Clemson University researchers says a new advanced material created by them and researchers in the Czech Republic could play a key role in helping computers think more like brains and then biodegrade under certain conditions at the end of its lifespan.
The trans-Atlantic research team created the material, a polymer they call pB6CC, and used it to build memristors, which are a type of electronic component, according to a news release.
PB6CC is based on carbazole, a type of organic chemical building block that is used in some electronics. What makes pB6CC unique is that it combines properties favorable for advanced computing with the potential to biodegrade under specific environmental conditions.

Researchers built pB6CC into memristors because such devices could help move computing beyond today’s conventional chips and toward systems that mimic how the brain processes information, the news release stated.

Those systems, known as spiking neural networks, show promise for reducing the energy needed to power artificial intelligence systems.

The memristors act like synapses, changing their response based on the timing and history of signals. In spiking neural networks, this lets the system strengthen or weaken connections over time and process information in short bursts, much like the brain, using less energy than conventional chips.

Stephen Foulger, the Greg-Graniteville Endowed Chair and Professor at Clemson, said the project underscores the often overlooked but increasingly important role that advanced materials play in shaping the future of computing.
“Advanced materials are at the crest of a wave of next-generation AI technologies,” he said in the release. “There are a lot of startups in Silicon Valley that are looking at alternative designs of chips. I’m not talking about just faster and better. I’m talking about completely different methodologies to process information and to encode information, like through spiking neural networks.”

One of the problems with conventional chips is that they contribute to the growing problem of electronic waste and have limited recycling options, Foulger said.

The memristors created from pB6CC could help address that problem. They could biodegrade because pB6CC can be broken down by specific bacteria, Foulger said.
Memristors would also have advantages over conventional chips in manufacturing, Foulger said. While conventional chips are made in complex fabrication plants, memristors could be manufactured much less expensively using printing techniques, he said.

Kyle Brinkman, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson, said the research reflects the university’s leadership in advanced materials.

“This kind of work shows how Clemson is at the forefront of creating materials with real-world application,” he said in the release. “I congratulate Dr. Foulger and his team on this achievement and the impact it could have on future computing technologies.”
Researchers described their work in a paper published in April in the journal Applied Electronic Materials.

The title of the paper is, “Toward a Hardware Spiking Neural Network: Learning and Adaptation with an Environmental Sustainable Polymer Memristor.”
Foulger served as corresponding author.

Co-authors were Yuriy Bandera, Travis Wanless and Igor Luzinov of Clemson’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Olivia Cobb and Michael G. Sehorn of Clemson’s Department of Genetics and Biochemistry; Lubomir Kostal of the Institute of Physiology, Computational Neuroscience Group, Czech Academy of Sciences; Jiří Pfleger of the Otto Wichterle Centre of Polymer Materials and Technologies, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry; and Jarmila Vilčáková of the Department of Physics and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University.

The post Clemson researchers develop biodegradable AI material appeared first on SCBiz.

Gartner surveyed 350 executives at billion-dollar companies already deploying AI agents, automation, and digital twins. Eighty percent cut headcount. Some by as much as 20%. The companies that cut the most showed nearly identical financial returns to the companies that cut the least. In several cases, the ones that cut less performed better.

That finding should make us uncomfortable, because most of us have sat in an all-hands where a CEO said some version of “AI isn’t here to replace you; it’s here to help you.” I’ve heard it dozens of times. I think most leaders believe it when they say it. But 80% of the companies actually deploying AI have already reduced their workforce, and the data say it didn’t improve their returns. Something between the intention and the execution is breaking down.

I’ve spent 15 years studying how organizations treat their people. There’s a pattern I’ve seen over and over: when the pressure to show returns builds, headcount becomes the easiest lever to pull. AI gives that decision a more palatable story. It sounds forward-thinking. It gives the CFO a slide showing headcount reduction as “efficiency gains” and lets leadership frame the cuts as progress. But Gartner’s own analyst drew a line worth paying attention to: workforce reductions create budget room, not return. Those are different things, and most organizations are treating them as the same.

