About Us
How We Started
In recent decades, society has witnessed an extraordinary quickening of the global pace of technology. Through the emergence of cross-technology innovation and collaboration, new research, ideas, and companies are being developed that combine multiple technology categories to create new opportunities. Frontier Technology Lab (FTL) was born out of a desire to foster interdisciplinary connections that will seize on these opportunities and provide students and the broader Stanford community with a resource for this purpose.
FTL began with a lecture series on emerging technologies in 2020 that featured faculty members, researchers, and practitioners. It was cross-listed in the School of Engineering (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and the School of Medicine. Soon, we expanded that offering to include a program with the Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Education (learn more about FTL's educational programming). We also launched a dinner salon series to convene leaders in industry and government with students and faculty within the Stanford ecosystem (learn more about our events). These experiences motivated us to start FTL with the goal of shaping a future where frontier technologies are leveraged to advance critical infrastructure and the built environment.
Anticipating The Future
Accelerated innovation promises a transformative new wave of technological advancements. In fields such as microelectronics, AI, blockchain, advanced manufacturing, and quantum sciences, breakthroughs will change how we innovate and create, shape our world, transform the economy, and establish entirely new industries and platforms in the process.
At FTL, we seek to understand the potential of these technologies—particularly when combined, rather than considered in isolation. We then examine the second- and third-order impacts of applying frontier technologies from one discipline to another. We further seek to illuminate the roles of these technologies in developing critical infrastructure and the built environment.
Cities worldwide are already considering these frontier technologies in transformative ways. AI and machine learning systems are predicting infrastructure failures before they occur, optimizing traffic flow through intelligent signal systems, and managing energy grids with unprecedented efficiency. Massive IoT sensor networks monitor everything from air quality to water pressure in real-time, while edge computing processes this data locally for faster emergency response and traffic management. Digital twins are also revolutionizing urban planning and operations. These models simulate scenarios and test interventions across critical infrastructure systems without disrupting actual services.
The emergence of 5G networks creates ultra-low latency communication that enables real-time coordination between autonomous vehicles and seamless operation of IoT devices across entire city systems. Extended reality technologies assist with infrastructure maintenance through remote expert guidance and help city planners visualize proposed changes before implementation. Robotics and autonomous systems enable inspection of hard-to-reach infrastructure like bridges and power lines, while handling dangerous tasks in utilities and emergency response.
What makes frontier technologies truly transformative is their convergence. A collaborative and interdisciplinary approach is essential to navigating and accelerating the development of frontier technologies. We aim to fulfill this need by working closely with key stakeholders in the academic, private sector, and governmental ecosystems.