Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E)

In an effort to help “build the tools and talent to shape a more productive and sustainable future for manufacturing,” MIT has launched the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), reports Nathan Owens for Manufacturing Dive. Owens explains that to help accelerate technology adoption and manufacturing productivity, the INM has "mapped out a series of education and industry partnership programs, including plans to establish new labs and a 'factory observation' effort that allows students to visit production sites.”

MIT spinoff Commonwealth Fusion System has made its first direct corporate power purchase agreement with Google, reports Timothy Gardner for Reuters. Google plans to buy 200 megawatts of fusion power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ first grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

In a new paper, Prof. Giovanni Traverso and his colleagues highlight the results of a clinical trial that showed “a pill taken just once a week, gradually releasing medicine from within the stomach, can greatly simplify the drug schedule faced by schizophrenia patients,” writes Dennis Thompson for HealthDay News. “These final-stage clinical trial results are the product of more than 10 years of research by Traverso’s lab.” 

Katie Rae, Engine CEO and managing partner, Smyon Dukach SM '92 and Brian Halligan MBA '05 have been named to the 2025 Boston Globe list of Tech Power Players in the venture capital sector, reports Aaron Pressman for The Boston Globe. 

Georgina Campbell Flatter SM '11, Carmichael Roberts MBA '00 and Elise Strobach SM '17, PhD '20 are among the 2025 Boston Globe Tech Power Players in the sustainability sector, reports Jon Chesto for The Boston Globe. 

Aman Narang '04, Meng '06, co-founder of Toast, has been named one of the 2025 Boston Globe Tech Power Players for his work in the software and cloud sector, reports Aiden Ryan for The Boston Globe. 

Prof. Dirk Englund, co-founder of QuEra, has been named one of the 2025 Boston Globe Tech Power Players for his work focused on quantum computing sector, reports Aaron Pressman for The Boston Globe. Pressman notes that at QuEra, “researchers are working to advance quantum computing from the theoretical to the practical.”

Sloan lecturer Mikey Shulman, Colin Angle '89, SM '90, Tye Brady SM '99, Laira Major SM '05, Dharmesh Shah SM '06 have been named to the 2025 Boston Globe Tech Power Players list for their work in the applied AI sector, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. 

Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang, Shreya Dave '09, SM ’12, PhD '16, Bob Mumgaard SM '15, PhD '15 and Sloan alumna Emily Reichert have been named to the 2025 Boston Globe Tech Power Players list for their efforts in the energy sector, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. Chiang emphasizes the importance of federal funding in advancing scientific research. “My entire career has been supported by US taxpayers,” Chiang says. “The ability to give back and develop technologies and create jobs, that’s a big motivator for me.”

Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, and research affiliate Ramin Hasani have been named to The Boston Globe’s 2025 list of Tech Power Players working in the foundational AI sector, reports Aaron Pressman for The Boston Globe. Rus and Hasani are co-founders of Liquid AI, a startup that has developed “an AI technique with fewer software ‘neurons’ than large language models of OpenAI and others,” explains Pressman. This means “Liquid AI requires less computing power (and electricity.)” 

Writing for The Boston Globe, Prof. David Mindell spotlights how “a new wave of industrial companies, many in New England, are leveraging new technologies to create jobs, empower workers, and address climate change.” Mindell notes that “young Americans — new industrialists — are devoting themselves to making things for the common good.” He adds: "The country needs this generation of builders who are excited about working with their hands, about the satisfactions of building the world, and who see that work as building our communities.”

Forbes reporter Michael Nietzel spotlights MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), “an institution-wide effort intended to promote and advance the future of U.S. manufacturing.” Nietzel notes that the INM is part of an effort to “rethink how MIT could help shape the future of manufacturing through workforce training, advanced technologies, and industry collaborations. It will focus on enhancing the future manufacturing capacity and sophistication of several major industries.”

Boston Business Journal reporter Eli Chavez spotlights Sublime Systems, an MIT startup “focused on low-carbon cement production.” “Sublime’s mission is to have a swift and massive impact measured in the amount of cement we produce and sell,” says CEO Leah Ellis, a former MIT postdoc. “We are super-focused on increasing our cement production.” 

Prof. Pattie Maes speaks with Financial Times reporter Cristina Criddle about recent developments aimed at increasing AI memory retention. “The more a system knows about you, the more it can be used for negative purposes to either make you buy stuff or convince you of particular beliefs,” says Maes. “So you have to start thinking about the underlying incentives of the companies that offer these services.” 

Tech Crunch reporter Tim De Chant spotlights Fieldstone Bio, an MIT startup that turns microbes into sensors to support agricultural and national security efforts. “Each strain is tailored to sense a particular compound, such as nitrogen on a farm field or TNT residue from a landmine,” explains De Chant. “After the microbes have some time to sense their environment — several hours to days, depending on the target — the company will have another drone snap photos of the area.”