Southwest Research Institute

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development (R&D) organizations in the United States. Founded in 1947, SwRI provides contract research and development services to industrial and government clients. The Institute is governed by a board of directors, which is advised by approximately 100 trustees.

SwRI consists of 11 technical divisions that offer multidisciplinary, problem-solving services in a variety of areas in engineering and the physical sciences. Over 4,000 projects were active at the Institute at the close of fiscal year 2023. SwRI's consolidated revenue for this fiscal year was nearly $844 million. During 2023, SwRI provided more than $9.3 million to fund innovative research through its internally sponsored R&D program.

A partial listing of research areas includes antennas and propagation; automation, robotics, and intelligent systems; avionics and support systems; bioengineering; chemistry and chemical engineering; communications systems; corrosion and electrochemistry; earth and planetary sciences; emissions research; engineering mechanics; fire technology; fluid systems and machinery dynamics; fuels and lubricants; and pharmaceuticals and drug discovery. Additional areas include; intelligent transportation and connected/automated vehicles; hydrology and geohydrology; space science and engineering; materials sciences and fracture mechanics; modeling and simulation; nondestructive evaluation; oil and gas exploration; pipeline technology; surface modification and coatings; energy storage systems; and vehicle, engine, and powertrain design, research, and development.

SwRI initiates contracts with clients based on initial consultations and prepares a formal proposal outlining the scope of work. As part of a long-held tradition, intellectual property rights arising from sponsored research at the Institute can be assigned to the client. SwRI generally retains the rights to Institute-funded advancements.

SwRI’s headquarters occupy more than 2.4 million square feet of laboratories, workshops, and offices on more than 1,500 acres in San Antonio. The Institute has technical offices and laboratories in Boulder, Colorado; Warner Robins, Georgia; Hanover, Maryland; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Durham, New Hampshire; Beavercreek, Ohio; Midwest City, Oklahoma; Austin, Texas; Hill AFB, Utah; Beijing, China; and other locations.

At the close of fiscal year 2023, the staff numbered more than 3,100. In 2023, staff members published 517 papers in the technical literature; made 577 presentations at technical conferences, seminars, and symposia around the world; submitted 36 invention disclosures; filed 39 patent applications; and received 51 patent awards. The Institute supports professional development of its staff through on-site technical and training courses and tuition reimbursement.

Southwest Research Institute holds more than 1,500 patents, has earned 52 R&D 100 awards, and has been inducted in the U.S. Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame. The Institute has received two Department of Defense James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Awards. In 2006, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers recognized the Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar apparatus as an ASME National Historic Engineering Landmark; the Southern Gas Association Analog, developed by SwRI in 1955 for the natural gas industry, was named a 1990 landmark. The staff is committed to quality improvement -- numerous departments and divisions have achieved ISO certifications and accreditations. The Ford Motor Company has designated the Institute a Tier 1 product development engineering services supplier and has presented the Institute a Q1 award.

SwRI offers a wide-ranging network of representatives to discuss Institute capabilities, business opportunities and projects. SwRI retains an extensive network of consultants in Asia and Europe and has established numerous technology alliances with internationally known corporations and organizations. For more information about SwRI and its capabilities, contact the Business Development Office, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, Texas 78238, Phone (210) 522-2122, Fax (210) 522-3496.

Mission: Benefiting government, industry and the public through innovative science and technology