WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:07.480 The information economy has a rid. The world is teeming 2 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.720 with innovation as new business models reinvent every industry industry. 3 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:16.120 Inside Analysis is your source of information and insight about 4 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.719 how to make the most of this exciting new era. 5 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:21.480 Learn more at inside analysis dot. 6 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.120 Com, Inside analysis dot com. 7 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:26.600 And now here's your host, Eric Kavanaugh. 8 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:29.519 Film. 9 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.880 All right, ladies and gentlemen, Hello, and welcome back once 10 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:36.079 again to the only coast to coast show that's all 11 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.320 about the information economy. It's called Inside Analysis. Yours truly, 12 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.039 Eric Cavanaugh is here, and I'm very excited to talk 13 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.520 about one of my favorite topics today, folks, we are 14 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.719 to talk about public private partnerships. As some of you 15 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:49.479 may know, I have a whole history in this space. 16 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:52.439 Many years ago in a past life, I represented the 17 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:55.240 Downtown Development District of New Orleans, which was a fantastic 18 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.920 public private partnership. You had folks from the business community 19 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:03.159 who joined folks from the government world to collaborate on 20 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.319 projects and make good things happen for downtown New Orleans. 21 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:09.879 They did everything from economic development efforts to street signs, 22 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.760 to all sorts of programs to highlight attention for retail, 23 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:17.439 for hotels, research projects, all kind of fun stuff, and 24 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:20.640 I saw firsthand how well those kinds of things work. 25 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.799 So obviously, in the business world, you get an investment 26 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.079 from companies who want to build out their portfolio or 27 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:30.040 maybe see some future in what you're building on, so 28 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.519 they can bring some venture capital to the table, and 29 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:36.079 usually they want equity or something along those lines to 30 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.719 give you that money upfront. That's not really the case 31 00:01:38.760 --> 00:01:39.680 in terms. 32 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.560 Of public access. 33 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.640 So governments who want to better the lives of their 34 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:48.959 community will work with the community directly or sometimes they'll 35 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:52.359 work with other agencies and other organizations to figure out 36 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.920 how to build cool projects, how to do cool things 37 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.680 that benefit all of society. And that's what we're going 38 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.959 to talk about today. We've got a guest from Silvic Foundry, 39 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.120 very interesting company I came across earlier this year. They're 40 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.680 doing fantastic work in consulting with all science kinds of 41 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:11.960 organizations around innovation. So they work not just with venture capitalists, 42 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.759 but also with big companies, also with government agencies, with 43 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.919 a whole bunch of different organizations. They do really good 44 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:21.960 work to help shepherd these projects and get some cool 45 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:24.479 things happening. It looks like We've got Trevor Paul joining 46 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:26.280 us now as well, so we're going to have a 47 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:28.439 lot of fun talking with him. But first time we 48 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:31.960 throw it over to Eli, promised Sell of Silicon Foundry. Eli, 49 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.080 tell me a bit about yourself and the kind of 50 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:36.039 work you're doing over at Silicon Foundry. 51 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:37.879 Absolutely, thank you so much. 52 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:38.199 Eric. 53 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.240 My name is Eli. I am with Silicon Foundry. I've 54 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:43.199 been with the team for the past three years or 55 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.520 so and I'm a principal over here. And the work 56 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:52.360 that we're doing is a mix of Effectively, what we're 57 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:58.319 doing support corporate innovation teams alongside governments and economic development organizations. 58 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:00.479 For the purposes of today, we're going to focus primarily 59 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:02.840 on the government side and the work that we're doing 60 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:07.080 with edios and effectively how we're supporting them is being 61 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:12.680 able to foster innovation thriving innovation ecosystems in order to 62 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.240 foster some of these first of its kind type of 63 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:22.159 initiatives and project while projects while also attracting very innovative 64 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:27.199 and emerging businesses from around the world. So that's effectively 65 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:31.759 how we're working with economic development corporations and government leaders 66 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:32.879 around the world today. 