Liesl de Wet

written by Deborah Dull, on site at GreenBiz 2026   I spent today in a room full of people who think about waste for a living. And the word that kept coming up had nothing to do with recycling. It was sovereignty. Here is the situation. The United States imports 95% of its critical mineral supply. Lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, the stuff inside every battery, every semiconductor, every electric motor. We do not make it, we do not mine much of it, and we do not control the supply chain that delivers it. That is not an energy policy problem. That is a national security problem. Now here is the part that should make you put down your coffee. A ton of smartphones contains dramatically more gold than a ton of mined ore. We are talking about concentrations that make urban mining look like a gold rush compared to digging in the ground. And yet the recovery rate for those materials, once a phone leaves its first owner, drops to around 13%. We are losing roughly 80% of the value sitting in devices right now, in drawers, in closets, in landfills. E-waste is also the fastest growing waste stream…

Modified Agile for Electronics Development Electronics development has never been more complex—or more critical. Traditional waterfall methods often slow teams down with long cycles, costly redesigns, and missed deadlines. While software teams have thrived with agile, hardware development requires a different approach. This white paper introduces the Modified Agile for Hardware Development (MAHD) Framework™, designed specifically for electronics teams. By adapting agile principles to hardware’s unique challenges, MAHD enables faster timelines, reduced risk, and higher-value solutions. If your organization struggles with shifting requirements, late-stage changes, or cross-disciplinary silos, this guide provides a smarter way forward.   Why Download This White Paper?   Understand why traditional methods fall short and how hardware-specific agile solves the challenges waterfall and “faux agile” can’t. Get a clear introduction to the MAHD Framework™, a proven model that accelerates development by 25–50% while reducing costly risk. Learn practical strategies and tools—from system-level user stories and tailored prototyping to Altium’s solutions for agile electronics success.   What You’ll Take Away:   A framework purpose-built for hardware and electronics – not a software agile retrofit Practical methods to reduce wated effort, improve predictability, and accelerate time-to-market Real-world examples of how electronics teams can align strategy, execution, and customer…