LISTEN: NCInnovation’s Michelle Bolas Talks Advancing North Carolina’s Economy Through University Research on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast
NCInnovation is Bridging the Gap Between University Research and Economic Impact
CHARLOTTE, NC – Michelle Bolas, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of NCInnovation, recently joined The Charlotte Ledger Podcast to discuss how NCInnovation is bridging the gap between groundbreaking university research and real-world impact, strengthening North Carolina’s economy in the process.
Bolas underscored NCInnovation’s pivotal role in addressing the “valley of death”—the critical phase where research has reached proof-of-concept but still requires significant development and scaling to become market-ready. She pointed to NCInnovation’s support of a groundbreaking lithium purification project at UNC Greensboro, which has the potential to reshape the domestic supply chain and attract investment from companies already operating in North Carolina.
Currently, lithium mined in the U.S. is sent to China for purification before being returned for use in technologies like electric vehicle batteries. This project could change that dynamic.
“We have a chance with a project that we’re supporting at UNC Greensboro to have the first domestic technology for lithium mining and purification,” Bolas said. “This has been proven out at lab scale, and we are now in the process of seeing if we can replicate that technology at a scale that industry will be able to absorb the technology. So, if we can get from lab scale to manufacturing floor scale, we have a chance to have the first domestic purification of lithium in North Carolina. That’s a big deal.”
Bolas also discussed NCInnovation-backed research at UNC Charlotte to remove PFAS from drinking water and to improve power grid efficiency.
NCInnovation’s support helps promising technologies reach the scale and readiness needed to attract private investment. By providing critical resources during the development and de-risking middle-phase, the organization ensures that innovative projects are better positioned to advance toward commercialization instead of stalling out or seeking funding from a competitor state. And the university benefits from having a more valuable and advanced technology to spinout or license to a ready industry partner.
Listen to Michelle Bolas’ full interview to learn more about NCInnovation’s work.
NCInnovation, Inc. is a Research Triangle Park, NC-based 501(c)(3) public-private partnership designed to accelerate commercialized innovation from North Carolina’s research universities. Backed by more than $25 million in private philanthropic commitments, NCInnovation uses the interest and income from a $500 million State-funded endowment to provide non-dilutive grant funding, mentors, and support services so that North Carolina university proofs-of-concept return value to the regional communities that created them. Learn more at NCInnovation.org.
