A delegation from Houston consisting of former astronauts, aircraft experts, and local leaders were invited to the Paris Air Show to represent the Space City. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Partnership

Houston takes flight at Paris Air Show just in time for Space City Month​

Oui, oui

As we move closer to the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 in mid-July, eyes around the world are turning to the United States and to Houston's NASA Johnson Space Center in celebration of the historic mission that first brought mankind to the moon. Thanks to that unprecedented interest, Houston was asked to be a featured partner of the USA Partnership Pavilion at the Paris Air Show last month.

Drawing nearly 2,500 exhibitors from 49 countries and more than 316,000 total visitors, the Paris Air Show continues to be the world's premier aerospace and aviation industry event. Houston's historic achievements set the stage to showcase how the region continues to be a global hub for technology and innovation.

A delegation of top Houston organizations brought distinct assets that showcased a collective advantage in competing for aerospace business. Led by the Greater Houston Partnership under the promotional banner Space City: The Gateway to Innovation, the group included:

  • Houston Spaceport, one of the nation's 10 licensed commercial spaceports co-located at Ellington Field (EFD).
  • Rice Space Institute, which has helped to establish Rice University's international reputation in all areas of space research by investing in efforts to further the development of new ideas and innovation in the broad area that is space exploration and utilization.
  • SpaceCom, the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition, an annual two-day conference that connects NASA technology with the private sector to fuel future innovation
  • Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center and a leading science and space learning center.
  • Blue Bear Capital, a Houston-based venture capital firm investing in fast-growing private companies that apply data driven technologies and innovative business models to the global energy supply chain.
  • Trumbull Unmanned, A Forbes Top 25 Veteran Founded startup based out of the Houston Spaceport that collects, analyzes, and visualizes critical data for the energy sector, primarily supporting oil and gas and environmental efforts.

As an anchor NASA community and home to the sharpest minds in aerospace, life sciences, energy and innovation, it was only fitting that Houston have a prominent presence in the show at Le Bourget. Among the 300 exhibitors representing the United States in the USA Partnership Pavilion, twenty of which were states, Houston was the only city with a major presence. Throughout the week, the Houston delegation participated in a schedule of high-profile thought-leadership and hospitality events to engage and educate global industry and government decision-makers and influencers.

For our part at the Greater Houston Partnership, we were able to conduct a series of meetings with companies from around the world, gathering more than 40 international and domestic economic development leads. The show is also a great media opportunity that allowed us to secure nearly 20 interviews for our delegation members with print and broadcast outlets from across the U.S. and Europe.

The USA Partnership Pavilion's week-long celebration of innovation and human achievement was led Apollo Astronauts Brig. Gen. Charlie Duke, and Houston-natives Col. Walt Cunningham and Col. Al Warden. Their presence served as a tangible way to connect our nation's achievements to the innovative future of the global aerospace industry.

"The 50th anniversary is such a unique time in history. It gives us an opportunity to think back about what we did, realize where we are today, and where we want to be in the future," says Col. Al Worden, "The most important thing about the space program was not so much about putting a man on the moon, it was about developing the technology to get there. Those technologies have made this country so successful, and I hope we continue to see that type of commitment to technology development in the future."

Houston delegates were asked to participate in several thought leadership panels.

"As we continue to explore further into the universe, there are a myriad of technical challenges that need to be overcome," says David Alexander, director of Rice Space Institute, who moderated a panel discussion on advancing technologies that will help humans physically and mentally adapt to deep space exploration. He was joined by industry leaders from United Launch Alliance (ULA), Lockheed Martin, Virgin Galactic, and Harris Corporation for the conversation centered around the use of artificial intelligence, 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

Governments around the globe including those in Europe, China and of course the United States have accelerated a discussion about sending humans back to the moon as a key step in our continued human exploration of deep space. This concept is also proving attractive to private companies, with an increase in public-private partnerships and a broader role being played by commercial entities in government aspirations.

Former astronaut and Space Station Commander turned venture capital leader Tim Kopra participated in a panel discussion on this very topic alongside representative from United Launch Alliance (ULA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Lockheed Martin, Deloitte, and the U.S. Air Force. Although Kopra's Blue Bear Capital's primary target are data-driven technologies in the energy industry, he notes that "there are a lot of intersections between energy and aerospace, and Houston's melting pot of global industries has turned the region into a hot bed for innovation with broader application of technologies."

The centerpiece of the Houston delegation's presence at the Paris Air Show was an executive briefing on June 19 featuring keynote remarks from Kopra that helped set the tone for the work Houston continues to do in innovation and aerospace technology. Kopra discussed his background with NASA, the transition into the funding scene that supports the region's growing innovation ecosystem, and what Houston has to offer businesses looking to expand their operations in the areas of aerospace, manufacturing, and digital technology.