67 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:36.759 Yeah, that sounds fantastic, And Trevor Paul has dialed in 68 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.919 and he is the former Chief Mobility Officer from the 69 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.759 State of Michigan. I believe Trevor, welcome to the show today. 70 00:03:42.759 --> 00:03:44.759 Tell us a little bit about yourself and the cool 71 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.840 work that you did with Silicon Foundry. 72 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:47.319 For the State of Michigan. 73 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:49.000 It's great to be here. 74 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:52.800 So, you know, we may not realize it, but every 75 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:57.439 day all of us contribute participate in public private partnerships. 76 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.400 So yeah, so you may buy your vehicle and maybe 77 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:02.719 a Ford or a still honest, but often you drive 78 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.080 on a state road or you go to an airport 79 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:09.080 that is the perfect example of a public private partnership 80 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.639 given both on the safety regulation side, but then also 81 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:14.560 just pure infrastructure. 82 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.360 Who pays for it all? 83 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:19.240 And so really our job, at least while I was 84 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.160 at the state as chief Mobility Officer, was to think 85 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.000 not just about twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, twenty 86 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.319 twenty three, but think about twenty thirty, twenty thirty two, 87 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.040 and what does a public partnership look like that we 88 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:31.800 all use. 89 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:34.360 Every single day in twenty thirty two. 90 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:37.560 And so we worked with Silicon Boundary to really test 91 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.199 the bounds of what was possible, see what technology was 92 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:42.839 out there in the world that was scalable, and then 93 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:47.000 try to bring that to the citizens of Michigan. You know, 94 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.839 we are the mobility capital and we are the automotive capital, 95 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.560 but you got to earn that title. And we're at 96 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:57.040 this very interesting point in the automotive industry that is 97 00:04:57.079 --> 00:04:59.319 similar to the nineteen tens nineteen twenties. 98 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:01.920 Things areanging very fast, not just with the vehicles but 99 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:03.879 also with the environment around those vehicles. 100 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.839 And so it was paramount that you know, a lot 101 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:08.959 of people think, yes, Detroit is the home of the 102 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.000 Model T, the first vehicle, but the truth is we're 103 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.560 also home to like the first three color traffic light, 104 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:16.199 the first mile of paved road. So there's a leadership 105 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:20.879 role that Michigan should play around infrastructure, and we found 106 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:23.519 Founder to be the best partner in dreaming of what 107 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:24.360 could be possible. 108 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.240 Yeah, that's really cool, I have to tell you. And 109 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:29.560 I think for a lot of folks working with the 110 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.600 government can seem daunting. For some folks, working with big 111 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.399 tech can seem daunting. And it helps, maybe ELI throw 112 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.800 this back over to you. It helps to have a consultant, 113 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.240 a trusted partner advisor to work with you and help 114 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.480 you understand the ropes of working with government agencies, the 115 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:48.199 ropes of working with venture capitalists or big tech companies, 116 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:51.319 because they are different environments, they have different more rays, 117 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:55.319 different customs, They have regulations, policies, deadlines, all these kinds 118 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.560 of things that can be difficult to ascertain for the 119 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:01.040 common man of the common business per So that's where 120 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:05.160 Silicon Foundry really comes in and helps understand and shepherd 121 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:06.319 that process. 122 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:10.879 Right absolutely so, in a nutshell, we like to think 123 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:14.399 that we operate within the nexus of the innovation ecosystem. 124 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:17.240 And when I say the innovation ecosystem, I think about 125 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:21.600 absolutely the public public side, the public sector governments, edios. 126 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:26.480 It also includes corporates, corporate innovation teams, corporate venture capital teams, 127 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:30.519 the big tech companies. It includes the role that the 128 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:34.759 media plays in that space, includes the vcs, the venture capitalists, 129 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:38.600 the private equity firms, the family offices. It also includes 130 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:42.959 the incubators and the accelerators. There's this vast, rich, expansive 131 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:47.800 innovation ecosystem and everyone plays a super important role in 132 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:52.600 fostering this ecosystem, especially when it comes down to the 133 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:56.800 regional level, whether that's at the local level, at the 134 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.160 state level, or at the country level. And so I 135 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:06.639 think it can be to your point daunting to serve 136 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:09.399 