What concerns me more is what happens after the cuts.

Companies are buying Claude subscriptions and dropping AI agents into workflows the way they used to drop Slack into a company and call it a “collaboration strategy.” No training plan. No change management. No real thought about how humans on the team are supposed to integrate a tool that changes the shape of their work overnight. The assumption seems to be that the technology is so good it’ll figure itself out.

It won’t.

Technology adoption has never been a technology problem. It’s a people problem. I’ve watched companies spend millions on engagement platforms and see zero movement because nobody trained the managers to use the data. The same thing is happening with AI right now, at scale. The tool is extraordinary. I use Claude every day, and it makes me faster, sharper, more precise. But I had to learn where it fits and where it doesn’t. I had to build a process around it. That took time, intention, and a willingness to change how I work. Most organizations are skipping that entirely and going straight to headcount reduction.

Gartner found that some companies that moved too fast were forced to rehire employees shortly after letting them go. Klarna cut 700 customer service roles, watched quality decline, and started hiring again. IBM automated large parts of HR and reversed course when the systems couldn’t handle judgment calls. The pattern is consistent enough to take seriously. Organizations are making permanent workforce decisions based on where AI is right now, while the technology is still shifting underneath them.

I think about this in the context of what I see every week in consulting. The companies that get the most out of their engagement data aren’t the ones with the best dashboards. They’re the ones where a manager sits down with a team and says, “Here’s what the numbers say. What do you think?” That conversation, where a person looks another person in the eye and asks a real question, is where change actually happens. AI can inform that moment. It can’t replace it.

The organizations that will get this right are the ones treating AI the way you’d treat any high-performing new hire. You onboard it. You train people to work alongside it. You redesign workflows so humans and the tool are each doing what they do best. You give it a change management plan, because that’s what any significant operational shift requires. The human connection to work still matters here, maybe more than ever, because the companies that lose that connection in the name of efficiency will feel it. Not immediately. But steadily.

The Gartner data is early. AI capabilities are advancing fast, and some of today’s conclusions may look different in two years. But right now, the evidence says cutting people isn’t producing better returns. And the organizations that invested in their people through this period of uncertainty will have something the others won’t: the institutional knowledge, the relationships, and the trust that no tool can rebuild from scratch.

Jaime Raul Zepeda is the executive vice president and principal consultant at Best Companies Group. Connect with him on LinkedIn or email him to learn more about how Best Companies Group can help you build a great workplace: jzepeda@bestcompaniesgroup.com.

The post AI workforce cuts may not improve business returns appeared first on SCBiz.

Airsys took a big step to making Woodruff the coolest spot in the Upstate today with the official opening of its new global headquarters.

The company is bringing a big investment and 215 jobs to a small Spartanburg County town but intends to impact a hot industry around the world.

Airsys is a global player in mission-critical cooling for data centers, AI, and high-performing digital infrastructure.

The site will serve as the company’s global hub for high-efficiency, zero-water cooling technologies supporting the rapid growth of AI and edge infrastructure.

The 60-acre campus, situated in the heart of South Carolina’s “manufacturing alley,” marks a major milestone in thermal management innovation, the company said in a news release. The facility will play a vital role in the company’s manufacturing and engineering operations, significantly expanding domestic production capabilities.

With corporate teams now operating on-site, the campus represents a $60 million investment in the region. Manufacturing at the facility is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

Airsys says the Woodruff campus serves as a strategic cornerstone in addressing the rapid growth of AI infrastructure and global data center demand. By centering the development of high-density thermal management and liquid cooling innovations at this facility, Airsys is positioned to accelerate the delivery of next-generation solutions as digital requirements continue to evolve.

“Today marks a major milestone for Airsys as we establish our global headquarters here in Woodruff, South Carolina,” Yunshui Chen, founder and CEO of Airsys, said in the news release. “This investment reflects our commitment to advancing cooling innovation across the entire spectrum of mission-critical infrastructure. We have built a foundation on this 60-acre site that is designed to support our domestic and international customers and partners, Airsys’ rapidly expanding team, and the local community for decades to come.”

