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.
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.
Prioritizing Security: Establish robust frameworks to ensure data security and build trust with clients, a critical factor as AI adoption scales.
Energy Efficiency: Address the growing energy demands of AI by utilizing edge computing, renewable energy sources, and energy-efficient designs.
Product-Market Fit: Focus on solving high-priority, industry-specific challenges to differentiate in a crowded and competitive market.
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:
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.
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.
The growth of AI hinges on the development of robust infrastructure. Startups have opportunities to innovate in areas like:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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:
For a deeper dive into AI’s transformative role, explore ANSYS AI Trends
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:
These efforts position startups to thrive in a rapidly evolving field.
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:
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
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