The “In Their Own Words” series is a collection of short columns from some of Chicago’s most influential tech leaders. After a tumultuous 2020—with a pandemic, civil unrest and a turbulent economy—Inno wanted to give Chicago's tech community an opportunity to reflect on the highs and lows of the last 12 months and share how they're working smarter and better in the next 12.
Each columnist was asked to answer the question: How are you and your company preparing for 2021?
For more columns like this, scroll to the end of the story.
Over the past year, many companies were able to easily transition their operations from the office to home. But NanoGraf, a materials manufacturer, had to do a good deal of scrambling at the start of the pandemic to avoid catastrophic losses of momentum.
NanoGraf makes a key component for lithium-ion batteries that enables higher energy densities in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. Most of the science and product development requires a physical presence in a specialized laboratory environment, and flexibility to work from home just isn’t a viable option for the long run.
I recognize that we aren’t out of the woods yet, in terms of Covid infections and unexpected shutdowns. So one of my top priorities in 2021 is rethinking how we commercialize technologies in the face of unforeseeable disruptions. Last year, we managed to create protocols to social distance in the lab and office, but our company’s footprint is growing rapidly, and we are rethinking our work space and processes to optimize our success in 2021 and beyond.
The second equally important planning for 2021 is related to the new administration. The Biden administration has made it clear that job creation and climate change will be top priorities in the coming year. At NanoGraf, we are focused on making an impact in both. NanoGraf has developed a technology, which significantly improves the viability of electric vehicles, and our goal is to be positioned in 2021 to be a major driver of electrification in North America.
So while the pandemic and recent civil unrest hasn’t made clean tech commercialization any easier, we are focused on being positioned to make the most of 2021. We, at NanoGraf, are more bullish than ever on what 2021 holds for our company.