on one side of the ecosystem and understand how to 137 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:13.720 effectively interact with another side of the ecosom, or understand 138 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:17.959 how to communicate with different sides of the ecosystem. So 139 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:23.120 in many cases we can often serve as translators, we 140 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:27.079 can serve as catalysts for these types of opportunities and 141 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.360 being able to bring together and convene some of these 142 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:34.279 different players across the ecosystem in order to Trevor's point, 143 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:38.680 create something in many cases first of its kind or 144 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:42.519 truly innovative. And so that's a lot of the work 145 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:46.160 that Selicon Foundry has been doing really behind the scenes 146 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:48.959 in many cases, but also really serving as an extension 147 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:54.519 of economic development teams and of innovative government agency teams 148 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:57.120 to help really bring some of these initiatives to life. 149 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:00.759 Yeah, that's really cool stuff, and I'll throw this back 150 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:02.839 over to you. In a past life, I was a 151 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:06.079 journalist and I remember interviewing a guy from the Illinois 152 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:10.199 Department of Transportation and we were talking all about planning highways, 153 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.279 and he told me something that was very interesting. He said, 154 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:17.519 in our world, we're not allowed to expect more traffic 155 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:19.680 in the future. We have to look at current traffic 156 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:22.480 patterns and use that as our baseline for building roads 157 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.560 and where we build roads. This is back when they 158 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:27.680 were building three fifty five, which was a huge undertaking 159 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:31.199 and really transformed the Chicago suburbs because it was kind 160 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:33.639 of about west but it went northwest through a lot 161 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.039 of major suburbs and just was fantastic. And I was like, well, 162 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.720 that's very interesting. So you have to be forward looking. 163 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:42.320 You have to understand the regulations, you have to understand 164 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:46.320 the budgets, the processes around all that, and then work 165 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:48.360 with partners to figure out what can be done. And 166 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:50.440 that's kind of what your role was, right. 167 00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:53.080 Yeah, yeah, I mean. 168 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.000 To a degree, yes, you have to look at what 169 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:00.639 has been done, but then you also have to look at, 170 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.480 you know, like what's been wrong about what's been done, 171 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:11.200 and people don't like that, right, yes, yes, And you know, 172 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:16.240 in our case, I understand that mindset because you have 173 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:19.919 an obligation to the taxpayer to be as efficient as 174 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:24.440 effective as possible with with their dollars with their tax dollars, 175 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:28.720 and so you can't really use that money to bet 176 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:33.200 on the future. However, it is incumbent upon government to 177 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:37.320 plant the seeds for innovation to allow innovation. Sometimes that 178 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:40.879 that is done through regulatory right away passing laws, but 179 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.080 other times that's done by seeding just a little bit 180 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:46.559 of capital, saying to industry, hey, if we put down 181 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:49.840 one dollar and maybe you know, you could put down 182 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:52.879 two dollars, because ultimately this will feed into your business model. 183 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.879 Maybe we can do something special together that saves lives. 184 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:58.879 Maybe we can do something special that you know, could 185 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:02.360 you know, help with a MISSI in an area within 186 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:05.159 the Detroit city limits that that has been one of 187 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.200 the most polluted in the nation for decades. 188 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:09.480 There are things we can do together to create a 189 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:10.240 better world. 190 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:12.159 And we're really proud of, you know, in working in 191 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.279 foundry for the period of time that we did that. 192 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:17.919 For every dollar we were putting down because the concepts 193 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:20.320 were so great, we were getting like thirty five hundred 194 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:24.360 dollars back in industry match in some way, shape or 195 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:26.919 form where they're like, yes, we will invest in this idea, 196 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:29.639 Yes we see the future. While the returns might not 197 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:33.080 be right away, these are returns that you know, we 198 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.399 not only want to want to see happen in the world, 199 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.519 but but ultimately could create other new business models beyond 200 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:39.519 what we have currently. 