To commemorate the opening, local, state and federal dignitaries attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside key partners in bringing the vision of the new campus to life, including Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce, and Allen Smith, president and CEO of OneSpartanburg Inc. The project team featured Choate Construction Co. as general contractor and LS3P as the architect.

“South Carolina has a long history of manufacturing excellence, and Airsys’ decision to anchor its global headquarters right here in the Upstate is a testament to our state’s world-class workforce and pro-business environment,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in the release. “By choosing to expand their advanced manufacturing expertise and corporate leadership in Woodruff, Airsys is reinforcing our reputation as a global leader in innovation.”

The new facility enables Airsys to scale its diverse cooling portfolio across air, liquid and hybrid technologies, according to the release. From supporting legacy environments to high-density AI workloads, Airsys provides a bridge between current infrastructure and next-generation demands.

Enhancing Power Compute Effectiveness (PCE) is a central focus of the new Airsys campus. PCE is a framework that explains how a data center’s provisioned power is distributed — specifically, how much is structurally available for IT compute after accounting for cooling, electrical losses and auxiliary systems.

By localizing production and engineering in South Carolina, Airsys is positioning operations closer to its North American customers while strengthening control over its global manufacturing processes, the company said in the release, to enhance supply chain resilience and support consistent quality for customers operating critical infrastructure.

“What an incredible day for both Airsys and our community,” Woodruff Mayor Kenneth E. Gist said in the release. “We are beyond excited to officially welcome the Airsys global headquarters into the Woodruff family. They are a world-class company, and we look forward to seeing prosperity and innovation continue to shine on them as they grow right here with us.”

The post Airsys opens global headquarters in Woodruff appeared first on SCBiz.

Four startups are receiving new grant funding from the South Carolina Research Authority and two others are invinted to become new member companies.

Tada AI, CAMA Security, Pathly, and Vet Media Group received new grant funding. Baysys Solutions and Digital Site Box were accepted as members.

SCRA President and CEO Bill Kirkland said welcomed the new members and congratulated the grant recipients.

All SCRA member companies receive coaching and access to SCRA’s member benefits and startup resources, can apply for grant funding, and have the potential to be considered for investment from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc.

Tada AI received a $50,000 acceleration grant. The Rock Hill-based company has developed an intelligent automation platform that uses AI to eliminate manual data entry and streamline payroll, HR, and back-office tasks by extracting and validating information from emails, documents, and spreadsheets.

CAMA Security received a $25,000 startup grant. The Sullivans Island-based company provides advanced cybersecurity solutions that protect embedded systems and IoT devices at the hardware level, using proprietary lightweight cryptographic attestation to detect threats and ensure continuous device integrity in critical infrastructure environments. Their technology helps safeguard industrial operations against cyberattacks, firmware tampering, and environmental disruptions, delivering resilient, scalable security across diverse connected systems.

Pathly received a $25,000 startup grant. The Lancaster-based company has designed an AI-powered student guidance platform that helps high school students explore career paths, discover post-graduation options, and build personalized roadmaps for their future. The platform combines assessments, real-time AI support, and actionable planning tools to help students make informed decisions about college, trades, certifications, and careers.

Vet Media Group received a $25,000 startup grant. The Piedmont-based startup has delivered an educational platform for veterinarians, providing comprehensive video training and an AI-driven veterinary medicine research library. The company partners with state veterinary associations to provide continuing education, training and certifications.

Baysys Solutions was accepted as an SCRA member company. The Charleston-based technology-driven logistics platform focuses on improving communication, visibility and operational efficiency within the trucking and intermodal transportation industry. The company combines logistics expertise with digital tools designed to streamline dispatching, driver communication, and performance tracking.

Digital Site Box was accepted as an SCRA member company. The Greenville-based construction technology company that provides a cloud-based platform designed to modernize job site management and document storage. The company’s software replaces traditional permit boxes with digital tools that improve communication, streamline compliance, and provide real-time access to critical site documents.

