Southeast Shoutouts | Three states join forces to keep the Southeast at the forefront of automotive and battery manufacturing
ConvergeSouth 2025 is set to begin its two-day run on Thursday at Biotech Place in the Innovation Quarter of Winston-Salem, NC.
From Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi:
The three states are joining forces to create a new powerhouse partnership to keep the Southeast at the forefront of automotive and battery manufacturing.
The new partnership brings together the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, and Mississippi State University with the backing of Governors from all three states, as well as Southern Company, Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Mississippi Power.
Last Wednesday, state leaders announced the Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia Network for Evolving Transportation: MAGNET. The new tri-state economic development initiative will be headquartered at The University of Alabama.
According to the announcement, MAGNET organizes the region’s extensive and relevant capabilities and resources into a single, coordinated effort to ensure that the transportation revolution benefits from a well-supported infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a robust innovation pipeline.
From Winston-Salem, NC:
ConvergeSouth 2025 is set to begin its two-day run on Thursday at Biotech Place in the Innovation Quarter of Winston-Salem, NC.
The event is produced by the Flywheel Foundation and is a collaboration of Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) in Central North Carolina. Attendees can expect a dynamic experience with main stage presentations, start-up expos featuring 75 exhibiting companies, and investor keynotes.
To register, click here.
From Columbia, SC:
The InnoVision Awards Board of Directors has announced the finalists for the 2025 InnoVision Awards, a program that recognizes individuals, businesses, and organizations that are driving impactful innovations developed in South Carolina within the past 18 months.
Since its founding in 1999, InnoVision has been the premier recognition program for innovation and technology in the state. The Awards are a mark of distinction for those who exemplify excellence in innovation across industries and regions—spanning from the Upstate to the Lowcountry.
This year’s finalists represent a diverse array of sectors and organizational sizes, reflecting the depth and strength of South Carolina’s innovation economy. Applications were reviewed by an impartial panel of out-of-state judges, and three finalists were selected in each of six competitive categories.
The 2025 InnoVision Awards celebration will be held at the Palmetto Club in Columbia on November 13.
To see the 18 finalists, click here.
From Boca Raton, FL:
The South Florida Business Journal reports that three start-ups have joined the Global Ventures program at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in a move to take their businesses to the next level.
Global Ventures is an incubator program for second-stage tech firms at the Boca Raton-based campus. It supports dozens of start-ups by offering flexible workspaces, access to university resources, connections to investment opportunities, and guidance to help them grow their operations in the U.S.
The new Global Ventures members are:
- Standard Space Antennas, a company originally from Argentina that creates high-performance antennas for satellites and space missions;
- Inaam Botanical Sodas, the maker of a no-calorie, stevia-sweetened soda that is reportedly sourced from eco-friendly ingredients; and
- Milagro AI, an autonomous coding company for the medical industry that specializes in complex surgical coding.
So far, eight new businesses have joined the Research Park this year, bringing it to 83 percent capacity.
From Research Triangle Park, NC:
The Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) has announced the participants in its next GRO10 cohort. The program launched a couple of weeks ago and runs for 12 weeks. It is designed to empower early-stage tech and life sciences founders with the tools, mentorship, and community they need to grow and scale their businesses.
Through personalized coaching, targeted workshops, and access to industry experts, GRO equips entrepreneurs to tackle key challenges, refine their strategies, and accelerate their path to success. Participants in the latest cohort of the GRO accelerator are:
- thredFORM | Founded by Stacy Shannon;
- Squadies | Founded by Ryan B.;
- BearBull | Founded by Cameron Joyner;
- lntellicair | Founded by Samuel Ferrel;
- Flash Path | Founded by Sara Selitsky; and
- Home Dock | Co-Founded by Andrew Katz and Joseph Yelle.
From Mebane, NC:
Contract Pharma reports that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has opened its manufacturing center of excellence facility in Mebane, NC. The new 375,000-square-foot site is capable of producing at least 40 million laboratory pipette tips per week, helping to ensure that medicines and therapies continue to be developed and produced in the U.S. for decades to come.
“As a global leader in life sciences manufacturing, we’re proud to serve as a growth engine for the American economy and provide our customers with a strong and agile supply chain that enables them to advance human health,” said Erica Hirsch, President of Laboratory Chemicals. “The opening of our Mebane site is a testament to our larger strategy to strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and support continued innovation and expanded growth in North Carolina, building on the strong foundation we’ve already established in this state.”
The new Mebane site has already hired 40 people and is expected to add 50 jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and business operations. Thermo Fisher currently employs approximately 7,800 colleagues across 13 sites in NC.
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