2025 was another outstanding year for Southwest Research Institute, and this Annual Report highlights several of SwRI’s accomplishments in science, engineering and technology. This report also spotlights many of our internal research and development programs, awards and accolades, community engagement activities and financial milestones that were part of our success in 2025. Whether landing an SwRI instrument on the Moon for the first time or expanding our expertise in developing life-saving pharmaceuticals and biologics, SwRI continues providing solutions for some of humankind’s most difficult technical challenges.
In March, the SwRI-led Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission was launched to deploy four small satellites into a polar Earth orbit. These SwRI-built satellites make 3D observations of the Sun’s corona and visualize space weather events, such as coronal mass ejections, as they travel through the inner solar system. PUNCH data will help advance our understanding of the relationship between the corona and the solar wind that moves throughout our solar system.
August brought the grand opening of our new Warner Robins, Georgia, facility — the first SwRI-owned property outside of Texas. This facility will help advance electronic warfare and defense technologies for the U.S. Air Force. Back on our San Antonio campus, the new Center for Accelerating Materials and Processes (CAMP) facility opened in September. CAMP will support research and development for tomorrow’s high-speed aerospace engines.
In November, SwRI received two R&D 100 Awards as co-developers of both an oil-free compressor and a high-efficiency engine. The R&D 100 Awards recognize the 100 most significant international innovations each year and are often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation.”
2025 also included many changing priorities in both government and commercial markets. SwRI’s technical breadth and depth allowed us to quickly adapt to most of these changes and provided new opportunities for growth in emerging technical areas. We continue making investments in our staff, infrastructure and business development practices, which will open new areas of innovation and complement existing programs.
In 2025, we also celebrated the 40th anniversary of SwRI’s Internal Research and Development (IR&D) Program with a poster exhibit and symposium. For four decades, IR&D has played a vital role in SwRI’s success, laying the groundwork for significant developments in practically every technical area. This robust program will help us build the skills and knowledge needed for ongoing success in 2026.
Despite the dynamic R&D environment of 2025, SwRI achieved another record-breaking year for revenue. We also received worldwide recognition for our commitment to the United Way. SwRI staff continue to live out our core values of integrity, innovation, people and stewardship, driving the success of our organization and giving back to our community.
In 2025, SwRI celebrated 78 years of solving many of humankind’s most difficult technical challenges, from Deep Sea to Deep Space®, and practically everywhere in between. As we embark on a new year, we will continue to thrive as one of the nation’s leading independent research and development organizations — inspired by the principles and values that have guided SwRI’s success. Please read on to learn more about some of the notable accomplishments in 2025. And thank you for your continued interest, input and support.
Adam L. Hamilton, P.E.
President & CEO