Grant funding is made possible, in part, by SCRA’s tax credit program, the Industry Partnership Fund (IPF), and its contributions that fuel the state’s innovation economy, according to a news release.

The post SCRA awards grants to South Carolina startups appeared first on SCBiz.

Among the concerns facing South Carolina attorneys are two letters that are also causing disruption and innovation across the business world — AI.

When asked about trends in the legal sector this year, SC500 attorneys from around the state named artificial intelligence as one of the biggest challenges facing the practice of law at all levels. The concerns range from how and when firms employ artificial intelligence to the many ethical issues that the technology brings with it.

Leading attorneys from around the state also named several other issues facing the profession this year, including a rapidly changing and fluctuating judicial environment and the challenge of keeping attorneys and legal staff up to date and trained in the newest available technology.

A look at some of the issues attorneys are talking about in 2026:

Artificial intelligence. The legal sector, like everyone else in the business world, is dealing with the ongoing advance of artificial intelligence. The technology in some instances can help improve efficiency in legal offices and streamline research, but as it always seems to be with AI, there’s a catch.

“AI tools that may increase efficiency may also raise legal questions around confidentiality, privilege, accuracy and professional responsibility,” said Sheila Abron, an employment and labor attorney with Fisher Phillips in Columbia. “Additionally, the utilization of AI by clients is changing the scope of evidentiary issues, documentation and in many instances, given AI ‘hallucinations,’ can lead to misinformation.”

AI already is affecting the way law firms do business and will continue to do so in the future, according to C. Pierce Campbell, CEO and attorney at the Turner Padget firm in Florence.

“Attorneys must determine how to use AI ethnically and appropriately, what AI tools are best suited for the practice of law, and how to use AI to bring additional value to their representation of clients,” Campbell said. “This rapidly changing environment is affecting how we practice law, how we operate our firms and the expectations of our clients.”

The one thing law firms of any size can’t do is ignore AI, according to James Buxton, founding partner and business law attorney at Buxton & Collie of Mount Pleasant.

“Attorneys face a choice: ignore the technology shift at your own peril or go all-in on retraining your skill set,” Buxton said. “My firm’s employees are required to get baseline certification in AI skills throughout our technology stack. We would rather they be overtrained and be able to critique the tools than to simply have the technology happen to them.”

Cybersecurity

Keeping information systems secure in a world of rapidly changing technology and ongoing cybersecurity threats is also something law firms will increasingly have to focus on in 2026.

“With expanding privacy laws and increasing cyber threats, organizations are navigating a patchwork of regulations while trying to protect sensitive data,” said Abron of Fisher Phillips. “Legal teams are playing a central role in incident response planning and risk mitigation.”

Technology companies and the law

South Carolina’s economy is growing as a whole, and technology firms are taking an ever larger role. Douglas Kim, an intellectual property attorney with Kim, Lahey and Killough in Greenville said this will require these firms to increasingly learn about and negotiate the different legal issues integral to the technology sector.

“More companies in this state are developing technology — software platforms, advanced manufacturing processes, etc. — that has fundamentally changed the type of legal counsel they need,” Kim said. “These companies need industry-specific contracts, subscriptions, licensing, vendor, development, sales, terms and conditions that are specific to their business.”

While technology companies need to learn about their specific legal needs, law firms will also increasingly need to learn about the tech sector if they want to gain these companies as clients.

“Technology companies expect their lawyers to speak their language,” Kim said. “They want practical guidance that reflects real-world development cycles — not abstract legal theory. That expectation is reshaping legal services and how lawyers interact with their clients. … Looking forward, I believe the firms that succeed in South Carolina will be those that combine strong technical and business understanding with genuine technical fluency and strategic judgment.”

Regulatory issues and compliance. The federal regulatory and judicial landscapes are both in flux, Abron said, a phenomenon that is creating consistent uncertainty in areas like employment law, environmental regulation and civil rights enforcements.

“These changes can swiftly impact compliance obligations,” Abron said.

There is also a growing emphasis nationwide on workplace investigations and compliance, particularly in areas tied to harassment, discrimination and Title IX, she said.

