Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville have formed a partnership that will help develop and market advanced lithium-ion batteries that could power automobiles. A statement from the Kentucky governor's office says the Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center's major goals will be to support the development of a viable U.S. battery manufacturing industry; make it easier for federal labs, universities, manufacturers, suppliers, and end-users to collaborate; develop advanced manufacturing technology to reduce advanced battery production costs; and accelerate the commercialization of technologies developed at national laboratories and universities. "The Kentucky-Argonne partnership will help in turning the tide on U.S. battery development and support President Obama's goal to have one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015," says Robert Rosner, director of the Illinois-based Argonne lab. "It will help to bridge the gap between research and commercialization by facilitating the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing processes for lithium-ion batteries and other advanced batteries." The New Albany Tribune reports on its website that the center will be located in Lexington, Kentucky, in office space owned by the state, and that the state plans to devote between $5 million and $7 million of its federal stimulus money toward the project, and will seek additional funding support. The universities, both state institutions, will contribute land, buildings, funding, and researchers to the project.