Shaping the Future of Technology

Stanford’s pioneering technologies extend beyond the university, significantly impacting the world. From innovations in microwave technology to foundational discoveries in computing, robotics, and the internet, Stanford researchers have laid the groundwork for the digital age and continue to guide its evolution.

Stanford’s entrepreneurial spirit has drawn problem-solvers to campus as students, researchers, and faculty. These visionaries have created technologies and companies that are now household names: for example, William Hewlett and David Packard, who invented their precision audio oscillator as graduate students in 1938, or Russell and Sigurd Varian, who, with physics professor W.W. Hansen, invented the klystron, a foundational technology later used in satellite communications and other applications. For generations since, Stanford’s culture of discovery and innovation has launched thousands of startups around the globe.

Fabrication for Innovation

The Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF) serves students and faculty working at the vanguard of micro- and nano-scale technologies and brings together interdisciplinary academic, industrial, and governmental researchers from around the world. The facility began as a semiconductor fabrication lab in the 1950s — the first of its kind in a university setting — making Stanford an early leader in chip design and application. Today, the SNF continues to grow and adapt to meet users’ needs and fosters a collaborative atmosphere that propels technology into the future.

Pioneering AI

Technologies like large language models and autonomous vehicles are making artificial intelligence part of everyday life in the 21st century, but Stanford researchers have been AI innovators for decades. Computer scientist John McCarthy — who coined the term “artificial intelligence” — founded the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) in 1966. Stanford researchers have since pioneered AI applications for medical and biological research, robotics, machine learning, and beyond. The university’s human-centered approach to AI prioritizes the development of technologies intended to enhance human capabilities while promoting ethical, fair, and transparent use.

There’s an infectious feeling here that innovation can solve almost every problem.

Bill Gates, Microsoft Founder at Stanford University Commencement | June 2014