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Labs seek TRIGGER extension to scale lab‑to‑market work; VAST Vision cites sensor results
Summary
Representatives from Sandia and Los Alamos told the committee that the TRIGGER tax credit has supported dozens of New Mexico companies and asked lawmakers to extend and scale the program to meet growing demand.
Representatives from Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories briefed the committee on the Technology Readiness Gross Receipts Tax Act credit (TRIGGER) and requested an extension and expansion of the tax credit to continue lab‑to‑market technical assistance for New Mexico companies.
"TRIGGER is intended to help take inventions and know‑how out of the laboratories ... into the private sector in New Mexico," said David Kiston, Manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia National Laboratories. Kiston and Candace Sieventhal of Los Alamos described TRIGGER as a currently authorized $1,000,000 per year per lab tax credit that is scheduled to expire in 2027; they said the program provides up to $150,000 per project in technical assistance to businesses that hold a license or cooperative research agreement with one of the labs.
The labs asked the committee to increase funding in two phases: first, an increase of $1,000,000 per lab per year for five years to meet rising demand; second, to maintain a $5,000,000 per lab per year level for a subsequent five‑year period. Kiston said Sandia reached full allocation this year and that demand is growing as the program matures.
Nut graf: TRIGGER officials said the credit helps reduce technical risk and shorten commercialization timelines for lab‑originated technologies; they argued a funding increase would prevent the program from turning away promising projects as the Roadrunner quantum hub and other ecosystem investments begin operation.
Impact to date and example The labs said TRIGGER has worked with 34 New Mexico companies representing 23 licenses and 11 cooperative research agreements. The program’s proponents said participating companies have scaled, raised capital and created jobs.
Kyle Guinn, founder of VAST Vision Technologies and a former Sandia staffer, described a TRIGGER project that ran through April. VAST Vision licensed a Sandia‑originated passive sensor and used TRIGGER support to functionalize the device for gas sensing. "Over the past 12 months, we ... successfully proved that" the sensors can detect hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), Guinn said. He described the chips as passive devices that can be read through metal and liquids and said the company made three hires after the project and improved read‑distance performance.
Guinn gave a manufacturing cost estimate drawn from small‑batch production plans in Albuquerque: “Even in small batch production ... we are talking less than a dollar per sensor,” and at larger scale “sub 20¢, sub 10¢” per sensor.
Questions and committee reaction Committee members asked about demand; labs and TRIGGER managers said Sandia reached full allocation this year and that both labs are seeing increasing applications and activity. Representatives said TRIGGER can de‑risk early technical work, improve investor confidence and shorten timelines for pilots in partnership with utilities and other customers.
Ending: The labs asked legislators to consider the requested TRIGGER extension and expansion to sustain technical assistance that they said helps keep lab innovations and startups in New Mexico.
