The first entirely new fabric poised to hit the textile industry since the 1960’s got a boost from two things found in Michigan: spiders and the Michigan Biotechnology Institute. California-based Bolt Threads has found a way to reproduce the silk that spiders produce on a large scale and without actual spiders.

Wearable computers, like Google Glass, never took off with consumers but the Internet-connected eyewear is finding its niche in the logistics industry. Exel, the freight forwarding arm of DHL Group’s supply-chain management business, is preparing to test “vision picking”- replacing handheld scanners and paper job orders with wearable “smart-glass” devices outfitted with warehouse management software-in two U.S. warehouses later this year.

A Tennessee startup company’s 3D printing technology could enable builders to create strong, lightweight structures while dramatically cutting costs. Branch Technology, based in Chattanooga, uses a technique called cellular fabrication to print matrices that serve as the internal structure for buildings. A matrix weighing 2.5 pounds and complemented with spray foam, for example, can support nearly 3,000 pounds, and the process could reportedly reduce construction costs from thousands of dollars per square foot to as little as $80.

Much more is highlighted in A Look Ahead.