mHUB’s 2024 Annual Report: Transforming Hardware with AI and Simulation
Image: Courtesy of Gensler
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Key Highlights from mHUB’s 2024 Annual Report
- Transforming Hardware Development with Digital Twins
- Fastway’s Role in the Hardware Ecosystem
- Emerging Tech Trends to Watch in 2025
- Conclusion
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Introduction
The Midwest has become a hotspot for innovation, with mHUB leading the charge in fostering hardware development. As active members of mHUB, Fastway Engineering is proud to contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. The mHUB 2024 Annual Report offers a glimpse into the transformative trends shaping the hardware industry, including advancements in AI, quantum computing, and sustainable manufacturing. At Fastway Engineering, we align our simulation expertise with these opportunities to empower startups and manufacturers, helping them navigate challenges and capitalize on growth areas. Building on our role as a channel partner with ANSYS, we leverage advanced tools from our ANSYS Software page to deliver tailored solutions for modern engineering challenges.
In this blog, we explore key takeaways from the report, highlight emerging technologies, and demonstrate how our partnership with mHUB is accelerating progress in hardware innovation. Together, we’re building a collaborative ecosystem that positions Chicago and the Midwest as leaders in global engineering excellence.
Key Highlights from mHUB's 2024 Annual Report
For startups aiming to integrate AI into their hardware and software products, the landscape is full of opportunities but fraught with challenges. mHUB’s 2024 Annual Report offers strategic insights to help startups capitalize on these opportunities and build a foundation for long-term success.
By focusing on the following core strategies, startups can navigate the complexities of AI integration while staying agile and competitive.
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Prioritizing Security: Establish robust frameworks to ensure data security and build trust with clients, a critical factor as AI adoption scales.
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Energy Efficiency: Address the growing energy demands of AI by utilizing edge computing, renewable energy sources, and energy-efficient designs.
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Product-Market Fit: Focus on solving high-priority, industry-specific challenges to differentiate in a crowded and competitive market.
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Governance and Efficiency: Opt for smaller, task-specific AI models that are scalable, efficient, and easier to implement for targeted use cases.
Furthermore, the report identifies three pivotal areas where AI is driving advancements in technology and industry, offering a clear roadmap for startups to focus their innovation efforts:
1. Foundational AI Models (LLMs and Beyond)
Large Language Models (LLMs) and similar foundational AI models are at the heart of AI’s scalability and adaptability. These versatile models enable startups to address diverse tasks across industries, from natural language processing to predictive analytics. As the race to build and refine these models accelerates, startups leveraging their power will gain a significant edge in delivering scalable, adaptive solutions.
The graph below highlights the significant computational demands of major foundational AI models, underscoring the need for advanced infrastructure like efficient cooling systems and robust power solutions. Addressing these challenges will be critical for startups aiming to innovate in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
2. Vertical Applications: AI for Industry-Specific Solutions
AI drives significant change in industry-specific applications, particularly in healthcare and manufacturing. Startups can focus on areas such as personalized medicine, predictive analytics, and automation to develop highly tailored solutions that address unique sector challenges. For example, AI-driven automation in manufacturing can optimize production lines, while predictive healthcare tools can enhance patient outcomes.
3. AI Infrastructure
The growth of AI hinges on the development of robust infrastructure. Startups have opportunities to innovate in areas like:
- Energy-efficient data centers to manage the increasing computational demands of AI.
- Specialized AI hardware designed for high-performance tasks, such as neuromorphic chips.
- Emerging materials that enhance the efficiency and sustainability of AI systems.
By aligning their strategies with these three domains, startups can position themselves at the forefront of AI-driven innovation, ensuring they are equipped to thrive in an increasingly AI-centric world.
Transforming Hardware Development with Digital Twins
Manufacturers leverage advanced tools that combine real-time insights with predictive capabilities to stay competitive as hardware innovation accelerates. Among these are AI-powered digital twins. Digital twins enable real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and optimization across the entire product lifecycle by developing virtual replicas of physical assets, processes, or systems. For manufacturers, this means identifying inefficiencies, testing new strategies without physical prototyping, and minimizing downtime through predictive maintenance. These capabilities enhance operational efficiency and contribute to cost savings and sustainability goals, making digital twins an indispensable tool for modern engineering.
At Fastway Engineering, we integrate advanced simulation technologies that support the development of digital twins, enabling manufacturers to leverage real-time insights and predictive capabilities. Building on insights from ANSYSTechnology Trends, we empower businesses to optimize designs, simulate scenarios, and enhance operational efficiency. By combining AI-driven simulation with engineering expertise, Fastway ensures that companies remain competitive while advancing toward sustainable, data-driven decision-making.
Fastway’s partnership with mHUB amplifies these capabilities, connecting startups to high-tech resources and industry mentorship. Through mHUB’s ecosystem, businesses can access tools and insights that make adopting digital twin technologies more accessible, allowing them to innovate efficiently and bring better products to market.