A panel discussion followed, addressing topics that included educating the next generation of engineers and explorers, the intersection of NASA technology and the private sector, the next frontier of space exploration and the unique position that Houston has in pioneering those efforts.

"Over the past 58 years, Johnson Space Center has led the U.S. and the world in human exploration, discovery, and achievement in space," Kopra tells the audience. "Now we are in a position of transitioning a lot of those capabilities into the civilian sector."

The Houston Spaceport is one big step in that ongoing evolution. As the only commercial spaceport in the nation centered in a large metropolitan area, the Houston facility will have unmatched access to resources for companies and operators, said Arturo Machuca, general manager of the spaceport.

"The Houston Spaceport is being developed to ensure Houston stays relevant in commercial aerospace and aviation activities," he says. "Houston continues to hold a strong value proposition for companies looking to enter the aerospace industry with a unique set of advantages including the proximity to NASA's Johnson Space Center, unparalleled infrastructure through the Houston Airport System, and a strong talent base."

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Josh Davis is the director of International Investment and Trade at the Greater Houston Partnership and organized the Partnership's participation at the Paris Air Show and gathered the delegation.

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TMC lands $3M grant to launch cancer device accelerator

cancer funding

A new business accelerator at Houston’s Texas Medical Center has received a nearly $3 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

The CPRIT grant, awarded to the Texas Medical Center Foundation, will help launch the Accelerator for Cancer Medical Devices. The accelerator will support emerging innovators in developing prototypes for cancer-related medical devices and advancing them from prototype to clinical trials.

“The translation of new cancer-focused precision medical devices, often the width of a human hair, creates the opportunity to develop novel treatments for cancer patients,” the accelerator posted on the CPRIT website.

Scientist, consultant, and entrepreneur Jason Sakamoto, associate director of the TMC Center for Device Innovation, will oversee the accelerator. TMC officials say the accelerator builds on the success of TMC Innovation’s Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics.

Each participant in the Accelerator for Cancer Medical Devices program will graduate with a device prototype, a business plan, and a “solid foundation” in preclinical and clinical strategies, TMC says. Participants will benefit from “robust support” provided by the TMC ecosystem, according to the medical center, and “will foster innovation into impactful and life-changing cancer patient solutions in Texas and beyond.”

In all, CPRIT recently awarded $27 million in grants for cancer research. That includes $18 million to attract top cancer researchers to Texas. Houston institutions received $4 million for recruitment:

  • $2 million to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to recruit Rodrigo Romero from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City
  • $2 million to MD Anderson to recruit Eric Gardner from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City

A $1 million grant also went to Baylor College of Medicine researcher Dr. Akiva Diamond. He is an assistant professor at the medical college and is affiliated with Baylor’s Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Houston students develop cost-effective glove to treat Parkinson's symptoms

smart glove

Two Rice undergraduate engineering students have developed a non-invasive vibrotactile glove that aims to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease through therapeutic vibrations.

Emmie Casey and Tomi Kuye developed the project with support from the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) and guidance from its director, Maria Oden, and Rice lecturer Heather Bisesti, according to a news release from the university.

The team based the design on research from the Peter Tass Lab at Stanford University, which explored how randomized vibratory stimuli delivered to the fingertips could help rewire misfiring neurons in the brain—a key component of Parkinson’s disease.

Clinical trials from Stanford showed that coordinated reset stimulation from the vibrations helped patients regain motor control and reduced abnormal brain activity. The effects lasted even after users removed the vibrotactile gloves.

Casey and Kuye set out to replicate the breakthrough at a lower cost. Their prototype replaced the expensive motors used in previous designs with motors found in smartphones that create similar tiny vibrations. They then embedded the motors into each fingertip of a wireless glove.

“We wanted to take this breakthrough and make it accessible to people who would never be able to afford an expensive medical device,” Casey said in the release. “We set out to design a glove that delivers the same therapeutic vibrations but at a fraction of the cost.”

Rice’s design also targets the root of the neurological disruption and attempts to retrain the brain. An early prototype was given to a family friend who had an early onset of the disease. According to anecdotal data from Rice, after six months of regularly using the gloves, the user was able to walk unaided.

“We’re not claiming it’s a cure,” Kuye said in the release. “But if it can give people just a little more control, a little more freedom, that’s life-changing.”

Casey and Kuye are working to develop a commercial version of the glove priced at $250. They are taking preorders and hope to release 500 pairs of gloves this fall. They've also published an open-source instruction manual online for others who want to try to build their own glove at home. They have also formed a nonprofit and plan to use a sliding scale price model to help users manage the cost.

“This project exemplifies what we strive for at the OEDK — empowering students to translate cutting-edge research into real-world solutions,” Oden added in the release. “Emmie and Tomi have shown extraordinary initiative and empathy in developing a device that could bring meaningful relief to people living with Parkinson’s, no matter their resources.”