By Milda Saenz, VP of Growth Strategy
The other day I was driving down Austin’s South Congress Ave. I was stopped at a red light and watched a guy on a scooter cross in front of me. Austin was one of the early adopters and remains one of the biggest scooter markets. So why am I mentioning this generally unnoteworthy event? Because what I saw next to that scooter, made me sit up and go, ‘Huh!’ It looked strange; a windowless, bubble-shaped electric 4-wheeled vehicle, and it was moving on its own over the zebra crossing. Turns out I was witnessing one of the early deployments of an autonomous food delivery vehicle. The scooter rider was making sure it was on course.
That’s what I love about Austin. Not only is it the Live Music Capital of the world, the home of the Longhorns, ACL, SXSW, and a foodie’s paradise, the city likes to “keep things weird” at the same time that it’s climbing the rankings as one of the best tech and innovation hubs in the world. Austin is also the capital of Texas, a state with a history of tech innovation. Right now, Texas is home to several technologies that epitomize our future and EnergyX’s role in it.
Let’s review my top 3.
Technology and Innovation:
You already know that EnergyX is a top innovator in the lithium supply chain. Not only have we created a disruptive technology that is a faster, less costly, and more environmentally sustainable way to extract lithium, but our work also produces 3X more lithium in a form that is ready-for-lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries, as you know, got their start in Austin. The tech industry long has been a major driver of growth in the entire state, with Dallas-Fort Worth emerging alongside Austin as a prominent tech hub. Austin earned the nickname “Silicon Hills” long before the current tech boom. Austin in particular and Texas on the whole are where a lot of tech businesses, including software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing, call home.
The Texas Economic Development board touts “more than 940,000 workers are employed in manufacturing roles across specialized areas including automotive, semiconductors and electronics, chemicals and more…From 3M to GM Companies choose Texas for its high-value cost of business and access to domestic and global markets.” Texas advanced manufacturing is faring particularly well in the aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors, which are also booming here.
Just like lithium-ion batteries, 3-D printing was innovated in Texas. Companies like ICON are printing whole communities in the state and others like Stratasys are printing automotive parts.
Speaking of automotive, Texas is also emerging as a significant player in the autonomous trucking industry. That makes sense, right? The state has the third-highest number of businesses in the Long-Distance Freight Trucking industry thanks to its business-friendly vibe and low number of regulations. It is centrally located and has a vast network of roads, including IH-35 which cuts from Laredo to Northern Minnesota through diverse climates and geographies.
Healthcare and Life Sciences:
Technology and innovation bleed right into Texas’s healthcare and life sciences industry. The state is home to renowned medical institutions and research centers, such as UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Medical Center (TMC), and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The biotech and life sciences industry in Texas has been steadily growing, with research institutions, universities, and biotech companies driving innovation in this sector. Texas’s biotech industry is involved in cutting-edge research and development in areas such as gene editing, regenerative medicine, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
These medical innovators also include those across Texas that have implemented renewable sources to generate electricity or adopted energy-efficient tech and sustainable building designs to further optimize their energy usage and decrease their environmental impact.
That brings me to what I believe is the most important innovation source in Texas.
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Solutions:
Texas is a leader in renewable energy production. The state ranks first in the United States in wind energy capacity and has been rapidly expanding its solar energy installations. Texas’s abundant natural resources including critical minerals such as lithium, rare earth elements, and uranium critical to our electric future, and skilled workforce made it a no-brainer for EnergyX to locate here.
Austin is where we’ve launched a state-of-the-art R&D facility at which EnergyX teams have developed game-changing Direct Lithium Extraction technologies and revolutionary lithium battery advancements.
Our innovations are not just about pushing the boundaries of technology; EnergyX is leading the way in responsible practices and sustainable innovation. We believe sustainability is a corporate duty. Our innovations, from reducing the energy industry’s carbon footprint to championing reuse rather than waste, are designed to safeguard the planet for generations to come. We have committed to a sustainable global impact that isn’t just good for us and the energy and EV industries, but for the people where we operate.
True innovation transcends borders and EnergyX’s impact is already being felt on a global scale. Our work is transforming lives, empowering communities, and driving societal progress. Our commitment remains to contribute to a better world, solving real challenges faced by people worldwide.
I love my work at EnergyX, where we are accelerating the transition to cleaner, sustainable sources of energy.
Stay tuned for big news from us in the coming months.