The High Technology Foundation has been awarded $848,800 by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) on October 26, 2024, to fund a statewide collaborative entrepreneurial assistance program in West Virginia. This project will be matched with $212,200 in local funds, bringing the total investment to over $1 million. The initiative aims to support technology sector entrepreneurs and small businesses through partnerships with organizations such as TechConnect WV, Chemical Alliance Zone, Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center, and U.S. Research Impact Alliance. Additionally, it will create the West Virginia Investor Collaborative to connect investors with technology-based businesses. Jim Estep, President and CEO of the High Technology Foundation, expressed excitement about enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, noting that this grant is part of the EDA’s Assistance to Coal Communities initiative, which aims to support economic diversification in coal-impacted areas. [59b2894c]
In a related development, West Virginia University (WVU) engineers have received $15.8 million in federal grants to research and develop technology that will help reduce the cost of clean hydrogen production. The grants are part of the funds authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for research that advances the goal of cutting the cost of clean hydrogen production to $1 per kilogram. The projects at WVU focus on improving the manufacture or design of a technology called the 'solid oxide electrolysis cell' (SOEC), which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. The grants were awarded to Edward Sabolsky, Xingbo Liu, and Wenyuan Li, who are professors at WVU. Sabolsky received $9.3 million to design a furnace for SOEC manufacturing that uses microwave energy for heat. Liu's research group received $4.5 million to develop a 'proton-conducting' SOEC, and Li received $2 million to study better ways to manufacture SOECs using a process called 'ultrafast high-temperature sintering.' The goal of the research is to develop SOEC systems that can produce hydrogen for industries currently using fossil energy sources. The researchers aim to replace traditional hydrogen generation technology with electrolysis, which produces hydrogen with up to 100% efficiency and can run on waste heat from adjacent industrial processes. The researchers at WVU are each taking their own approach to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of SOEC technology. The ultimate goal is to support the transition to a hydrogen economy and reduce carbon emissions. [1611fc7b]
Furthermore, Yehuda Kaploun from North Miami Beach and [name] of Key West have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in innovating water-to-air technology. They have designed and built atmospheric water generators that can make safe, cold, potable water from the condensation of humidity. This technology aims to address the drinking water crisis around the world and reduce the impact of forced migration caused by water scarcity. The World Health Organization has called for decentralized production and distribution of drinking water, electricity, and food, and the water-to-air technology aligns with this goal. The entrepreneurs are humbled by the nomination and are committed to finding solutions for the global water crisis. [e746b2a3]