“Institutions and employers are under pressure to demonstrate not just compliance, but fairness, transparency and consistency,” Abron said. “This has elevated the importance of well-trained investigators and strong collaboration between legal, HR and compliance teams.”

Mergers and acquisitions. Buxton expects merger and acquisitions activity across the legal sector that picked up in 2025 to continue to increase in 2026.

“There is still a lot of capital in action in private equity, and the passage of recent new tax law has been a structural accelerant for deal activity because it provides tax planning certainty for acquirors, particularly for leveraged buy-out or asset-heavy acquisitions,” Buxton said. “High interest rates are still a headwind, but there should be good reason to believe deal activity should be robust for the near- and mid-term.”

The post South Carolina attorneys face AI and cybersecurity shifts appeared first on SCBiz.

The Medical University of South Carolina has entered a partnership with Revival Healthcare Capital, an investment firm focused on medical devices.

The partnership is intended to accelerate evaluation, development and clinic advancement of medical technologies. A news release said the organizations have a five-year agreement with a plan to quickly begin project-specific initiatives.

“This collaboration reflects MUSC’s commitment to advancing innovation that improves patient care and health outcomes,” Dr. David Cole, president of MUSC, said in the release. “By working closely with Revival Healthcare Capital, our clinicians and researchers can help evaluate and inform the development of promising medical technologies, strengthening the pathway from clinical insight to real world impact.”

Clinicians and experts at MUSC will be invited to provide clinical and procedural insights to evaluate the technology with Revival’s investment plan. Additionally, some MUSC leaders will be advisers to the investment firm’s portfolio companies, according to the release.

The partnership put MUSC-originated devices on a quicker pathway to evaluation, with investment to support later clinical development.

“We are pleased to partner with MUSC to create a repeatable, high-velocity collaboration model that supports our investment strategy and our portfolio companies,” Todd Pope, senior partner at Revival Healthcare Capital, said in the release. “By combining Revival’s flexible capital model and operational capabilities with MUSC’s strong collaboration across patient care, research and education, we believe this partnership can advance technologies that address unmet patient needs.”

The post MUSC partners with Revival Healthcare Capital appeared first on SCBiz.

A German industrial automation company is establishing U.S. headquarters in Greenville.

Idealworks says it will use its Upstate base to expand its footprint across North America.

The Greenville Area Development Corp. said in a news release that Idealworks was founded in 2020 but has roots in robotics development that started in 2015. The move accelerates Idealworks’ existing U.S. business and establishes a permanent local presence, the release stated.

Idealworks was attracted to the region due to Greenville County’s longstanding manufacturing industry, particularly the established automotive cluster with existing customers such as BMW Manufacturing. The company also supports customers across manufacturing and logistics industries, where coordinated robotic fleets are critical to operational efficiency in highly complex production environments, according to the release.

“We selected Greenville County and the city of Greenville for our new U.S. headquarters primarily because they sit in the heart of the Southeast’s manufacturing corridor, providing us proximity to existing customers and leading automotive OEMs, tier-one suppliers, and industrial operators,” Idealworks CEO Michael Schneider said in the release. “The existing international community, business infrastructure and support, and quality of life also solidified our decision to establish our presence here.”

Founded as a BMW Group subsidiary, the company helps businesses optimize and automate workflows across warehouses, production facilities and logistics operations.

“Companies like Idealworks don’t choose Greenville County by accident,” Max Stewart, president and CEO of the GADC, said in the release. “This project is a result of cultivating international relationships, our established industrial ecosystem, and supportive community partners. Idealworks is a perfect fit for Greenville County as they align with our broader goal of recruiting companies in the professional and technical services industry. The establishment of their U.S. headquarters validates Greenville County’s ability to support tech companies that serve industrial markets.”

At the core of its offering is the Idealworks Orchestration System (Idealworks OS), the control layer that integrates simulation technology and connects heterogeneous robots for different applications, peripheral devices and IT systems through a single operational logic, the company says.

