Dear all,
What a month...
Lots of news as usual in the field of critical materials: Northvolt is fast on positioning its EV batteries recycling capability, MHI invests in US Monolith Materials to support Hydrogen production from renewables, rare earth miner MP Materials announces super 1st results post listing in New York, China highlights a dual circulation development pattern to secure supply of raw materials for its steel industry... and COVID 19 is seen as an opportunity for African economies to compete on all fronts starting with energy and mining..
Further on the scientific front with a variety of innovations such as combining hydrogel liquid and glass panels to create energy saving « smart windows » (NTU Singapore), adding potassium salt to conventional battery electrolyte to prevent dentrite growth on lithium metal batteries (Columbia), using lead free perovskite inspired materials to transform indoor lighting into useful source of energy for powering our electronic devices (Imperial College), removing copper from waste water with atomic precision (Berkeley), developing new super conducting material thanks to plasma generated electric fields (Queensland), improving magnesium based EV batteries (Houston Uni and Toyota R&D US) .... or progressing on the road towards making a commercial quantum computer (with no clear winner today...)
On the sustainability front, we picked 3 examples: the launch of Shisheido global initiative « Sustainable Beauty Actions, the strengthening of the « Cobalt for Development » initiative with Volkswagen now joining after BMW, BASF, Google and Samsung and the launch of bio based nylon by the Italian-Californian alliance of Aquafil and Genomatica.
Finally 16 of our great Start Up Alumni are also in the news this month with nominations or awards (Brimstone Energy - USA, CompPair - Switzerland, Imagine Intelligent Materials - Australia, Momentum Technologies - USA), fundings (Cypris Materials - USA), new product launches (Carbios - France, FredSense - Canada, Nawa Technologies - France, UbiQd - USA), key technical trials (Thrupore - USA), new cooperation with major group (BComp - Switzerland, EH Group - Switzerland) or statutory press coverage (Aerosint - Belgium, Mallinda - USA, Safi Organics - Kenya, Woodoo -France).