201 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:42.600 Yeah, and Trevor, I'll throw this one back over at you. 202 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:47.000 Economic development is such a powerful engine, and mobility is 203 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:51.519 central to that. So enabling safe traffic not just to people, 204 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.559 but of goods throughout urban areas and throughout the state. 205 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:56.960 The size of Michigan. A lot of people may not know. 206 00:10:57.080 --> 00:10:58.840 Michigan is a big state. I've driven all the way 207 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:00.559 up northn all the way outside. 208 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:03.120 Oh yeah, I've been up to what is it, Saginaw 209 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:05.799 and Sussein, Marie and all these princes, so I know 210 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:06.840 it's a beautiful state. 211 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:08.000 It's beautiful in the summer. 212 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:10.679 Lots of mosquitoes. That's my only complaint. If you guys 213 00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:12.480 could work in the mosquitoes, maybe that would be. 214 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.759 We're working on it, working on it. 215 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.600 It's tough, but the point is that when you make 216 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.799 these investments, their fruits of that labor can be enjoyed 217 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:25.320 for years and decades to come, right, Trevor. 218 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:29.240 Yes, as long as it plugs into the existing infrastructure, 219 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:32.000 the existing systems. One of the things I'm careful to say, 220 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.759 and you know, whether it was to you know, lawmakers, 221 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:38.279 policymakers or CEOs, it's like, no, we're not trying to 222 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.480 land a spaceship on the current way that we live 223 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:44.120 our lives, like, this is not something that should make 224 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:45.960 you get to go out of your way to use. 225 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:51.080 This should plug into everything that you have in ways 226 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:53.360 that sort of how Steve jobs to with the iPhone, 227 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.519 in ways you could never imagine. And so in our case, 228 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.200 you know, I'll give you a couple of examples of 229 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:02.039 the projects that Foundry played a direct role in incepting. 230 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:06.720 You know, we worked with a company Electrion, which Foundery 231 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:11.039 introduced to US. Company based in Israel but with ties 232 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:14.000 in Sweden, and they had done some really successful deployments 233 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.600 in Sweden of a road that actually charges an electric 234 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:17.720 vehicle as it's in motion. 235 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:19.919 Pretty cool. 236 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.720 Not something that is useful on every single road or 237 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:27.159 every single mile of the twenty eight thousand miles of 238 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:31.919 road there are in Michigan, but something that works for say, 239 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:36.440 routine deliveries, something that works for transit. 240 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.159 And so you know, with the idea being. 241 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:43.320 So buttoned up so detailed with a partner that was 242 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:45.759 willing to invest some of their own funds into it, 243 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:48.320 we were then able to go back to multiple state 244 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.279 departments and the city and say, hey, can we stitch 245 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:54.320 together a public private partnership and do something that's never 246 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:57.159 been done in America? And we did that and right 247 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.639 now it's active in downtown Detroit and actually, you know, 248 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:02.039 it made national news when we did it, so beyond 249 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:04.240 just being a functional solution that we hope to grow 250 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:08.399 in the future, it was perceptional training. And there are 251 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:11.440 many other examples like that that you know, we just 252 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.759 needed a little bit of proactive intellectual muscle because the 253 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.399 nature of government is being pretty reactive and trying to 254 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.000 make sure that you take care of what's in front 255 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.039 of you and what the citizens need right now. 256 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:27.799 So to have that forward leaning leaning partner is huge. 257 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.440 Yeah, that's really big. 258 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:31.279 And I think it's a good segue to throw it 259 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:35.600 back over to Eli And I'm in the tech business, 260 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.559 e Lie, and I'm privy to certain information about advances 261 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.279 and AI and analytics and things of that nature, and 262 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.840 it takes time, and it takes effort, It takes research 263 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:45.799 to stay on top of these things, and also to 264 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:50.080 know who's real, who's maybe not quite as real, who's 265 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:53.480 got better marketing for example, who's got better product. It 266 00:13:53.559 --> 00:13:58.039 takes time, attention, research, and due diligence to understand all that. 267 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:01.000 But now you can see talking to Trevor here, sometimes 268 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:02.600 that really pays off, right. 