B2B digital marketplaces are reshaping industrial markets and supply chains. Experts say the disruption of traditional business models offers companies across the supply chain an opportunity to expand and create innovative new customer experiences.
Blockchain provides traceability, transparency and automation for digital marketplaces; it is an an ideal framework to create trust for trade between parties that don't know each other and eliminate the friction in traditional trade processes.
B2B industry marketplaces are disrupting conventional sales and distribution models. Thriving in this environment requires shifting to digitalized self-service channels, while also using these platforms to deepen customer engagement and generate higher revenue in more complex sales situations.
A new generation of online B2B markerplaces is bringing suppliers and buyers into an open and direct ecosystem that eliminates the middle man and removes the geographical, scale and process barriers to trading.
B2B digital marketplaces are reshaping industrial markets and supply chains. Experts say the disruption of traditional business models offers companies across the supply chain an opportunity to expand and create innovative new customer experiences.
Businesses are innovating to deliver exciting, more convenient and personalized customer experiences. Discover how those doing it best are capturing the expectations of customers and in turn keeping their attention.
Blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies, is beginning to streamline the paperwork-burdened supply chain. By digitally tracking every transaction in a form that, in theory, cannot be forged or altered, blockchain could eliminate the supply chain’s need for every financial trust system ever established.
Incompatible IT infrastructures, language barriers, different methodologies – these are just some of the many factors that make it challenging to transfer product and process knowledge from development to manufacturing.
Manufacturers are introducing more electric and hybrid vehicles and utilities are storing excess solar and wind power, creating high demand for lithium ion batteries far beyond consumer electronics. As a result, researchers are racing to improve the technology for new uses.
Antoine Picon is a French engineer, architect and historian who has published 20 books about urban planning and architecture, taught at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and been honored as one of the 2014 Mellon Senior Fellows of the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA).
Modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics, make it easier to create the personalized experiences, products, services and communications that consumers desire.
Technological, demographic and socio-economic changes are transforming industry and creating a continual demand for new skills from tomorrow’s workforce. Educators, businesses and governments are creating programs and credentials designed to answer those needs.
Decades after Augustine's Laws first documented common process and production schedule struggles in aerospace and other industries, digitalization, 3D printing, simulation and generative design are beginning to make an impact.
When electric motors were used in factories, plant managers could control temperature, dust, moisture and vibration. Discover how top automotive engineers design electric motors for transportation, where all of these factors vary.
Increasingly, as city populations continue to swell, urban developers have only one option to accommodate them: build vertically. Compass spoke with Antony Wood, executive director, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, about skyscrapers, sustainability and livability.
Wellness, comfort, convenience and safety are perennial concerns that touch every aspect of consumers’ lifestyles. Increasingly, leading brands and retailers are putting these interests at the center of their innovation strategies.
With the surge in e-commerce, consumer packaged goods companies are shipping more direct to consumers – and that means packaging must be designed to prevent damage and facilitate easy returns. Simulation technologies are helping CPG companies deliver better customer experiences.
Industry and environment can co-exist, as eco-industrial parks have been demonstrating for more than 50 years. Recently, emerging economies, heightened environmental awareness and advanced digital technologies have created a surge in the development of industrial operations that seek balance with the world around them.
PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets and even email are considered increasingly outdated forms of technology in our everyday lives, yet they still play a significant role in product development in the asset management industry. But with competition increasing, profit margins tightening and regulations skyrocketing, the asset management industry is turning to product lifecycle management solutions.
Data proliferation is straining organizations’ ability to gather, store and access information and insights in a sustainable way. But nature itself is inspiring researchers to find novel solutions for reducing the energy that data centers demand, as well as managing the heat they generate.
Increasingly, industrial equipment customers are demanding products customized to their specific needs – and they want them just as fast as off-the-shelf products. Industrial equipment firms are meeting these high expectations by embracing digital technologies.
Technology gives patients and physicians earlier insights and innovative treatment options for personalized health care. Five key technologies are: 3D modeling, 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), combination therapy and innovation platforms.
