The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 376
Gold nanoparticles in the eye have potential use as optical prosthesis. Researchers at Brown University have developed a new vision-restoring technique using gold nanoparticles and infrared light, offering a non-invasive alternative to retinal implants for people with degenerative eye diseases. The approach works by bypassing the retina's damaged photoreceptors – cells typically lost in conditions like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa – and instead activates the... Full story
An outcome that will redefine regulations, international goodwill, and environmental impact. Two companies are taking bold but divergent steps into deep-sea mining – one navigating U.S. territorial waters, the other operating in the legal limbo of international waters. With the International Seabed Authority (ISA) stalled on mining regulations and the Trump administration aggressively advancing domestic resource development, the forward momentum of private interests is f...
Startup just raised $50 million to convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity. Zeno Power, a startup based in Seattle and Washington, DC, raised $50 million to commercialize nuclear batteries designed to power equipment and vehicles in some of the most remote and extreme places on Earth and beyond. Called radioisotope power systems (RPS), these nuclear batteries convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity. The technology isn't new; NASA has used it for...
Canadian tech developer Zentek's sustainable nanocoating endures intense testing. Zentek, a Canadian technology development company, has completed its research and development contract under Innovative Solutions Canada's Testing Stream (ISC-TS) contract – a project focused on evaluating the company's proprietary graphene oxide-based product designed for chromate-free corrosion protection in aerospace coatings. "With ZenARMOR, our team has developed a nanomaterial-based t...
Electra and Three Fires joint venture integrates battery scrap into a community-conscious supply chain. North America is racing to secure critical mineral supplies at home and through trusted international partnerships. Now, a new Indigenous-led battery recycling venture in Canada is betting that the key to resilience lies not in the ground, but in the scrap. Despite efforts to expand domestic mining and refining in North America, a significant portion of the value chain, espe...
Joins forces with Vermeer to build an excavator for digging lunar regolith rich in helium-3. Interlune, a Seattle-based space resources startup, has unveiled the full-scale prototype of a lunar excavator engineered to harvest helium-3 from the Moon. The excavator is capable of continuously processing 100 metric tons of lunar regolith per hour – a major technical feat that represents the first stage of an ambitious plan to commercialize natural resources from space. D...
By developing the capacity to produce its own components for lithium-sulfur batteries, California-based Lyten has taken a step that could strengthen national supply chains and shift the balance of advanced battery manufacturing further away from Chinese control – offering a glimpse at how domestic lithium processing might help reduce America's strategic vulnerabilities. "Lithium is abundantly available across the United States, but the capacity to process lithium into b...
Investing over $1 billion to unlock one of the world's richest hard rock lithium deposits in the DRC. With backing from Silicon Valley heavyweights, KoBold Metals Inc. is investing over $1 billion to acquire AVZ Minerals' stake in the Manono project and unlock one of the world's richest hard rock lithium deposits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – a move that could reshape global EV supply chains and challenge China's outsized grip on battery materials. Founded in C...
Marks industry-first power transfer to moving, driverless haul truck via trolley system. As global mining companies prioritize lowering their environmental impact while improving the efficiency and profitability of mineral production, Komatsu has become the first heavy equipment manufacturer to successfully operate an autonomous electric drive haul truck powered via an overhead trolley assist system, drawing interest from mining operations globally. "This milestone...
Aims to be first in lithium manganese-rich prismatic battery cells in the next 3 years. Positioning itself to beat rival Ford to market with the next wave of high-performance, lower-cost electric vehicle batteries, General Motors has unveiled a "game-changing" lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery it says will cut costs, boost range, and establish competitive edge in electrifying America's trucks and SUVs. Unlike GM's current Ultium batteries, which depend heavily on...
In the ongoing trade and technology conflict between the United States and China, tungsten – familiar to many Americans as a favorite drill bit or the filament once used in incandescent lightbulbs – has emerged as a strategic pressure point, now central to sectors as varied as aerospace, energy, semiconductors, and national defense. And with China controlling more than 80% of global supply, its decision to tighten export restrictions has sent shockwaves through markets and...
Supports Indian technology advances, decarbonization, and materials security. As India accelerates on its path toward mineral security and a low-carbon future, Vedanta – one of the world's leading natural resources companies – has announced a bold move up the value chain, positioning itself not just as a supplier of raw materials but as a catalyst for industrial transformation. Driven by the rising demand for refined, high-performance metals, the boundary between resource ext...
