We are transitioning to the next phase of industry. There are a few prevailing theories about what will define the next few decades of industry and business, but the most optimistic views think we're headed toward a future that is more human. A future where the technical infrastructure and artificial intelligence that we have been developing and evolving will start to blend more seamlessly with our lives and have a more positive impact. But how will we power this new era of industry when we are already facing a climate crisis? We can already see the promise of innovations like vertical farms to transform our food system, but they are struggling to justify energy requirements. Enter carbon dioxide.

Carbon's fundamental role as a building block for life puts it in a unique position to become the enabler and accelerant for Industry 5.0. Contrary to what many would assume, we believe we won't enter into a post-carbon era. Instead, we believe Industry 5.0 will be built on a backbone of next-generation energy and materials powered by carbon transformation and carbon dioxide. This conviction stems from three key factors that make carbon dioxide truly unique.

First, C02's abundance and even distribution within the atmosphere mean supply is not (yet) constrained nor controlled by geography or sovereignty. As we begin to explore things like biofuels as future energy sources, we still need to grow, harvest, and transport these materials to existing refinery infrastructure. CO2 exists everywhere and can be pulled directly from the atmosphere, meaning there is no land use and no transportation required.

Second, Carbon transformation provides an incredibly flexible platform for creating energy and physical materials. From all sorts of fuels and lubricants to building materials, fertilizers, proteins, vodka, and more, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of how carbon can transform our energy and manufacturing systems into more sustainable and often closed-loop systems.

Lastly, our increasing ability to create completely circular systems around CO2, up to 99% efficiency, means that we can foresee a future with energy surpluses and no restraints on energy consumption. This energy surplus will allow us to accelerate innovation without worrying about taxing an already overburdened system or doing further damage to our planet.