One of the world’s first fully automated electric container ships, the Yara Birkeland, is set to take to the water in late 2018 and is expected to be entirely self-guided by 2020. Similar vessels are in development, signaling the rise of a new generation of ships that rely on intelligent software to safely navigate the seas.
The upstream oil and gas industry is pushing to apply digital technologies to exploration and production practices, yielding better business returns by optimizing processes and increasing efficiency. From replicating a complicated well design to refining a well control system to sharply decreasing the risk of a blowout, the ‘digital twin’ is one more concept advancing the industry’s digital transformation.
Faster time to market, lower costs and closer connections with partners and customers – the cloud brings these benefits and more to businesses of all sizes.
More than a third of organizations have a cloud-first policy where new applications are deployed on a public cloud platform, unless there’s a compelling case to deploy it on-premise. Here is why cloud computing is becoming the architecture of choice for companies small and large.
Citing a range of concerns from vendor lock-in to data security, some enterprises have been hesitant to move operations to the cloud. As adoption spreads, however, more companies are realizing that perceived inhibitors are not show-stoppers after all.
Joby Aviation was founded in 2009 with the goal of creating a product capable of completely revolutionizing the way people travel. As a modern company creating designs that are innovating and exciting, it is important that the way we work is supported by a modern platform. That’s why we are using the cloud.
Roughly a decade ago, the first commercial cloud computing services began. At first they were viewed as a curiosity; then as solely relevant to cash-strapped startups; then as a means for enterprises to reduce IT costs; and then as a way to increase agility.
Manufacturers worldwide are building sensors and communications into their devices to collect real-time data. The most advanced are feeding this data into what analysts are calling “digital twins,” creating real-time feedback loops between in-use devices and the 3D simulations used to create them.
Gone are the days when only large companies had the skills, resources, financial backing and manufacturing capabilities to turn their product ideas into reality. Today, digital fabrication technologies and a global network of “fab labs” are enabling innovative people to create prototypes of almost anything.
Increasingly, more organizations are recognizing that employee health and happiness contribute to business success. As a result, many businesses are proactively weaving well-being into the workplace.
Over millions of years, nature has used a few basic elements to create materials that can heal themselves, change their structures and decompose at end of life. Now, computer science is helping researchers replicate such qualities in engineered materials – in a fraction of the time and with predictable results.
In 2019, NASA will launch two new missions to look for life on Mars. Though the challenges are great, the possibility of a sustainable, habitable base on Mars is edging closer.
Museums are stepping up their use of social media, immersive technology and other digital tools to attract and engage audiences of all ages. In return, visitors are sharing their knowledge and ideas, influencing future exhibits and the stories museums tell.
Working to reshape the world for a rapidly aging global population, designers and engineers are learning to apply the concepts and technologies of their fields to address the clouding eyes, aching bodies and broad life experiences of the elderly.
A new report from the World Economic Forum suggests that today’s education systems are not adequately preparing children for the workplace of the future. Compass asked top educational experts from around the world how they would tackle the challenge.
When development cycles neared 18 months, Fossil Group knew it needed to streamline processes for all of its watches, jewelry, accessories and apparel. By focusing on aesthetic and engineering requirements, Fossil improved its design-to-hit ratios, earning a Top Innovators Award from Apparel Magazine.
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) applies processes developed by manufacturing companies to the challenges of construction. Compass spoke with Javier Glatt, co-founder and CEO of the integrated construction and manufacturing technology company CadMakers.
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), which has been common in manufacturing industries for decades, is beginning to make inroads into construction. Compass talked to three industry players to discover how DfMA is bringing improved efficiency, standardization and environmental responsibility to the building industry.
As the maritime industry embraces digital transformation, major players are increasingly focused on one key enabler: the cloud. Compass talked to maritime industry players large and small about why cloud is critical to their digital evolution, and how they are taking advantage of its capabilities to transform their business.
Faced with the daunting prospect of 2 billion additional people to feed within the next 30 years, agricultural companies are scrambling to produce more food per acre. Blanketing fields with sensors that tell farmers exactly what every field needs every minute of the day could achieve that goal.
