The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 604
Iron ore giant Fortescue orders $224 million of electric and autonomous drills from mining equipment manufacturer. In a move that further confirms the mining industry's commitment to lowering carbon emissions, Fortescue Metals has ordered $223.5 million (2.2 billion Swedish krona) worth of Epiroc autonomous electric drills to be delivered to its iron ore mines in the Pilbara region of Western Australia over the next five years. "Fortescue is on the forefront of the mining...
Lithium-ion battery recycling visionary Li-Cycle is on the cusp of bankruptcy. Less than two years after hosting Canada's prime minister, the European Union's president, and an array of United States dignitaries eager to visit facilities that represent the future of electric vehicle battery recycling, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. is struggling to keep its global spoke-and-hub network intact. While Li-Cycle has weathered financial strains before, its current position is more...
Private partners back Phoenix Tailings tech for critical rare earths. Backed by a fresh infusion of $33 million in strategic capital, Phoenix Tailings, Inc. is set to complete its new facility in New Hampshire that will produce up to 500 metric tons of rare earth metals per year, enough to meet the entire annual demand of the U.S. defense industrial base. Founded in 2018, Massachusetts-based Phoenix Tailings began as a materials recovery company focused on extracting iron,...
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...
Mining powerhouse partners with tech startup incubator to accelerate innovations reshaping the future of mining. Founders Factory welcomes six new mining tech startups to the Mining Tech Accelerator, a program being advanced in partnership with Rio Tinto to accelerate and optimize innovative ideas that will reshape the future of mining. "Through our Mining Tech Accelerator, Founders Factory and Rio Tinto are partnering with startups to develop breakthrough technologies that...
Cyclic Materials to establish first U.S. facility to reclaim rare earth magnets. With an investment of more than $20 million, Cyclic Materials Inc. is establishing its first commercial rare earth recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, a state-of-the-art operation that will recover permanent magnets from end-of-life components and advance the development of a sustainable, domestic supply chain critical to clean energy and emerging technologies. Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials i...
Japan builds first diamond transistor for extreme conditions. In a breakthrough that could redefine the future of electronics in extreme environments, scientists in Japan have created the world's first diamond-based transistor capable of operating at high temperatures – opening the door to ultra-efficient chips that can handle intense heat and radiation where traditional silicon fails. Long prized for their beauty and durability, diamonds are quickly becoming a scientist's b...
Partners with Reycom, Qualcomm to power secure AI and autonomous industrial solutions. Electric, automated, and intelligent – this is the direction Liebherr is taking its heavy earthmoving equipment for mining and construction. To push the boundaries of artificial intelligence and autonomy for industrial applications, the German manufacturing giant has joined forces with Reycom and Qualcomm Technologies to launch LiRISE – a new generation of edge AI gateway solutions. "Th...
California's first steel mill in 50 years is poised to set the standard for sustainable steelmaking. Rising out of the sands of the Mojave Desert is a steel mill forging a greener future for both California and the global steelmaking industry. This Mojave Micro Mill, being built by the Pacific Steel Group, is a state-of-the-art facility powered by abundant Southern California sunshine – a model that has state leaders rethinking heavy industry in the era of clean energy. "...
Modular commercial transport solutions for mining and construction. Scania Power Solutions (SCANIA), a major Swedish provider of commercial transport, is accelerating the shift toward electrification with the debut of a new generation of all-electric and hybrid power vehicles – unveiled at Bauma 2025, the world's leading trade fair for construction and mining machinery – designed to replace the fuel-intensive, high-emission engines commonly used across the construction and min...
Researchers at the Autonomous University of Querétaro design sustainable cell. Researchers in Mexico at the Autonomous University of Querétaro (UAQ) have unveiled a new thin-film solar cell design capable of converting more than twice the standard percentage of sunlight into usable electricity, using only Earth-abundant, non-toxic materials in a breakthrough that could help reshape the solar industry and accelerate the global shift away from fossil fuels. A standard c...
Federal stockpiled fuel allocation backs next-gen nuclear deployment. After years of planning, policy, and preparation, the U.S. Department of Energy is delivering the first batches of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from stockpiles to five advanced reactor developers – marking the first time this critical fuel has been released for commercial use and signaling a major shift in the nation's push to deploy next-generation nuclear technologies and reclaim control over it...
Designed by the European Commission to bolster a domestic supply chain and break away from China and risky import reliance. The European Commission has selected 47 strategic projects with the potential to bolster the EU's supply of critical raw materials, a move designed to reduce reliance on foreign sources, particularly China. This initiative under the commission's Critical Raw Materials Act seeks to boost domestic mining, processing, and recycling of key minerals and...