“We say Upstate South Carolina is where manufacturing and technology intersect, and Idealworks is a great example,” John Lummus, president and CEO of Upstate SC Alliance, said in the release. “Their selection of Greenville County validates our strong business location, and their automation solutions can boost productivity for our region’s manufacturing ecosystem.”

The post German company opens US headquarters in Greenville appeared first on SCBiz.

The South Carolina Research Authority has some new members. Clutch Intelligence, PostPixel, AmICompliant, Memberworks, Pathly, PSF R&D Labs and Vismerch were accepted as SCRA member companies.

All SCRA member companies receive coaching and access to SCRA’s member benefits and startup resources, can apply for grant funding and have the potential to be considered for investment from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc.

SCRA announced these new members April 14:

Clutch Intelligence also received a $25,000 startup grant. The West Columbia-based startup is an AI-powered voice control platform designed for gamers and streamers, enabling hands-free management of games, applications, streaming tools and system functions through natural language commands. It integrates with tools like OBS, Discord and Spotify to reduce disruptions, enhance immersion and transform the PC into a fully interactive, AI-driven environment.

New member PostPixel also received a cash award — a $15,000 micro grant. The Lexington-based AI-powered marketing automation platform is designed specifically for home service businesses, enabling users to generate, schedule and manage digital marketing from a single dashboard. By automating content creation, branding and lead generation, the platform helps businesses maintain a consistent online presence, save time and drive growth without the need for dedicated marketing resources.

AmICompliant is a Greenville-based startup designed to empower health care professionals to effortlessly manage, track and enhance their professional and regulatory standing within a secure and unified platform. The platform aids health care organizations and staffing agencies to quickly verify compliance and onboard new staff members in days as opposed to weeks and months.

Memberworks, based in Daniel Island, has developed an all-in-one membership management platform designed for complex nonprofits and community organizations, helping them manage members, programs, payments and communications in a single system. The platform focuses on enhancing engagement and operational efficiency through customizable tools, data insights and seamless user experiences for both staff and members.

New member company Pathly is a Lancaster-based company that has designed an AI-powered student guidance platform that helps high school students explore career paths, discover post-graduation options and build personalized roadmaps for their future. The platform combines assessments, real-time AI support and actionable planning tools to help students make informed decisions about college, trades, certifications and careers.

PSF R&D Labs is a Mount Pleasant-based company that develops spray foam system solutions designed to be fully compatible with a wide range of SPF rig equipment, regardless of make or model. Built by experienced applicators, their systems strive to balance affordability and performance to meet the needs of both independent operators and large-scale fleets.

Vismerch is a Charleston-based company that has developed a sales and CRM platform built specifically for consumer-packaged goods, helping teams manage retailers, distributors and field operations in one centralized system. It enables companies to track products, streamline communication and gain real-time visibility across their entire sales ecosystem to improve execution and drive growth.

“We welcome these new member companies and congratulate those that received funding,” SCRA Interim President and CEO Bill Kirkland said in the release.

SCRA was chartered in 1983 by the state to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy through the impact of comprehensive services to technology-based startups, academia, and industry.

The post SCRA adds new member startups, awards funding appeared first on SCBiz.

Charleston-based Zero Industrial, a developer of clean thermal energy and power solutions, has added to its leadership team.

Charles “Chuck” Miller has joined the team as the chief commercial officer, and Charlie Daum as an independent member of Zero Industrial’s board of directors. According to a news release, the additions were made after a rise in the number of company projects across the U.S. and Canada.

“These appointments reflect where we are as a company — moving from platform-building to project execution,” Ted Kniesche, founder and CEO of Zero Industrial, said in the release. “Chuck has spent his career developing and closing complex energy projects, and he understands what it takes to bring industrial customers from interest to executed projects. Charlie has worked both sides of the table, as a developer and as an infrastructure investor, and that perspective is invaluable as we scale. We are bringing a compelling development model to market, and both Chuck and Charlie are the right additions to our leadership team to help us execute the next phase of our growth.”

Miller has worked in the energy industry for over 35 years with over $150 million in customer and investor capital. Previously, he served as CEP of NgenX Energy, a power and thermal generations producer.

