Houston innovator gears up for influx of infrastructure building

houston innovators podcast episode 128

Ody De La Paz, CEO and founder of Sensytec, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss the future of his company as it gears up for growth. Photo courtesy of Sensytec

There are a lot of moving parts within a construction project — and so many opportunities for things to go wrong. Just within the concrete pouring process, there are a lot of variables to consider — and one Houston startup's technology is able to provide contractors crucial information in real time.

Sensytec's remote monitoring devices can analyze concrete's structural integrity as its being cured, and that data — the temperature of the concrete or soil, its compressive strength and quality, and more — is provided to users so that they can make decisions in the moment.

"At the end of the day, it boils down to time and money for the contractors," Ody De La Paz, co-founder and CEO of Sensytec, says on this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast. "If I'm able to save them two days per pour on the project, that could equate to thousands of dollars a day of savings — just by understanding the compressive strength of concrete now."

Not only is this a cost-saving tool, the technology building more structurally sound buildings that will last longer and better withstand environmental impacts, such as flooding, extreme temperatures, and more.

The importance of creating longer lasting infrastructure is topical, De La Paz says, and the United States government has taken notice. Through participation in AFWERX — the innovation arm of the Air Force, Sensytec was tapped by the military to use the technology across operations.

"The plan is to integrate our system and analytics from sensors into a multi-platform system that the Air Force is trying to roll out in all of the military bases," De La Paz says. "We're trying to be that center hub for concrete and soil monitoring for them."

With the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $65 billion is being deployed to build or improve infrastructure — among other tech and transportation improvements — and a lot of that funding is coming to the Lone Star State.

"Texas is actually one of the main states that's getting a lot of that funding, so we're going to be seeing a lot more construction coming up," he says.

For Sensytec, the pandemic also has created new opportunities for business expansion and customer growth. Contractors and construction companies are looking to make sustainable changes — and are ready to invest the time and money needed to implement the technology.

"The culture is changing a bit. It's not necessarily about being able to do something the next day," De La Paz says, "it's really about thinking long term for the next generation."

De La Paz shares more about the future of Sensytec, including how the company will raise funding to support its growth, on the podcast episode. Listen to the full interview below — or wherever you stream your podcasts — and subscribe for weekly episodes.


Rice University President David Leebron was joined by dignitaries for the Oct. 30 opening ceremony of the Rice University National Security Research Accelerator laboratories in Dell Butcher Hall. Photo via Rice.edu

Rice University opens new accelerator labs focused on national security innovation

new on campus

A collaboration between Rice University and the United States Army has taken entered into a new phase with the opening of the Rice University National Security Research Accelerator laboratories in Dell Butcher Hall.

RUNSRA, which launched in 2019 with support from Army Futures Command and the Army Research Laboratory, premiered its new home on the Rice campus at a hybrid event. Most attendees tuned in via webcast while university president, David Leebron, and Provost Reggie DesRoches hosted U.S. Army Futures Command Lt. Gen. Thomas Todd III and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas.

"The accelerator is the first-of-its-kind, collaborative research facility designed to deploy and develop new technologies for economic and national security," DesRoches says at the event. "The facility includes space for visiting Army Research Lab and (Department of Defense) scientists. We see this as a new model for truly collaborative research that brings together research teams from across the country and across agencies to work on mission-critical technologies."

"We are the only university in the world with a deployed software-defined network already in place," DesRoches continues. "The materials we will discover here with our ARL partners will be rapidly prototyped into devices and deployed."

Walter Jones, executive director of RUNSRA, is a the former executive director of the Office of Naval Research and former director of plans and programs at the Air Force Research Laboratory and joined Rice in June. The goal of the lab and the program is to research technologies to advance the Army's modernization.

"The accelerating pace of technology will continue to change our world," says Todd. "It will require us to re-examine how we compete and, if required, how we win on the future battlefield. And it will require us to develop new technologies that let us compete and win by expanding what is possible, which starts at a place like Rice University.

"I know that tremendous benefit will come from this research accelerator," Todd continues. "And truly, it's meant to be what it says, an accelerator of technologies into the hands of soldiers."