By digitalizing operations, mining companies can optimize operations and leverage new business models. Compass explores the technologies leading the digital shift, and how they are changing the ways that companies work.
Advances in materials and 3D-printing technologies have enabled electronic devices that can move, stretch and flex. This allows researchers to break new ground, creating innovations that have the potential to transform daily life.
Smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, drones, smartwatches – even refrigerators – all get their “intelligence” from tiny semiconductors, which carry an electric current when exposed to heat, light or electric fields. As the shrinking size of electronic devices tests the limits of silicon-based semiconductors, however, the market for conductive nanomaterials is growing.
While segments of the aerospace industry are still growing, its rate of innovation has slowed as risk-averse companies invest less in breakthrough technology. The spread of innovation centers may help reverse this trend, however, providing companies with relatively low-risk environments in which to test proof-of-concept ideas before committing their own resources.
Anilore Banon, a French sculptor, is preparing for her latest work to take a giant leap for mankind, with the help of 1 million handprints. If she succeeds, everyone on Earth will be able to enjoy her latest work of art from wherever they live.
Inspired by his son to change societal perceptions of autism, Thorkil Sonne founded Specialisterne. The company is matching the skills of autistic adults to the needs of major companies the world over, with a goal of facilitating 1 million jobs.
Whether we have purchased a book through Amazon or watched videos on YouTube, most of us have used a digital platform – an online framework for social and marketplace interactions. From Alibaba to eBay to Google, platform dealings have become part of everyday life for consumers. Now businesses are creating these high-value exchange environments to facilitate interaction with one another and, in the process, a pivotal change in the way businesses compete.
Platforms collect data from many sources, with multiple benefits for the platform provider and member companies. The data they generate can enable the platform company to make smart business decisions, while opening new markets to its members. Whether a platform operator chooses to analyze the data itself or sell it to others for analysis, the data represents money to be earned.
A typical product line has linear growth – a direct result of a product or service sold to increasing numbers of consumers. A multisided business platform that connects customers or groups with multiple products or services, however, allows for complementary growth. By first creating a healthy ecosystem, multisided platforms are benefiting from additional revenues by expanding into unexpected areas.
When Philips was in the planning stages for our digital platform HealthSuite, we also were in the midst of a dual transformation.
One transformation was from a conglomerate of multiple industries – consumer electronics, health care and lighting – into a health technology company that is focused on every phase of the health continuum.
B2B platforms are very different to launch and to scale from B2C platforms. Ironically, 15 years ago, many people felt that B2B platforms would be more successful than B2C platforms. The opposite happened, partly due to the fact that many large firms were not prepared to relinquish control of their business relationships to a platform, or could not agree to governance principles. Small firms were rarely connected to the Internet at the time and, therefore, could not participate.
With growth slowing and low-cost labor disappearing, CEOs can no longer count on emerging markets to dress up their balance sheets. Instead, many are refocusing on great innovations that people want to own – and what they cannot invent in-house, they are willing to buy or form partnerships to get.
Starting as a young boy who wanted to build the world’s fastest car, Mate Rimac is now CEO and founder of Rimac Automobili, a Croatian technology company that manufactures high-performance electric vehicles and supplies electric propulsion systems to top global manufacturers of cars, ships and airplanes. Compass spoke with him about the challenges of a startup and his mission to change the future of transportation.
Manufacturers recognize that artificial intelligence offers an exciting future, enabling greater automation, improved predictive maintenance and a move to mass customization. While adoption so far remains slow, experts agree that the combination of human expertise and industrywide collaboration will pave the way for success.
One of the most exciting developments in medical research is nanomedicine, where highly targeted and personalized treatments are engineered to be so small they can treat disease in ways never possible before.
From helping farmers monitor vast expanses of land to allowing amputees to control artificial limbs, solutions being worked on in multiple industries are linked by one innovation: smart dust. Compass examines why scientists and big businesses are betting big on computers the size of grains of sand.
Cities around the globe have networks of organizations, systems and processes in place to cope with threats such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters. But a new focus on civic unity – encouraging citizens, businesses and governments to work together to strengthen the community – also is helping cities become more resilient.