IDTechEx reports the data behind the strategy; can the U.S. learn from its ally? Critical material recovery in Europe is no longer a question of "if" but "when." The EU is rapidly building infrastructure to recover tens of thousands of tons of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery metals and rare earth elements (REEs) by 2030. However, achieving full-scale material security will require more than just processing capacity – it will depend on effective collection and separation to e...
University survey reveals gap in American critical mineral awareness, policy preferences, and supply realities. Americans want a high-tech, low-carbon future, but the problem is that most of the materials needed to build it come from somewhere else. While electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels depend on lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, a new study reveals a contradiction: many people support the energy transition, yet far fewer back the domestic mining required...
International scientific and market cooperation can create a diverse, resilient global battery ecosystem. The global battery industry has achieved a sea change, surpassing 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) in demand for the first time in 2024. As electric vehicle sales and energy storage needs grow, and overall production costs continue to fall, supply chain realignments are reshaping the industry. This expansion underscores the increasing role of batteries in both transportation and...
German researchers develop solid-state system that cools using stretchy metal. In search of a cleaner, more efficient way to heat and cool everything from homes to electric vehicles, researchers in Germany have developed a system that doesn't rely on refrigerants, compressors, or combustion – just the precise stretching of shape-shifting metal wires that can swing temperatures by more than 30 degrees. Most modern heating and cooling systems rely on the same basic p...
Researchers develop groundbreaking cathode material that resolves sulfur's key failings. A research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a cathode for lithium-sulfur battery technology that mitigates three major limitations: poor conductivity, rapid capacity loss, and instability during charge cycles. By incorporating a highly porous, sponge-like metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived structure – built from metal atoms connected by organic molecules – the new...
Non-binding letter outlines potential funding for Ontario facility. As part of a continued push to advance domestic critical minerals supply, the Government of Canada has issued a letter of intent outlining $20 million in proposed funding to support Electra Battery Materials' cobalt sulfate refinery in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario. "We are grateful to be working with the Government of Canada," said Electra Battery Materials CEO Trent Mell. "Today's announcement underscores...
Rare Element Resources receives $553 million loan offer from EXIM for Bear Lodge. As part of ongoing U.S. efforts to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) has invited Rare Element Resources Ltd. to apply for a $553 million loan to finalize permitting, engineering, and construction of its Bear Lodge Critical Minerals Project in northeastern Wyoming. "We appreciate this EXIM expression of interest and view it as further...
Enormous investment will expand company's U.S. automaking, steel, and EV supply chains. Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest a massive $21 billion over the next three years to expand its automotive and technology manufacturing capacity in the United States, which will include multi-billion-dollar investments into localizing steelmaking and electric vehicle supply chains. To put this in perspective, the funds allocated to U.S. growth between now and 2028 are roughly equivalent...
Leading company to scale sustainable direct lithium extraction tech. Summit Nanotech has raised $25.5 million to accelerate commercialization of its lithium extraction technology, advancing a solution poised to cut costs amid a volatile global market for the critical battery metal. Founded in 2018 and based in Calgary, Alberta, Summit Nanotech specializes in direct lithium extraction (DLE) for the mining industry. The latest funding round was backed by Evok Innovations, BDC...
Toyota's fluoride-ion batteries power up with copper nitride cathodes. All-solid-state fluoride-ion batteries (FIBs) have attracted interest as candidates for next-generation energy storage for electric vehicles and other applications; however, cathodes with sufficiently high energy density have been lacking. Researchers, in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corp., have unveiled a new cathode material for the company's FIBs, reportedly boosting the capacity per volume to about...
Executive order could result in tariffs, permitting reform, or an elusive critical minerals designation for copper. On his first full day as Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnik received a directive from President Donald Trump to investigate the national security risks of America's reliance on copper imports. This investigation, mandated by a Feb. 25 executive order, could result in tariffs, permitting reforms, or even the addition of copper to the U.S. critical minerals...
Global company to collaborate on innovations that improve efficiency and lower carbon emissions. Toward the goal of shrinking the operating costs and carbon footprint at its global operations, Brazil-based mining giant Vale has signed a new, five-year global framework agreement with Caterpillar Inc. “The framework agreement represents an evolution in our relationship with Caterpillar, amplifying our focus on maximizing the performance of Vale’s assets and allowing us to adv...