Miller also worked as the director of distributed generation asset development at WGL Energy and other general manager roles at UGI Corp. According to the release, he received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from The Catholic University of America and an MBA from Johns Hopkins/LaSalle University.

“The demand for cleaner, more cost-effective power and thermal energy is real and growing,” Miller said in the release. “Having spent my career developing power projects and utility solutions for industrial customers, I have a deep appreciation for the complexity of this market and the breadth of the opportunity. Zero Industrial is well-positioned to capture that opportunity, and I look forward to leading the commercial effort to grow and execute on what is already a compelling pipeline.”

Daum has more than 20 years of experience with energy project development, investment and infrastructure finance. According to the release, he serves as vice president at General Capital, an infrastructure investment platform, and was the founding member and managing director at Alturus, a platform for Fortune 500 companies in developing and funding energy-efficiency-as-a-service solutions.

Daum was also managing director of business development at Altenex, which is now part of Edison energy, as well as a founding member and director of business development at Geronimo Energy. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance, marketing and psychology, as well as an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School.

“What attracted me to join Zero Industrial’s board is the strength of the underlying business model and the team’s ability to execute,” Daum said in the release. “Zero Industrial is applying a project finance approach in developing a pipeline of electrification solutions for its customers, while providing commercially available solutions to address rising energy costs that are a growing burden for industrial facilities.  I look forward to contributing to the board as the company continues to scale its development pipeline.”

On a mission to reduce or eliminate fossil-fuel combustion, Zero Industrial uses electrification technologies, including thermal energy storage, heat pumps and electrode boilers, to reduce customers’ energy costs, the release said.

The company’s projects are structured as long-term, energy-as-a-service agreements to provide lower-cost power and thermal energy to industrial customers without requiring capital investment upfront.

The post Zero Industrial adds energy leaders to drive growth appeared first on SCBiz.

Technology in some form drives both daily operations and ongoing innovations in nearly every segment of the business world, and in the first quarter of 2026, members of the SCBIZ inaugural class of SC500  who work in the tech industry see a range of challenges and opportunities facing their sector.

“We are at an important inflection point in South Carolina and across the country,” said Reyna Thompson, North American president for TD Synnex in Greenville. “In South Carolina, we are a growing hub for advanced manufacturing, logistics, health care and financial services — industries that are all increasingly dependent on digital transformation, cybersecurity, data and AI. The talent coming out of our universities, combined with the strength of our business community, gives South Carolina a real opportunity to lead in applied technology, where innovation is tied directly to real-world outcomes.”

Thompson is uniquely positioned to see the challenges facing the tech sector because of TD Synnex‘s role in the industry. The company serves as a global “middleman” of sorts for the IT industry, connecting major technology manufacturers with businesses that sell or use their products. Her company distributes hardware, software and cloud services to resellers, while also offering support services such as financing, training and technical support.

“I see pace as the biggest challenge — technology is moving faster than many organizations’ ability to adopt it responsibility and at scale,” Thompson said. “Skills gaps, cybersecurity risk and the complexity of integrating new technologies into existing operations are very real concerns. There’s also pressure on small and mid-sized businesses to do more with fewer resources, which makes trusted guidance and strong partners more important than ever.”

Thompson said leaders in tech-related companies are concerned about new technology, particularly artificial intelligence, and the challenge of both having enough employees to work in the tech sector and enabling employees in other companies to receive the training they need to use the technology available to them.

Like many other sectors of the business world, the tech sector is facing a labor shortage. There simply aren’t enough students emerging from the academic pipeline to fill the constant need for tech workers.

“There is a restricted pipeline of new students, but also a gap between industry requirements and the educational institutions — this isn’t new and has been going on for years, but with technology accelerating even faster it’s not getting any better,” said Frederique Pirenne, CEO of Charleston-based OhmIQ, a company which works to advance sustainable heating technologies through its patented Ohmic Array Technology.

Part of the problem exists in the way existing tech education programs colleges and technical schools structure their course work, Perenne said.