Cities consume 75% of the world’s natural resources and produce 50% of its waste, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a UK-based nonprofit organization that promotes the reduction, reuse or recycling of everything. As urban populations grow and the challenges of supply and removal get bigger, policymakers, educators and businesses are working toward a “circular economy,” which seeks to minimize consumption and maximize reuse of products, components and materials.
Demand for engineering skills is rising but women continue to avoid the field, representing only 20% of engineering students and 10%-20% of working engineers worldwide. To encourage the diversity that improves problem-solving, engineering educators are working to lower the barriers and inspire more women to choose careers in engineering.
For decades, industries worldwide have steadily advanced their businesses with increasingly sophisticated 3D virtual models that accelerate discovery, enable collaboration and improve quality. Although 3D also is proven to help both students and researchers accelerate their quests for knowledge, the technology has been slow to permeate education and research. Compass looks at three new projects that are changing that trend, using 3D to help students succeed in school and improve their job prospects, as well as helping researchers accelerate the pace of medical discovery.
Despite being highly automated in many of their operations, most life sciences companies have not embraced smart manufacturing. Bridging this gap, experts say, will help life sciences companies control costs and be more responsive to patient needs.
Industrial buyers want equipment customized to meet their specific operational needs and requirements, but still demand competitive pricing. Modular product architectures are making it faster and more efficient to customize standard products for the mass market while avoiding the complexity and high costs traditionally associated with engineered-to-order processes.
While big data analytics, the Industrial Internet of Things and artificial intelligence are creeping into our homes, cities and industries, most utility companies have yet to see the full value of these technologies. Although leading utilities are experimenting on many fronts, experts caution that only a fully integrated approach that eliminates traditional data silos will provide the insights needed for effective management.
With a host of new power sources, rapidly increasing levels of computing power and growing numbers of consumers who would rather share a car than own one, automakers are rethinking every assumption about what cars of the future will be.
Having consistent data from concept to after-the-sale service is a long-time dream of manufacturers. As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) begins to automate operations in factories with increasingly machine-managed “smart” manufacturing environments, a unique, authoritative and consistent source of data across the entire product lifecycle – a concept known as “digital continuity” – becomes imperative.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, financial regulation has been expanding around the world. Far from putting a brake on innovation and a cap on profitability, however, the challenge of complying with complex regulations is inspiring improved efficiencies and an upgraded investor experience.
Technology is disrupting every industry, and asset management is no exception. In a highly customized industry like financial services, however, experts agree that new technologies are more likely to augment the work done by humans than to replace them.
Inspired by the passion of young consumers, buyers of all ages are demanding healthier ingredients in their foods, as well as more eco-friendly personal care and household products. Mainstream consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, increasingly pressured by Earth-focused competitors, are responding by reformulating old brands and launching trendy new ones.
Thanks to increases in computer speed and improved algorithms, in silico testing has expanded beyond the aerospace and automotive industries so that even lower-cost items like bottles can be virtually tested and quickly improved.
Driverless vehicle technology promises improved transportation efficiencies and greater safety, but there is a tradeoff: removing the driver from the controls. For reasons that transcend transportation, Rob Parsons and Andy Blood are working to keep people with disabilities behind the wheel. Because for paraplegics, driving is not just about getting there: it is about getting there on their own.
The popularity of German artist Leon Löwentraut’s Picasso-inspired abstract paintings is surging. His canvases have been showcased in sell-out exhibitions worldwide. And he is just 19.
With the introduction of low-cost viewers, 2016 has been awash in hype about virtual reality, augmented reality and other immersive virtuality (iV) technologies. Less hyped, however, is that many of the world’s biggest companies have been using high-end versions of these technologies for decades.
Seeing a virtual product in 3D on a computer screen is good, but the small screen makes it easy to miss the fine details of complex products – details that could be expensive to fix later. The arrival of low-cost head-mounted displays is eliminating that challenge.