Fastway’s Role in the Hardware Ecosystem
Fastway Engineering plays a critical role in supporting startups and manufacturers by providing advanced simulation and design solutions tailored to modern hardware challenges. By focusing on tools and methodologies that address specific needs, Fastway helps businesses accelerate innovation and achieve measurable outcomes.
- Tailored Simulation Solutions: Fastway integrates platforms like OptiSLang AI into engineering workflows, enabling startups to reduce costs and optimize product performance through automated optimization and reliability analysis.In addition, tools like SimAI brings AI-driven capabilities to simulation processes, enabling startups to streamline complex design tasks, enhance predictive accuracy, and accelerate time-to-market for hardware products.
- Mentorship and Resources via mHUB: As a member of mHUB, Fastway provides startups with access to a collaborative ecosystem, including mentorship, industry connections, and advanced simulation technologies that drive innovation.
- Scaling Quantum Readiness: By providing startups with the tools and expertise required to design quantum-ready hardware, Fastway empowers businesses to seize emerging opportunities in quantum technology, ensuring they are well-prepared to innovate in this transformative field.
- Advancing Autonomous Systems: Fastway supports startups in developing autonomous systems by leveraging ANSYS simulation tools to ensure systems meet stringent reliability, safety, and performance standards.
- Fostering Sustainability: Through simulation-driven strategies, Fastway empowers businesses to adopt sustainable practices by optimizing material use, minimizing waste, and enhancing energy efficiency.
By aligning its offerings with the technological opportunities outlined in the mHUB 2024 Annual Report, Fastway Engineering ensures startups have the resources and expertise to thrive in the evolving hardware ecosystem. Through its partnership with mHUB, Fastway amplifies its impact, helping to position Chicago and the Midwest as global leaders in hardware innovation.
Emerging Tech Trends to Watch in 2025
The Annual Report outlines several transformative trends reshaping the hardware industry, opening up new opportunities for startups and established companies to innovate and grow. These trends highlight the importance of integrating advanced technologies into hardware development processes to address industry challenges and meet evolving market demands.
1. AI-Driven Hardware Development
AI is transforming hardware design by enhancing efficiency, adaptability, and scalability. Companies are integrating AI to streamline processes, optimize supply chains, and improve product performance. Engineers now use simulation to ask the "what if" questions and predict how complex systems behave in the real world, from tiny microchips to commercial airliners. Tools powered by ANSYS AI, such as AI-augmented solutions, allow engineers to:
- Predict physics performance in minutes.
- Exchange ideas with an AI copilot to explore uncharted design spaces.
- Set up simulations with the help of an AI chatbot.
For a deeper dive into AI’s transformative role, explore ANSYS AI Trends
2.Quantum Computing
The Midwest is emerging as a quantum innovation hub, driven by initiatives like the Chicago Quantum Exchange. Quantum computing promises breakthroughs in cryptography, networking, and computational hardware.
Fastway Engineering prepares startups to maximize this potential by providing tools to:
- Design quantum-ready hardware.
- Simulate quantum interactions.
- Accelerate advancements in quantum sensors and computing architectures.
These efforts position startups to thrive in a rapidly evolving field.
3. Sustainable Manufacturing
Sustainability is becoming integral to hardware innovation, with a focus on energy-efficient processes and reducing material waste.
Image: courtesy of Lamar Johnson Collaborative
Fastway Engineering enables eco-friendly manufacturing by offering simulation tools to:
- Optimize material use.
- Design energy-efficient products.
- Simulate processes to cut emissions and improve efficiency.
- Edge Computing: The need for localized, real-time data processing is driving advancements in edge computing, allowing IoT devices and automated systems to operate with minimal latency. To meet the performance and efficiency demands of these applications, advanced technologies like ANSYS-enabled 3D integrated circuits play a critical role, reducing energy consumption while maintaining high-performance operations across diverse sectors.
Additionally, NVIDIA’s keynote at CES 2025 unveiled great advancements, including the NVIDIA Cosmos platform, which powers physical AI for robots and autonomous vehicles, and the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, delivering unmatched performance and visual realism for engineering and creative applications. These innovations further highlight the profound impact of AI and GPU-accelerated solutions on hardware innovation.
Image: nvidia
Conclusion
The mHUB 2024 Annual Report provides a blueprint for advancing hardware innovation, highlighting the critical role of collaboration, technology, and sustainability. As a member of mHUB, Fastway Engineering is proud to contribute to this ecosystem by equipping startups and manufacturers with the simulation tools and resources they need to succeed.
From enabling AI-driven design processes to preparing businesses for the quantum revolution, Fastway Engineering is committed to turning innovation into action. By leveraging mHUB’s community and Fastway’s advanced capabilities, we are empowering companies to develop smarter, more sustainable solutions and solidifying the Midwest’s reputation as a leader in hardware innovation.
To learn more about these transformative opportunities, check out the mHUB 2024 Annual Report or connect with us at Fastway Engineering.
Together, we engineer smarter solutions, tangible results, and transformative impact.
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James Shaw
Founder, CEO & Simulation Engineer
