economic and cultural contributions that improve the quality of life throughout the state, the nation and the world.

Media contacts:
Amanda Ashley, [email protected], director, marketing and communications, Technology Licensing Office, University of Utah

SOURCE The University of Utah