Watch below to view the press conference and ribnbon cutting.

The Rice University National Security Research Acceleratorwww.youtube.com

A&M's Research Integration Center, which will house data and act as an innovation hub for innovators and military specialists, is expected to be completed next fall. Photo via tamu.edu

Texas A&M University approves $60.3M for military innovation project

gig 'em

Texas A&M University is in the process of building a $200 million, multi-building facility just off its main campus in College Station and Bryan, Texas. As of this week, the project has fresh funds from the A&M Board of Regents to continue on with construction.

The board approved a $60.3 million projects at the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex, or BCDC, on the RELLIS Campus in Bryan, according to a press release from the university. According to a news release from the university, $22.5 million approved will go toward hypersonic and directed energy testing range called BAM — which stands for Ballistic, Aero-Optics, and Materials. At one kilometer long and two meters in diameter, BAM is expected to the largest enclosed hypersonic testing facility in the nation.

"There will be no other place like it in the world," says John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M System, in the release.

BAM's construction is scheduled to begin in February — with completion by October 2022.

The other $37.8 million of the recent funds approved will go toward for a vehicle test track called the Innovation Proving Ground, or IPG. That's set to break ground in May 2021, and completion is expected a year later.

In addition to the construction at the BCDC, A&M's RELLIS Campus is also working on a few military innovation projects. Construction is currently underway on the Research Integration Center, or RIC, that will house all the data for the BCDC and act as a place to meet and collaborate for innovators and government personnel. The three-story innovation hub broke ground in October 2019 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2021.

The complex is being supported by an initial $135 million investment from the state of Texas, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, and the Texas A&M University System. The U.S. Army Futures Command, or AFC) will invest up to $65 million over five years.

The plans come from a collaboration between the AFC, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, other military branches, NASA, and other federal agencies, according to a release.

"Some universities talk about, 'Here's what we are going to do for you,'" says Sharp, in a release. "At Texas A&M, we ask, 'What do you want us to do for you?'"

Texas A&M's RELLIS campus sits about 10 miles down the road from the main campus. Photo via tamu.edu

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Houston energy giants rank high on new corporate startup activity report

startup support

Eight major players in Houston’s energy industry rank among the world’s top 20 energy companies for corporate startup activity.

The inaugural Corporate Startup Activity Index 2025, published by StartupBlink, ranks global corporations by industry. The eight Houston-area employers fall into the index’s energy and environment category.

Researchers from StartupBlink, an innovation research platform, scored more than 370 companies based on three factors: corporate involvement in startup activity, startup success and ecosystem integration.

The eight Houston-area energy employers that landed in the energy and environment category’s top 20 are:

  • No. 3 BP. Score: 13.547. U.S. headquarters in Houston.
  • No. 5 Saudi Aramco. Score: 7.405. Americas headquarters in Houston.
  • No. 7 Eni. Score: 6.255. Headquarters of Eni U.S. Operating Co. in Houston.
  • No. 8 Shell. Score: 6.217. U.S. headquarters in Houston.
  • No. 11 Occidental Petroleum. Score: 5.347. Global headquarters in Houston.
  • No. 15 Engie. Score: 3.352. North American headquarters in Houston.
  • No. 17 Repsol. Score: 2.980. U.S. headquarters for oil and gas operations in The Woodlands.
  • No. 19 Chevron. Score: 2.017. Global headquarters in Houston.

“Building a startup is hard, and navigating corporate innovation can be just as complex. This ranking is a step toward making the connection between startups and corporations more transparent, enabling startups and corporations to collaborate more effectively for mutual success,” said Eli David Rokah, CEO of StartupBlink.

Salesforce topped the global index with a score of 380.090, followed by Intel, Google, Qualcomm, and Comcast.

Houston researchers develop strong biomaterial that could replace plastic

plastic problem

Collaborators from two Houston universities are leading the way in engineering a biomaterial into a scalable, multifunctional material that could potentially replace plastic.