269 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.519 Yeah, Well, one thing I would add to that, you 270 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:08.200 mentioned time research patients. One thing I would add to 271 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:12.519 that is a community, a network, and that's really what 272 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.720 Silkin Foundry is putting forward as a really core part 273 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:21.200 of our offering and our value proposition where we firmly 274 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:23.240 believe and I feel like this is a mantra that 275 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:27.559 we'll say across the firm internally, but true insights don't 276 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:32.399 live in a database. We leverage research tools, We have 277 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:38.600 access to secondary research platforms, and these are fantastic to 278 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:41.080 help us get up to speed on certain topics very quickly, 279 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.200 fantastic for us to be able to gather certain data points. 280 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.480 But at the end of the day, true insights, true 281 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:52.080 intelligence that isn't available to everyone just by logging onto 282 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.759 the net and googling something. It comes from conversations like 283 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:58.600 the three of us are having right now, conversations that 284 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:01.600 Silpen Foundry is having day in day out with the 285 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.799 startup community, with founders across the world, with investors, with 286 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:08.960 the corporate innovation and corporate venture and community, and the 287 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:12.159 work that we're doing with the governments and edios. So 288 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:16.399 by having those conversations day in day out, we're able 289 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:19.879 to extract those key data points and then to Trevor's point, 290 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:23.279 proactively facilitate what we like to call a curated flow 291 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:28.840 of insights, intelligence, and in many cases, actionable opportunities and 292 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:31.960 actionable outcomes. In the case of DEOS, that could be 293 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:35.879 an opportunity for a company like Electron to come in 294 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.799 pilot its technology and test its technology in maybe a 295 00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:43.240 test site setting or in eventually a real world setting 296 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:47.720 which is in process right now. Or it could be 297 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.600 within the corporate setting. It could be a similar pilot 298 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:54.960 or trial type engagement. It could be a strategic partnership, 299 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:57.559 It could be a strategic investment. It could be a 300 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.799 merger acquisition opportunity, depending on the that's involved. 301 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:03.960 Yeah, there are lots of opportunities, and I guess this 302 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:06.360 gets to the heart of our conversation today, which is 303 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:11.919 the intrinsic value from public private partnerships. Because government has 304 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.120 tremendous capabilities. They can ask laws if they need to, 305 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.480 they can pass regulations, they can modify regulations, they can 306 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:23.080 explain certain things, and they have access points that private 307 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:27.399 industry companies just don't have. Meanwhile, out in the private sector, 308 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.200 there's a tremendous amount of innovation happening. 309 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:30.679 All over the world. 310 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:33.200 To your point just a minute ago, Eli, it's not 311 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.679 just here in the United States. It's in Israel, it's 312 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:38.639 in Europe, it's all around the world. Being dialed into 313 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:44.120 a network of professionals of consultants, analysts, engineers, people who 314 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:47.320 are actually working on these things is incredibly valuable because, 315 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:49.919 number one, it saves a lot of time, and it 316 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:53.639 also helps you to have very productive conversations, right if 317 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:56.679 you have someone in the room who can tell you, yeah, 318 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:59.960 actually that technology is not really ready for prime time yet. 319 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:04.640 Here's why, Xyz, that's extremely useful because out there in 320 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.279 the wilderness on your own, something can look good. But 321 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.799 if you don't have experience deploying these technologies managing the 322 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.759 process over time, bad things can happen. I mean, you know, 323 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:16.200 I lived many years in New Orleans, and I watched 324 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.200 as the casino went up and then the public private 325 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.400 partnership fell apart, like we just saw this big hulk 326 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:24.880 of a concrete building for like a year and a 327 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:27.400 half until they finally got their act together again and 328 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:30.799 finished the job. So it really does pay to know people, 329 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:35.240 to know processes, to understand processes, and to make these commitments. 330 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:36.720 And I think that's what it really boils down to. 331 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:38.720 But folks, don't touch up. That will be right back. 332 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.240 You're listening to Inside Analysis, expect. 333 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:53.240 Welcome back to Inside Analysis. Here's your host, Eric Tavanaugh. 