Errors made in product design can easily be replicated in the design of manufacturing processes. Virtual reality (VR) helps to find them before manufacturing begins and production suffers. On the factory floor, meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) is helping workers to assemble parts in less time with fewer errors while helping quality control inspectors catch those errors that do occur.
For decades, buying something that doesn’t exist yet – a car configured to your precise specifications or a pre-construction apartment, for example – required consumers to make a major leap of faith.
For centuries, medical and scientific discoveries have been constrained by what researchers could actually see. With advanced computing power and immersive virtuality, however, modern researchers have the tools to watch a beating human heart from inside its chambers, or discover how never-before-seen biological processes build a cell and evolve its properties.
It could be the start of a bad joke: a chemist, a biologist and a clinician walk into a room and try to agree on how to describe a protein.
At Pfizer, however, that room is a virtual reality (VR) lab where scientists can immerse themselves in massive visual 3D representations of proteins,human physiology and more, and the payoff is no joke.
After 50 years of being almost exclusively confined to academic, corporate R&D, and military research labs, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), known collectively as immersive virtuality (iV), are now available at a consumer-friendly price.
Kengo Kuma’s architectural designs range from the whimsical (Asakusa Cultural and Tourism Center, a wildly stacked pillar of houses) to the dramatic (the steamshipshaped Victoria and Albert Museum rising in Dundee, Scotland), to the deceptively simple (Great (Bamboo) Wall, a house in China).
Large, long-established organizations can find it difficult to foster the innovative spirit associated with small and dynamic startups. Experts highlight five simple things leaders can do to stay ahead of the curve.
States, regions and nations are pursuing different methods to create industry “clusters,” concentrations of one-industry, technology-based economic activity that spawn innovative startups, attract private investments and give the entire area an economic boost.
Like a pair of microscopic scissors, the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR offers scientists the opportunity to snip away the genetic codes that cause many hereditary diseases. As human trials begin in the US and China, however, excitement for the technique’s medical potential is tempered by concern about its long-term implications for evolution.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dennis Gabor developed the theory of holography in 1947, and its use grew following the invention of lasers in 1960. Today, an explosive volume of rich data, coupled with advances in immersive virtuality, are on track to make holography a part of daily life.
Earthquakes, floods, war, the ravages of time — even the careless trampling of everyday human life — threaten precious cultural heritage sites. Armed with new tools to capture the physical in digital form, preservationists are working to save some of the world’s most important sites for future generations.
For the first time in modern history, the employment pool is a mix of five generations: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation X and Generation Z. To get the most out of this diverse workforce, experts urge businesses to ignore each group’s negative stereotypes.
Manufacturers are increasingly using new technologies, including the Industrial Internet of Things, robotics and additive manufacturing, to eliminate waste and raise productivity. But educators are challenged to train the new workforce and retrain existing ones.
Educational organizations around the world are challenged to improve efficiency and control costs while ensuring that learners and educators have the resources and support they need to succeed. To help achieve those goals, more universities are adopting processes and tools originally developed for businesses.
For nearly 120 years, US based A. Zahner Company has been at the forefront of technology and innovation within the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Recently, the company implemented a cloud-based design system to improve communication in what is oftentimes a fast-paced, fragmented industry.
The rapidly growing global construction industry suffers from fragmentation, which increases risks, leads to wasteful practices and negatively affects project delivery and stakeholder interests. But now, cloud-based collaborative tools are replacing traditional industry practices with new business models that imagine, design and construct better buildings.
With nearly 91,000 vessels, the global maritime industry crosses social, economic and geographic frontiers, but it has not yet crossed the data boundary by embracing big data. With connectivity options and speeds improving, ships are beginning to join a data revolution that promises efficiency and cost savings. However, the question remains: what will be the trigger to push the majority of maritime into the digital age?
Every industry faces digital transformation, and extreme cycles in the economics of marine and offshore sectors makes the industry ripe to harvest the benefits of digitization. Compass spoke with Philippe Donche-Gay, President of the Bureau Veritas (BV) Marine & Offshore Division, about how this premier ship classification society is leveraging digitization to increase efficiency and expand its renowned customer responsiveness.