The research was led by Muhammad Maksud Rahman, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Houston and an adjunct assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. The team shared its findings in a study in the journal Nature Communications earlier this month. M.A.S.R. Saadi, a doctoral student in material science and nanoengineering at Rice, served as the first author.

The study introduced a biosynthesis technique that aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, which resulted in robust biopolymer sheets with “exceptional mechanical properties,” according to the researchers.

Biomaterials typically have weaker mechanical properties than their synthetic counterparts. However, the team was able to develop sheets of material with similar strengths to some metals and glasses. And still, the material was foldable and fully biodegradable.

To achieve this, the team developed a rotational bioreactor and utilized fluid motion to guide the bacteria fibers into a consistent alignment, rather than allowing them to align randomly, as they would in nature.

The process also allowed the team to easily integrate nanoscale additives—like graphene, carbon nanotubes and boron nitride—making the sheets stronger and improving the thermal properties.

“This dynamic biosynthesis approach enables the creation of stronger materials with greater functionality,” Saadi said in a release. “The method allows for the easy integration of various nanoscale additives directly into the bacterial cellulose, making it possible to customize material properties for specific applications.”

Ultimately, the scientists at UH and Rice hope this discovery could be used for the “next disposable water bottle,” which would be made by biodegradable biopolymers in bacterial cellulose, an abundant resource on Earth.

Additionally, the team sees applications for the materials in the packaging, breathable textiles, electronics, food and energy sectors.

“We envision these strong, multifunctional and eco-friendly bacterial cellulose sheets becoming ubiquitous, replacing plastics in various industries and helping mitigate environmental damage,” Rahman said the release.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

U.S. News ranks Houston hospital No. 1 in Texas for 14th year in a row

Topping the Charts

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 rankings of the best hospitals in Texas, and they prove that Houston is in good hands.

The esteemed Houston Methodist Hospital was rated the No. 1 best hospital in Texas for the 14th consecutive year, and the No. 1 hospital in the metro area. Eleven more Houston-area hospitals earned spots among the statewide top 35.

U.S. News annually evaluates 581 Texas hospitals to determine which meet the publication's rigorous standards and offer the best care for patients. Hospitals are also ranked among 15 specialties, including cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, psychiatry, rehabilitation, diabetes and endocrinology, and more.

Houston Methodist also appeared on U.S. News' prestigious list of Honor Roll hospitals, consisting of 20 medical centers that are deemed the "best of the best" hospitals in the nation. No other Texas hospitals made the list, further proving that Houston Methodist takes exceptional care of its patients.

"This is a tremendous achievement for our physicians and employees who dedicate themselves every day to our patients," said Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist, in a press release. "We take pride in these national recognitions but more importantly, these accolades reflect our unparalleled commitment to keeping our patients at the center of everything we do."

Houston Methodist earned several top-20 rankings across 11 of the 15 total specialties nationwide. It also earned national recognition for having the 7th best gastroenterology/GI surgery program, the 8th best pulmonology and lung surgery programs, and the 10th best diabetes and endocrinology programs in the country.

Elsewhere in Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ranked as the No. 1 best cancer hospital in the nation for the 11th year in a row.

"We are honored to again be ranked as the nation’s top hospital for cancer care – a recognition that reaffirms our commitment to our shared mission to end cancer," said MD Anderson president Peter WT Pisters, M.D., in a release. "We are grateful to every one of our teammates, trainees, students, donors, volunteers, advocates and patients, whose unwavering dedication make it possible for MD Anderson to deliver outstanding patient care."

Other top-performing Houston-area hospitals that ranked among the best in Texas include:

  • No. 4 – Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center
  • No. 5 – Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital
  • No. 6 – Memorial Hermann Hospital
  • No. 8 – Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
  • No. 9 – Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
  • No. 12 – Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
  • No. 13 – Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center (tied with Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth)
  • No. 21 – Houston Methdodist Baytown Hospital (tied with Methodist Hospital - Stone Oak in San Antonio and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth)
  • No. 25 – HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake in Webster (tied with St. Luke's Health - The Woodlands Hospital, Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Round Rock-Lakeway, and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano)
  • No. 29 – University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (tied with Medical City Plano)
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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

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