In some cases, coursework doesn’t match the needs of local and regional companies looking to source employees from nearby tech programs. In others, the programs are structured in such a way that students aren’t exposed to enough material in the time they have, or focus on one project for too long, not allowing for exposure to a wider range of material.

Pirenne said one solution would be for more and better integration between how institutions plan course offerings and the ongoing needs and requirements of companies they partner with for internships and other programs. He also encourages tech education programs to focus on more frequent assignments of shorter duration.

“They must get higher paced than current cycles that often think students should have one large project that runs throughout an entire semester or even academic year,” he said.

Companies, meanwhile, must realize that working with area colleges and universities to source employees requires a time investment in engagement, training and building relationships, he said.

The sudden increase of smaller tech companies statewide, especially in the Charleston region where tech grew slightly over 7%, also means increased competition for the resources that are already there, Pirenne noted.

“With the housing market being as it is in Charleston, hiring from outside gets harder as the entry barrier requires higher salaries, putting more pressure on these companies,” he said. “For software companies remote working can be an option, but for hard-tech such as OhmIQ it’s only slightly possible.”

OhmIQ is dealing with a labor force problem in a two-fold manner. The company is integrating AI into its processes where it can take up some of the more time-intensive, routine work necessary to company function.

Pirenne’s company is also constantly in talks with area tech schools, colleges and universities to gain access to tech students interested in gaining real life experience at OhmIQ and possibly work at the company after graduation.

“We hope we can find commitment from universities and colleges to enable their students to learn from real life examples, and for us to build our engineers for the future,” he said.

Another challenge related to the workforce comes when companies have outdated processes or untrained employees that leave them open to being left behind by the constant innovation in technology, according to Alex Bolan, president and CEO of Simpsonville’s DigitalThinker.

“About 70% of manufacturers are still on some sort of analog process for asset management, using paper-based processes or Excel spreadsheets,” Bolan said. “Some facilities are still on legacy software systems or using pen and paper. Not a lot of the company’s institutional knowledge is being captured, and as newer workforce enters the arena they don’t have a lot to work with.”

Bolan said companies dealing with outdated processes need to look for digital solutions where possible to quickly help new employees learn about how things work.

The fastest growing and changing component of the technology sector is artificial intelligence, and tech leaders see vast opportunities for its use across every sector of business, from simplifying daily operations to marketing and helping employees do their jobs better.

Using AI to help workers learn more about their industries is one of the brightest opportunities according to Gina Anderson, president and CEO of Luma Brighter Learning based in Mount Pleasant. Founded in 2008, the company specializes in customizable digital learning modules, particularly for the transportation and logistics industries. Its core offering, eNuggets, offers microlearning opportunities in topics such as driver safety.

“We’re exploring AI uses to help individualize learning for every need a worker might have,” Anderson said.

OhmIQ’s Pirenne sees a few primary challenges from AI. One is the sheer infrastructure required to meet the increasing energy demand of AI. Data centers which fuel AI greatly impact existing power grids as well as on other resources such as water, and while there are increasing efforts to build them in South Carolina, they are more frequently meeting pushback from local residents concerned about rising power bills and environmental impact.

Another challenge Pirenne sees is the potential errors some tech companies might make when implementing the new technology.

“The use of AI includes the danger of putting too much information out there, pressuring your competitive position,” he said. “When using it one must be careful about what information you feed into it and how it’s treated. There is a risk of information getting out too quickly, which ends up helping the competition.”

Anderson said AI also brings with it specific security concerns that need to be addressed, and he cautions against companies adopting it too quickly or thinking they can immediately use it to replace human workers.

“AI is a tool just like a calculator,” she said. “It’s never going to replace human thinking and decision making. It’s a great way to make processes and data management easier.”

TD Synnex’s Thompson said whatever challenges arise, companies have to make sure they remember the most important component of what they do — employees.

“The companies that will succeed are the ones that invest not just in technology, but in people and training to build the skills, partnerships and operating models needed to turn innovation into sustainable growth.”

The post South Carolina tech leaders face AI workforce challenges appeared first on SCBiz.