Early adopters praise 3D printing for enabling greater design freedom, cost savings and faster production times. These advantages are now starting to move beyond the shop floor, and into the shop.
Many shoe designers use of 3D printing to experiment with prototypes and help visualize new designs. But more attention is being paid to how the technology could be used in other parts of the industry, such as manufacturing and production.
Founding any startup is a challenge, but founding a startup in the rapidly changing world of high-tech takes a special measure of stamina and flexibility. To discover their common hurdles and strategies, Compass spoke to the founders of four high-tech startups about what they’ve learned and what they might do differently.
When Youngse Kim arrived in Silicon Valley, California, as a young designer, the region’s top high-tech companies knew Korea mainly as a manufacturer of low-cost products – not a producer of great design. Today, after winning dozens of major design awards for iconic high-tech products, Kim is launching an incubator to help more of Korea’s young designers make their impact on the world of high-tech products.
Climate change, overuse, population growth, increased demand for food and energy and mismatches between where water is available and where people live are all contributing to growing global concern about water resources. While agreement about the challenges is almost universal, however, solutions are in short supply.
Brazil’s Embraer has gone from a newcomer in the business jet marketplace to one of the aerospace industry’s dominant share leaders in just eight years. Ask any Embraer executive how they’ve achieved so much in so short a time and they’re likely to give a one-word answer: innovation. Here’s a look at how they do it.
Additive manufacturing – the ability to construct solid objects by building them up, one layer at a time – is a natural fit for the aerospace industry because of its ability to manage small volumes, create complex designs and fabricate strong yet lightweight structures. To gain widespread adoption, however, it needs to overcome the challenges that limit its use.
They are known as the 'Stolen Generations,' indigenous children the Australian government removed from their families between 1910 and 1970. Barbara Weir – one of those children – tells their stories through artwork inspired by her reclaimed heritage, and hopes her energetic canvases will pass them on.
Through their joint venture, LocoL – which currently has two restaurant locations in Watts and Oakland, plus a roaming food truck – celebrated chefs Daniel Patterson and Ray Choi aim to provide tasty, nutritious and affordable food to communities that have limited healthy choices.
As mobile devices proliferate, individuals generate data trails that businesses can use to instantly fulfill every whim. Things, too, are getting connected through the Internet of Things (IoT), raising the level of customer experience. The result is a hyperconnected world where communities collaborate to solve challenges and every company must rethink its fundamental assumptions about the business it is in, the services it provides and its relationships with customers, competitors and the world at large.
You Google “green stilettos.” Minutes later, the pages you surf all feature advertisements for high heels. How? Your browsing ‘cookie’ relayed your search to an ad placement algorithm, which processed automated bids from companies eager to sell just what you want to buy. Personalized advertising is just one way that hyperconnected technology is enabling 1:1 marketing … and the bots will only get smarter.
As the luxury division of PSA Group, DS Automobiles - a company launched in 2015 - is a 21st century brand. So we wanted to develop a system of communication, distribution and sales of the 21st century. Our customers are all connected, and this is their way of life. If we want to be with them we have to be in their environment, and so we have an ongoing digital conversation with our customers, primarily on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Is the digitization of business contributing to prolonged global economic sluggishness? Many economists believe that it is, and Stephen Koukoulas of Australian advisory firm Market Economics has been one of the most outspoken. Compass talked with him about the perils and pluses of removing inefficiencies from the marketplace
Thanks to modern technologies, transaction costs are falling dramatically. But transaction costs are the entire reason for vertical integration. So, in many instances, vertically integrated business definitions are breaking up. This redefines not just businesses, but entire industries.
Today’s world is hyperconnected and constantly evolving. Yet many organizations retain hierarchical models that limit interconnections. Theano Advisors advocates a new approach that uses ‘braids’ to empower teams and individuals through information and data exchange, shared contributions to meaningful purposes and real-time collaboration.
As city officials prepare to gather July 10-14 in Singapore for the 2016 World Cities Summit, Compass compares two cities – Detroit and Munich – where the automotive industry is paramount but each city’s future holds very different challenges. Still, both cities see realistic 3D modeling as an important piece of planning their evolutions.
