As we at Newry review our 2022, it has been a year of growth and planning. We developed new offerings (such as the Carbon Capture Conversations interview series) and worked with many new client organizations. Our projects investigated innovative technology areas and emerging trends like carbon capture, antimicrobial additives, recycling, sustainable food practices, AR/VR, and energy sources and storage. We brought on several talented individuals to join our team, and one of our consultants, Andie Lazaridis, was recognized in the Greek America Foundation‘s Forty Under 40.
Here’s a round-up of our top thought leadership from 2022:
Innovative Recycling Technology Takes Shape in the Midwest – BRIGHTMARK’s new facility will recycle waste plastics using a unique technology developed just down the road from Newry in Akron, Ohio.
3 Emerging Solutions to Overcome Battery and Energy Storage Hurdles – Batteries and energy storage are a critical element of the ongoing clean energy transition, and the space is ripe with exciting opportunities for materials companies to solve new and valuable problems.
Top 3 Consumer Use Cases for AR/VR/MR – What will be the killer use case to spur mass adoption of AR/VR/MR devices?
Carbon Capture Conversations: CCUS Technologies and DOE Funding – Learn where the carbon capture industry is heading in our interview with a member of the Department of Energy on funding, materials, and emerging technologies.
Making Room for Green Energy: Creative Solar Panel Placement – The future of eco-friendly energy solutions will come down to an important factor: location, location, location.
Climate Tech and the Inflation Reduction Act: Opportunities for Materials Innovation – In case you missed it, the Inflation Reduction Act is a big deal for sustainability.
The Truth About Plastics Recycling: Why It Fails and What Could Be Different – 400 million tons of plastic waste is generated each year. ~9% is recycled, ~12% is incinerated (releasing ozone-damaging pollutants into the atmosphere), and over 75% is either “released into the environment” (often the ocean) or sent to a landfill to degrade and potentially contaminate surrounding land and water supply. Something needs to change.
Medicine’s Next Big Breakthrough: Viral Vectors for Cell and Gene Therapies – A potentially massive market is poised to be the next big thing in medicine and give patients without options a chance to receive the treatment they need.
Other Firm Activities
Like so many others coming out of the tumultuous uncertainty of 2020, Newry asked ourselves some tough questions: Who are we? What do we believe? Who do we want to become? How will we get there? Through these efforts, we crafted our brand new purpose and values!
Newry also worked with a local artist to bring one of our favorite case studies to life in illustrated form.
Over last year’s holidays, Newry donated dozens of board games, cards, toys, socks, underwear, slippers, and cookies to Applewood Centers, Inc., a local non-profit agency that provides behavioral health services to children and their families.
Newry’s Sustainability Committee teamed up with the Service Committee to organize an event this summer at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to remove invasive garlic mustard plants! We harvested enough to fill ~20 trash bags (along with some litter we found along the way). Originating in Europe and parts of Asia, garlic mustard is allelopathic, meaning it engages in a kind of chemical warfare against other plants by releasing a compound that hinders their growth.
Newry’s Wellness Committee keeps us active with weekly Steps & Reps competitions. The winning team gets to choose a local charity to support, and we were able to make donations to:
Ohio City Farm – one of the largest contiguous urban farms in the United States (~6 acres). It exists to provide fresh, local, and healthy food to Cleveland’s underserved residents, boost the local food economy, and educate the community about the importance of a complete food system.
Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity – works to bring affordable housing to the Greater Cleveland area communities and the families that live in them. They build, rehab, and sell homes to families with an affordable mortgage while connecting them to the community through neighborhood revitalization projects.
Newry’s bar trivia team, Per My Last Email, took home ~$300 in season winnings, and our volleyball team, One Hit Wonders, placed 2nd in the Whiskey Island Sand Volleyball Recreational Island Division championship after battling for ~3 hours in 30-degree rain and sleet to overcome opponents during the playoffs.
We also participated in the Cleveland Corporate Challenge for the first time and placed seventh overall in our division. However, we did receive three plaques for our competition-specific achievements that we now proudly display in our office – third place in the Obstacle Course event, third place in Corn Hole, and second place in the Tug of War!
Looking ahead to the future, we hope to continue to deepen our relationship with our clients, both new and old, as well as our community and each other.
We’ll see you in 2023!
