On the podcast today, the winner of two silver Edison Awards: The Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, known as NAMI, in Hong Kong.

NAMI has a long streak of innovation when it comes to advancements in nanotechnology. That continues this year with two more smart products: a new kind of bollard that keeps vehicles from hitting pedestrians and bandages that help prevent sports injuries.

Jenny Yiu, NAMI's Chief Operating Officer, is here to share what's happening at the nano level to create these big ideas.

Imagine a world where we can eliminate methane gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures across the globe... We can do that using a generator that works 24/7. And it's all based on a concept developed 200 years ago...the Stirling Engine.

Qnergy's innovation, the PowerGen CAP3Nano system eliminates methane emissions from off-grid natural gas wellpads. The engine is designed to capture raw, unprocessed methane that would otherwise be vented or flared and convert it into useful electricity and heat. The manufacturing results in a product that requires no scheduled maintenance for up to 8 years even in the harshest, most remote environments.

Qnergy CEO Ory Zik is with us today to talk about the impact.

Put yourself into the operating room... Look up. Would you expect to see smoke? That's right -- smoke, created during laparoscopic surgery. It clouds the surgeon's vision as they do their work through a camera and creates repeat exposure for everyone in the room, like nurses.

That's why Northgate Technologies developed a smoke removal system for laparoscopic surgeries: the Nebulae SRS.

Northgate Vice President and General Manager David McDonough joins us to explain how the Nebulae SRS solves several issues: removing smoke and reducing CO2 gas usage - lessening surgical time for patients and improving a hospital's carbon footprint.

We hear about 5G all the time. 5G networks carry an incredible amount of data. Think about this communications network that keeps us connected...our personal phone calls, companies doing business, the banking system...it's critical infrastructure that relies on technology...that has to be secure.

There's a shift happening now as network providers push for more flexibility...it's called ORAN, open radio access network. ORAN enables service providers to mix and match equipment from different vendors. But, there's a growing security threat in this open environment. That's why Lattice Semiconductor created a software tool called the Lattice ORAN Solution Stack.

This ready-to-use software protects communication between board components through encryption and authentication across channels; effectively "securing the wire" in the inherently open ORAN functionality.

Chief strategy and marketing officer for Lattice Semiconductor, Esam Elashmawi joins us on Inspiring Minds. He's going to help us understand how this innovation creates not only improved security, but also the long-term impact of reliability and power efficiency throughout the telecommunications market.

On the podcast today we’re talking smart glasses with OPPO Air Glass. Think about pulling out your phone or checking your smart watch for updates - this device puts the information right in front of your eye. Chris Vick is here to talk about the future of wearables.

Materials supplier SABIC collaborated with its value chain partners to create an industry-first EV battery cover with plastic that can contain heat and fire, addressing a key industry challenge. This solution delivers enhanced fire protection for a pHEV battery pack cover and meets China’s fire safety requirements, among the world's most stringent.

Plastic in our world's oceans - studies estimate 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. And by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh fish in the sea. Addressing this is a key factor in sustainability. Companies like Microsoft are taking action. They put the challenge of harvesting ocean plastic and creating useful recycled material that can be used in new products to SABIC, one of the world's largest petrochemical manufacturers. Listen in to learn how SABIC met that challenge and brought home a 2022 Edison Award. 

SymphonyAI Sensa outperforms conventional monitoring systems in the detection of financial crime. Using the most-advanced combination of AI and machine learning, Sensa provides enhanced discovery of unknown risks, a drastic reduction in false positives, plus predictive insights using the customer’s current data set.

Listen in to learn how Bluestone Analytics, a CACI Company is providing safe access to critical information on the dark web. By shining light on potential threats of terrorism, ISIS and even the 2022 supermarket shooting in Buffalo, NY, law enforcement can have time to react and potentially offer quicker assistance. 

What do winter jackets, smart screens and moisturizing face masks have in common? Innovations to create these three products all earned 2022 Edison Awards. And they all came from the same organization, NAMI, The Nano and Advanced Materials Institute. Learn more about these innovations in the latest Inspiring Minds Podcast.