Dr. Lawrence M. (Marty) Murphy conceived, developed, and now manages the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Enterprise Development Program (EDP). This program is aimed at building linkages and working relationships among the nascent and established renewable and energy efficiency industries, influential experts in the business/financial communities, key university MBA programs, and leading business incubators across the country. NREL's Industry Growth Forums and the NREL Investor Directory engage hundreds of investors in the commercialization of clean energy (CE) technologies in a highly interactive format.
The Growth Forum is now the largest of its genre for clean energy investment. The National Alliance of Clean Energy Business Incubators currently includes a national, nine-state network of some 17 of the nation's leading business incubators that have adopted a clean energy business focus- and the Alliance is currently being greatly expanded, and has recently been formed as a not-for-profit entity. The Alliance, forums, and investor networks are highly integrated.
More recently, Dr. Murphy has been co-developing the Colorado Clean Tech Initiative with colleagues from the Colorado Front Range which is aimed at developing a clean energy technology cluster, including robust job growth, for Colorado.
Dr. Murphy brings more than 30 years of experience to enterprise development and the development of innovative technology. At NREL, Dr. Murphy and his teams (with as many as 100 people), have been responsible for the development of numerous technologies. He also spearheaded the development of a world-class, high-flux, solar facility, which is a designated National User Center.
Before joining NREL, Dr. Murphy managed the Solar Office for the California Energy Commission, where he was responsible for developing numerous successful solar-technology development initiatives. He began his career with the Sandia Laboratory, where he was a resident expert/consultant in solid mechanics and structures, and played a major role in the development and implementation of several large projects, including the development and deployment of the $140 million Barstow Central Receiver Solar Pilot Plant.
Dr. Murphy is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a professional engineer (CA), and received his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
NREL's Industry Growth Forum is the premiere clean energy investment forum not only because of the caliber of investors and entrepreneurial companies it attracts, but also due to its unique format and window on the energy future. Its rich "educational content" distinguishes NREL's Growth Forums and leaves all participants - including entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and corporate investors - with a deeper understanding of the evolving energy market and what a business must do to thrive. Presenters from Forums 16-20 have raised more than $2.0 billion (as of October 2008) since their presentations.