Adani Enterprises is piloting hydrogen, building on coal, and cutting crude. Capable of carrying 40 tons for 125 miles (200 kilometers), India's Adani Enterprises has introduced the country's first hydrogen-powered fuel cell truck for mining logistics, marking a major step in industrial transport decarbonization. Currently being piloted at the Gare Pelma III coal block in Chhattisgarh, the truck is part of Adani's commitment to advancing sustainable mining, with the mine...
Simple engineered material could set the benchmark for lithium battery conductivity. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new solid-state battery material that conducts lithium ions more than 30% faster than its contemporaries, setting a world record and opening new possibilities for next-generation energy storage. This impressive performance is significant for the future commercial viability of all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) – a safer, m...
Houston-based Mati Carbon's approach to sequestering enriches soil, small farms. Sometimes the simplest ideas hold the most promise, and Houston-based startup Mati Carbon just proved it by winning the $50 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal award with a low-tech solution that could pull gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere while transforming the lives of millions of small farmers around the world. Mati Carbon's approach involves grinding basalt rock into fine dust and spreading it...
Graphene-shielded platinum nanoparticles offer a shorter route to clean long-haul trucking. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks represent only about 5% of the vehicles on the road, yet they are responsible for nearly 25% of automotive greenhouse gas emissions, making them a disproportionately large source of pollution. Paving the way for cleaner and more efficient long-haul transport, UCLA researchers have engineered a record-breaking hydrogen fuel cell catalyst that could power a t...
University of Toronto researchers 3D print a nanomaterial designed via machine learning. Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed the strongest 3D-printed, nano-architected material ever made – a carbon nanolattice as strong as steel but featherlight – with the potential to slash industrial emissions and revolutionize lightweight engineering. Nano-architected materials are specially engineered structures with remarkable strength, electrical, and thermal pro...
Japanese and U.S. companies partner to streamline nickel and cathode material recovery. In a move to push the electric vehicle industry and battery supply chain partnerships closer to a true circular economy, Panasonic Energy and Sumitomo Metal Mining have joined forces to recycle nickel from lithium-ion battery scrap and hit a 20% recycled cathode material target in automotive batteries before the end of the decade. "Building a sustainable recycling scheme for end-of-life...
Rare earth elements might be next for this startup's microbe-assisted technique. Far from the massive machinery and clamor of conventional mines, a team of microbial miners is rewriting the rules of critical metals extraction. Endolith, a biotech startup, has revealed a breakthrough in biomining: using living microbes to unlock copper and lithium from previously overlooked second-rate feedstock. In collaboration with BHP's Think & Act Differently initiative and the Unearthed... Full story
Powerhouse partnership adds to countrywide list of stakeholders. Global electrification and automation leader ABB has joined Canada's Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network to fast-track mining innovation through cleaner, smarter, and more efficient technologies by opening new pathways for collaboration with Canadian clients on pilot projects, accessing government-backed funding, and advancing automation and low-emission solutions across the country's... Full story
Trump administration issues directive to streamline mineral extraction on the heels of increased commercial interest. Shortly after two deep-sea mining companies made headlines courting the Trump administration for permissions to extract much-desired minerals from domestic and international waters, the President signed an executive order to assert U.S. leadership in seabed mineral exploration and development vital for national security and economic strength. The executive...
FEST battery tech outperforms lithium-ion in longevity and temperature. Stellantis and Factorial Energy have successfully validated automotive-grade solid-state battery cells using Factorial Electrolyte System Technology (FEST), demonstrating a significantly higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries while balancing longevity and safety, key factors for real-world electric vehicle deployment, and surpassing 600 charging cycles, an essential milestone toward...
Surprise announcement of this development inspires cautious optimism. In a LinkedIn post, Charles Poon, director of electrified propulsion engineering at Ford Motor Co., announced a new lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) battery he says will be integrated into its affordable, longer-range electric vehicle lineup by the end of the decade. However, the company has yet to share key technical details. This innovation stems from intensive research and development at Ion Park, Ford's Batt...
Colorado-based Electra considers building its first commercial-scale plant in Australia. Amid trade tensions and shifting climate policies, Colorado-based startup Electra has raised $129 million to scale its low-temperature, zero-emissions iron-making technology – a potential breakthrough in one of the world's dirtiest industries. However, like its peers, Electra will have to compete for increasingly scarce, low-cost, renewable energy, a resource also in high demand from b...
Researchers successfully develop a bio-inspired thermoelectric cement composite. Buildings may be on the way to powering themselves thanks to a new cement that can turn absorbed heat into electricity. A research team at Southeast University in China has published a report on a novel bio-inspired cement-hydrogel composite with superior structural integrity that can also generate and store energy, potentially creating self-sustaining structures. This breakthrough could lead to...
