Innovation is a process, a process that took center stage Wednesday at the 11th annual Innovation Summit, hosted by the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership (HCEDP) at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in San Marcos.
The event brought together technology developers, public officials, infrastructure leaders, and economic strategists to tackle two of the region’s most urgent issues: water and energy. With Central Texas continuing to grow rapidly and strain existing systems, speakers emphasized that innovation must now mean implementation, not just invention.
“We cannot sit and build bigger, we have to build smarter,” said keynote speaker Chris Stewart, chief technology officer at Freeit Data Solutions. “This isn’t just a technical issue, it’s a public trust issue. People expect reliable, affordable water and power.”
At the start of 2025, more than 60 percent of Texas was under drought conditions. Meanwhile, population growth, aging infrastructure, and digital demands have pushed Central Texas water and power systems to the limit.
“Cities are losing an average of 16 percent of their treated water due to leaks, with some systems losing more than 30 percent,” Stewart said. “And many of those systems haven’t kept pace, especially in monitoring, automation, and maintenance.”
But Stewart and fellow panelists outlined a host of actionable, field-tested solutions already in use across the region.
In San Antonio, CPS Energy has deployed AI, real-time analytics, and predictive algorithms to reduce outages, balance peak loads, and improve reliability. In Austin, utility leaders have implemented machine learning to forecast usage and optimize the integration of renewable energy, demonstrating that even a city of nearly 1 million can achieve resiliency through smarter grid design.
Locally, San Marcos is developing new solar projects while Lockhart and Kyle are piloting distributed energy models and microgrids, efforts that prioritize flexibility and regional resilience.
But “innovation” wasn’t defined by hardware alone.
“In the private sector, innovation is usually a thing, something tangible you can sell, install, or hold,” Stewart told the audience. “But real innovation is about simplifying complexity, filtering the noise, and driving value. It’s a process.”
Harold Strong, executive director of STAR Park at Texas State University, said you’re not just selling technology, you’re selling a solution to a specific need,
“The customer only cares about solving their problem, often one they needed solved yesterday,” Strong said. “Still, that path to innovation can be long, especially for startups introducing new technology in sensitive sectors like energy or defense.”
Strong moderated a panel of experts during the event, consisting of Dr. Christopher Reyes, an entrepreneur and alumnus of Texas State, Ralph Stillinger with ZENNER USA, and Chris Stewart, chief technology officer at Freeit Data Solutions.
Dr. Reyes, who is working on next-generation battery technologies through his company, said it takes time.
“We’re addressing a huge unmet need,” he said. “People need more energy in smaller, lighter, safer forms – from smartwatches to electric vehicles to the U.S. military.”
But innovation takes time and capital.
“When people hear ‘battery tech,’ they think slow and expensive,” Reyes said. “We’re trying to flip that perception and prove it can be done faster, cheaper, and made in the U.S.”
ZENNER USA’s Ralph Stillinger echoed those concerns. His company buys more than half a million batteries annually for water meters and sees battery failure as a major bottleneck.
“If we can’t trust our batteries, we can’t trust the meter,” he said. “The innovation these startups are working on, that’s mission-critical to us.”
Beyond technology, attendees discussed workforce development and talent pipelines as key to sustainable innovation.
“Who’s going to do the work?” Strong asked. “Texas State is seeing the largest freshman class in the state. That’s a huge opportunity.”
Texas State’s pursuit of R1 status and its incubation support through STAR Park has already helped launch several companies in the region. And nowhere was that more evident than during the summit’s closing ceremony.
At the conclusion of the luncheon, HCEDP President and CEO Mike Kamerlander presented the 2025 Dick Burdick Innovation Award to Quantum Copper, a rapidly growing materials company focused on improving battery safety through fire-retardant components.
“This award honors companies that have found innovative solutions to complex problems,” Kamerlander said. “It’s named after the late Dick Burdick, a creative mind who helped shape the San Marcos business landscape when he founded Thermon, Inc., and introduced groundbreaking heat transfer technologies.”
Quantum Copper, CTO Dr. David Irvin, is developing halogen-free ionic polymer-based components to make batteries safer, reducing the risk of fire in everything from electric vehicles to wearable electronics.
Irvin, who began his journey in San Marcos more than a decade ago, delivered heartfelt remarks about the company’s deep roots in the region and its connection to Texas State.
“Quantum Copper is my third company to launch out of STAR Park,” he said. “We’ve had more than 25 interns from Texas State, and today, all of our permanent employees are Bobcats, either current students or graduates.”
Irvin described how a “crazy phone call” in 2020 led to a partnership with fellow entrepreneur Cool Hartline, ultimately resulting in $1.5 million in seed funding in 2023 and a $4 million investment this year. The company plans to double its workforce by year’s end.
Beyond the product, Irvin emphasized mission and legacy.
“We’re working on materials that can stop battery fires before they start, by containing the flame, reinforcing casing, or shutting off the charge when overheating begins,” he said. “And one of our most exciting projects is licensing new separator technology developed at Texas State.”
In a fitting nod to the award’s namesake, Irvin noted that one of Thermon’s legacy technologies, self-limiting heat cable, uses a similar thermal-response principle now at the core of Quantum Copper’s innovation.
“This community, San Marcos, Hays, and Caldwell counties, isn’t just home,” Irvin said. “It’s the heart of innovation in Central Texas. And we’re proud to be building the future here.”
Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership thanks our sponsors:
Title Sponsor – La Cima
Supporting Sponsors: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, Buda Economic Development Corporation, BVRT Water Resources, City of Kyle Economic Development Corporation, Drenner Group, Hill and Wilkinson General Contractors, Kimley-Horn, Southwest Engineers, Spawglass, Texas Disposal Systems, and Texas State University.