Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)
A legacy of breakthrough innovations
In 2023, the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) joined SRI, bringing together two iconic Silicon Valley research organizations to build, expand, and scale capabilities, and offer an even more diverse technology set for our government and commercial customers. PARC’s integration into SRI has further enhanced SRI’s ability to develop solutions for a more sustainable world and create a digital future for the workplace.
A shared passion for invention
Founded in 1970 by Xerox and established as an independent company in 2002, PARC pioneered numerous technological advancements. The organization’s work on Ethernet, laser printing, and the Alto personal computer earned PARC three coveted Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Milestone awards in 2024. The combined efforts of SRI, PARC, and Sarnoff Labs (formerly RCA Labs, acquired by SRI in 1987) have earned SRI nine IEEE Milestone awards in total.
From the beginning, the trajectories of the PARC and SRI were deeply intertwined. The internet, personal computing, and the entire Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem were, in many ways, marked by the creative cross-pollination between SRI and PARC.
More recently, PARC’s work focused on areas like autonomous and distributed systems, human-machine collaboration, advanced sensing technologies, edge analytics, materials science, and bio-inspired devices. These unique capabilities continue to serve SRI’s mission of making the world safer, healthier, and more sustainable.
PARC Forum
PARC’s legacy of unbridled innovation lives on in PARC Forum, an event and program series that brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers for thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of technology and society.
“It felt like one of those spaces where ideas are born and geniuses are encouraged to run into the future.” — PARC Forum attendee
Conceived in 1977 and relaunched in 2024, PARC Forum has recently included speakers such as Julie Packard (Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium), Astro Teller (Captain of Moonshots at X, the moonshot factory), and David Leonhardt (Pulitzer Prize-winning senior writer at The New York Times). PARC Forum also presented a historic event honoring PARC alumni who contributed to the IEEE Milestone awards, including John Shoch, Ron Rider, and Turing Award-winner Bob Metcalf.
To learn about upcoming PARC Forum events, visit our events page.
Recent PARC Forums
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PARC Forum: The future of defense technologies
Silicon Valley is paying close attention to the defense sector. SRI convened a conversation exploring new opportunities to advance security through innovation.
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PARC Forum: The future of trust
Mitchell Baker and Mariano-Florentino “Tino” Cuéllar discuss the global imperative of safe, human-first AI.
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PARC Forum: The future of education in the age of AI
Leading voices on AI in education explore how AI can advance teaching and learning.