LSU and Data2 Partner to Solve Cyber, Defense, Energy Challenges for Louisiana, Nation
January 23, 2025
Advanced AI platform provides LSU researchers and students with tools to address critical energy and national security challenges.
LSU and Data², a Seattle-based technology company with expertise in AI across defense and energy sectors, have entered into a formal agreement for technology and talent development in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics. A memorandum of understanding between the partners strengthens their collaborations to pursue research and talent development in areas critical to energy and national security.
In addition to opportunities for student engagement, the partnership includes joint pursuit of research in cybersecurity, security of cyber-physical assets and critical infrastructure, and a range of energy initiatives from exploration to production, all priority areas of LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda and essential to Louisiana.
“Our partnership with Data² is a perfect example of how the university wants to work with companies on the leading edge of AI and analytics,” LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development Robert Twilley said. “Beyond research and development, students and faculty have an opportunity to demonstrate how technical skills and our growing AI initiatives can be applied to real-world challenges. We’re excited to align our expertise with the exceptional Data² team and their development platform to explore solutions to problems imperative to the future of Louisiana and the country.”
"LSU's leadership in energy research and cybersecurity makes them an ideal partner for Data²," said Jon Brewton, CEO of Data². "Their designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations and their proven capabilities in AI align perfectly with our mission to discover a better way to transform complex data into actionable intelligence. We are committed to building a world where people and machines make smarter decisions together."
A key element of the partnership is Data²'s reView platform, a graph retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system that simplifies visibility across data sets through intuitive, no-code/low-code tools. The reView platform prioritizes complete transparency and traceability across all connections to provide clarity and handles complex scenarios from multiple data sources so researchers can explore hidden relationships while maintaining enterprise-grade security. Data2’s platform is used by the Department of Defense in major projects like ICON, as well as by several oil and gas enterprise partners.
One area of prospective joint research is protecting critical infrastructure, particularly in the energy and production sectors where Louisiana leads, and where compromises are issues of economic and national security. When legacy infrastructure and assets are digitized and connected, they become part of a complex cyber-physical landscape that can be challenging to visualize and navigate.
“LSU has outstanding cybersecurity expertise in digital and memory forensics and malware, and working with Data²’s data expertise and platform enables us to help Louisiana and national industry and agencies better understand and defend against sophisticated attacks against key infrastructure,” said Greg Trahan, director of economic development and special advisor to LSU President Tate for cyber initiatives.
LSU is uniquely positioned to lead in areas related to energy, security, and AI. In 2024, the National Science Foundation awarded its largest grant ever, a Regional Innovation Engine award of $160 million to an LSU-led team of more than 50 public and private partners. Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, or FUEL, works to support Louisiana’s energy industry by creating jobs, developing the energy workforce, and accelerating energy innovation. In 2022, the National Security Agency, or NSA, the nation’s preeminent cybersecurity agency, designated LSU as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations – one of only 22 universities in the U.S. with the designation, and the only one in Louisiana. LSU’s recent inclusion in the prestigious AI Alliance as well as their designation as AI and data lead in a $25 million U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration consortium underscores the university’s significant advances in AI and security.
Data² is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that transforms how organizations understand and leverage their data through explainable AI and advanced knowledge graph technology. The company's reView platform unifies diverse data sources into actionable intelligence, delivering fully transparent and traceable insights for defense, energy, finance, healthcare, and law enforcement sectors. Learn more about Data2 by visiting their website or LinkedIn page.
LSU is one of only a handful of universities in the United States that are designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution with an R1 designation for “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation. Energy and defense, including cybersecurity, are two of the university’s top five priority areas for research in LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda.
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LSU's Scholarship First Agenda is helping achieve health, prosperity, and security for Louisiana and the world.