334 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:59.240 All right, folks, welcome back once again. You're truly Eric 335 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:03.119 Kavanaugh here on Inside Analysis. Fascinating conversation today. We're talking 336 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:05.599 to Eli, a promisel of Silicon Foundry, one of the 337 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:09.240 coolest companies that go across in a while. Very interesting folks. 338 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:13.480 They shepherd projects, they make connections, they network, They have 339 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:16.799 all sorts of resources in terms of understanding different kinds 340 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:20.759 of technological innovation, but also bureaucracy and understanding how to 341 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.599 deal with bureaus, understanding how to deal with government agencies, 342 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.599 understanding how to deal with innovators and venture capitalists. So 343 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:29.400 it helps to kind of have that spectrum that panoply, 344 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.720 if you will, of experts at their disposal. And we've 345 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:35.880 also got Trevor Paul here. He's the former chief Mobility 346 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.039 Officer from the state of Michigan. And Trevor, in that 347 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:41.279 first segment, I'll throw this back over to you. I 348 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.759 did not know that Michigan is where the first three 349 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:49.160 light three colored stop light came from. That's pretty good stuff, right, yellow. 350 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:49.599 Green, and red. 351 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:52.200 And I don't know if anyone ever saw the movie, 352 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:53.960 but way a long time ago as a move about 353 00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:56.720 an alien landing, and he's driving around the girl and 354 00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:58.960 she goes, don't you know what those lights mean? He goes, yes, 355 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:01.160 red means stop, green means go, and yellow means go 356 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:04.559 very fast. And she's like, no, it means slow down, 357 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:08.279 it means caution. But that's just one cool part of 358 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:11.759 the history of Michigan. Of course, Motown with Motown staff 359 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:16.559 or Motors ban general motors cars being manufactured, so there 360 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:19.680 is a there's a spirit of an an innovation and 361 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:21.200 industry in Michigan, right. 362 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:26.920 Trevor, Absolutely, But it's an interesting time in our history. 363 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:32.480 You know, electric vehicles require less parts and so as 364 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:36.400 we think about the transition from internal combustion engines two evs, 365 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:41.319 our supply base stands to shrink unless there's ways that 366 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:44.839 we can diversify get into other modes of transportation. If 367 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:47.640 you believe any of the future mobility predictions that you 368 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:50.160 see from either big consulting companies or those in the industry, 369 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.400 the way that we get around. 370 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:53.920 Is going to change in the next fifty to seventy 371 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:54.559 five years. 372 00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:58.440 And you know, car ownership maybe something that is a 373 00:19:58.519 --> 00:19:59.279 thing of the past. 374 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:00.119 I'm not saying it's. 375 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.279 Going to be like smoking on airplanes or anything, but 376 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:06.839 it's something that eventually maybe we have four lanes for 377 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.960 autonomous vehicles transit and one lane for those that want 378 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:14.440 to drive themselves, because driving yourself could be extremely expensive 379 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.160 depending on where our high volume manufacturing takes us and 380 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.880 how prices you know, go up and go down as 381 00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:24.559 you think about the future of automotive and so really 382 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.960 it's important to us in Michigan right that we're thinking 383 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:30.799 now about the future that we all want to live in, 384 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:34.319 and how can we take that supply base and give 385 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:37.720 them a diverse set of opportunities, Maybe the future of drones, 386 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:44.200 maybe the future of even freight shipping both on waterways 387 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:47.759 and highways. You know, there are all these different ways 388 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:50.759 that we can think about transportation, micro mobility, the future 389 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:53.920 of scooters, the future of bikes. Michigan's a place that 390 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:56.400 makes things, we design things, We think of things too. 391 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:00.279 It's not limited to sedans and SUVs. And so the 392 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:01.960 role that I had in the state was very much 393 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:07.039 like sort of being this evangelist's promoter for a future 394 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:09.559 and mobility that isn't just anchored an automotive, but anchored 395 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:10.599 in a bunch of different things. 396 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:13.720 Yeah, that's very cool, and Eli, I'll throw this over 397 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.119 to you, And I'm glad that Trevor threw in there 398 00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:19.759 the concepts about or the reality of moving products, not 399 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:23.839 just moving people, but moving product, moving supplies and supply chains. 400 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:27.359 In fact, the first show we did with Silicon Foundry 401 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:31.039