Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From George Mason University:

George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing has announced the opening of the Energy Exploration (E2) Center in partnership with NuScale Power Corporation at Fuse at Mason Square.  

The E2 Center, the largest of its kind in the United States, engages students in hands-on nuclear science and engineering educational activities. The center was funded by a grant from the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank, powered by the Virginia Department of Energy, a strategic investment in Virginia’s nuclear energy workforce development. 

NuScale E2 Centers, including the one at George Mason, feature a state-of-the-art simulator that replicates a NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) control room. Students at George Mason will have the unique opportunity to assume the role of a control room operator, engaging with real-life scenarios that bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application. 

In addition to the E2 Center at George Mason, NuScale has centers at Idaho State University, The Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Texas A&M, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, South Carolina State University, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, and Seoul National University.

From the University of Chicago:

Judges and additional investors awarded $2.267 million to the 10 finalist teams at the 29^th annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC). This year’s winner, Rayni, was awarded the Rattan L. Khosa First-Place Prize and a total investment of $835,000.

Rayni is a business-to-business Software-as-a-Service company. Its artificial intelligence-powered platform helps scientists get instant, reliable guidance for operating complex lab instruments, reducing time spent on trials, wasted precious samples, and emotional frustration.

“It was an extremely competitive year. We had seven teams that we considered for first place during the deliberations. We ended up choosing Rayni, but it was the deepest set of teams we’ve had to date. They were all great,” said Steven Kaplan, Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Learn more about the 10 companies here.

From the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

Flex, an Austin, TX-based company. has joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) new Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), a bold, Institute-wide effort to reimagine industrial production, drive innovation through advanced technologies, and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

The MIT INM program focuses on four core pillars:

1. Reimagining manufacturing technologies and systems.
2. Elevating productivity and the human experience of manufacturing.
3. Scaling new ventures and resilient supply chains.
4. Transforming the global manufacturing base with a focus on sustainability and economic opportunity.

INM will also establish new labs to develop advanced manufacturing tools and techniques. Through an MIT “factory observatory” program, students will gain hands-on experience by visiting Flex production sites. Separately, Flex will be hosting MIT faculty, researchers and Masters of Engineering students at its Sorocaba, Brazil, site, where they will have the opportunity to work with FIT (Flex Institute of Technology), a nonprofit research and development institute focused on developing technological solutions for electronics manufacturing and related end products.

From Wichita State University:

Composites World reports that Wichita State University (WSU) and longtime Innovation Campus partner Dassault Systèmes have celebrated the grand opening of the Manufacturing Innovation Center, an advanced research and design facility located on WSU’s Innovation Campus.

Developed in partnership with WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), the center is designed to help aviation companies of all sizes improve resilience and efficiency using virtual twin technology and 3D design solutions. The Manufacturing Innovation Center is an R&D facility available to private-sector project teams that want hands-on proof of what the virtual world can do for their design processes, supply chains, and manufacturing facilities.

Located alongside a growing network of industry-driven labs and offices on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus, the Manufacturing Innovation Center strengthens the university’s role as a global hub for applied research and innovation in aerospace and advanced manufacturing. The facility includes:

1. eXtended Reality (XR) Lab: Experience immersive, full-scale simulation in a flexible virtual reality cave.
2. Automation Research Center: Explore advanced robotic systems and intelligent automation at scale, demonstrating real-world manufacturing integration.
3. Reverse Engineering Lab: Agile part recreation and inspection workflows.
4. Additive Manufacturing Lab: Scalable 3D printing for functional prototyping and production.

From the University of Kansas:

The University of Kansas (KU) School of Business received a $10 million gift commitment from an anonymous donor that ensures the construction of a new entrepreneurship hub building that benefits the greater KU community by teaching students to solve problems in meaningful ways. The dynamic, purpose-driven facility will foster entrepreneurship and innovation and serve all KU students, regardless of their field of study. It will be built at 1420 Crescent Road, formerly the site of McLain’s Bakery and, previously, Jayhawk Bookstore.

The gift supplements the donor’s 2023 lead gift of $50 million to transform business education and research at the school, for a total gift of $60 million. The gift is the largest in KU School of Business’ history and provides funds to advance key initiatives supporting undergraduate student success — not just the entrepreneurship program but also career-focused opportunities within the school’s Business Professional Development Program, study abroad programming, and academic enrichment.

The donor, a longtime KU supporter who is deeply invested in the success of the university, believes in the power of entrepreneurship to create effective ways to solve problems and improve lives.

From the Georgia Institute of Technology:

The Army Research Office has awarded Georgia Tech and its partners $20 million to develop scalable, efficient methods for transforming aluminum into hydrogen energy. The project could lead to a new, low-cost, clean, and efficient energy source powered by discarded materials.

Aaron Stebner, Professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and also a Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, will oversee the multi-year effort at Georgia Tech together with Scott McWhorter, lead for Federal Initiatives at the Strategic Energy Institute.

In addition to several team members from Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the project includes researchers from Fort Valley State University, the 21st Century Partnership, MatSys, and Drexel University.

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