Since the 1970s, automation has eliminated the jobs of millions of bank tellers, retail cashiers, travel agents, airline front-desk workers and manufacturing employees. With the jobs of truck drivers, airline pilots and even medical doctors now at risk as well, it sometimes feels as if every human job except those of computer coders is destined to disappear. Compass examines the jobs at risk and the forces at work.
The lack of affordable, readily available internet access in remote and low-income areas of the globe has been blamed for limiting economic opportunity in the developing world. Using a variety of technologies – from low-altitude satellites to balloons – startup companies and online leaders are racing to change that equation.
The potential of fusion power has been touted for almost a century. Although commercial production may not happen for decades, and renewable energy enthusiasts complain that megaprojects like ITER are resources away from more near-term solutions, small private startups report encouraging results that could make fusion a reality sooner.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “One can measure the greatness and the moral progress of a nation by looking at how it treats its animals.” Today, as consumers become increasingly convinced that animals are sentient beings with legal rights, Gandhi’s standard is being applied to businesses as well.
For years, demographers, policy planners and politicians have fretted over the “silver tsunami” of worldwide aging. Recently, however, new thinking has emerged that challenges traditionally negative views about older societies. Gray, these ideas suggest, may actually be good.
Research has shown that the traditional ”one size fits all” teaching model does not work for many students. Today, many educational institutions are using digital technology to offer “personalized learning,” which helps students develop a broad set of competencies in the context of their personal interests.
As automation and technology replace more jobs in more industries, displaced workers are finding that the programs intended to help them retrain are riddled with gaps and inconsistencies. In some parts of the world, available training doesn’t match available jobs. In others, funding and accessibility are inadequate. Everywhere, however, the challenges – and the numbers of people in need of help – are poised to multiply exponentially.
The medical industry is harnessing big data and analytics to deliver a new kind of clinical care, where treatments are tailored to the specific needs of individual patients based on knowledge of genetic, environmental and lifestyle data. But filtering out the data noise to find the true science remains challenging.
Engineering complex systems involves unifying multiple disciplines, which often operate in silos and use a wide range of incompatible tools. Engineering for the Internet of Things (IoT) demands even more interconnections. Virtual prototyping with a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach – which uses integrated 3D digital simulations of all systems working together – promises relief.
Thanks to continued growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), today’s industrial engineering pioneers can sell far more than their machines. By guaranteeing uptime, offering pay-asyou- go services and more, they’re rewriting the rules of competition and profitability in their industry.
Although most of the attention at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) focused on forging legally binding agreements to deal with the challenge of global climate change, technologists lobbied for quick action, clamoring to broadly implement proven techniques
Disruptive automotive trends, including autonomous driving, connected vehicles and, especially, car sharing, are redefining customary vehicle ownership patterns and, with them, the automotive sector. Disruption can feel uncomfortable, but experts point out that it can also spur new ways of thinking – and traditional manufacturers are responding to the challenge.
XYT, originally founded in 2007 as France Craft, builds light modular vehicles that consist of only 600 parts, versus the typical 6,000 to 10,000. Using a modular design approach, the vehicles can be personalized and upgraded simply by replacing the modular components. Compass spoke to Simon Mencarelli, CEO and co-founder of XYT, about what makes the startup and its vehicles unique, and what they may indicate about the automotive market’s future.
Asset management and securities services organizations juggle competing priorities, challenged to deliver customer-centric products while increasing efficiencies and ensuring transparency. Compass asked Amin Rajan, CEO of CREATE-Research, an independent global forecasting center based in the UK, how asset management and securities services firms can rise to the challenge.
The distance between the retailer and consumers’ hands is a rich source of engagement and the focus of intense competition as both online and brick-and-mortar merchants work to deliver the experience consumers want.
Known for her large-scale, site-specific installations, New York-based artist Tara Donovan has earned acclaim for transforming how people view everyday objects and for making the ordinary extraordinary.
Basil Twist, an innovative New York-based theater artist and third-generation puppeteer, has taken the primal art form’s focus on blurring the boundaries between the animate and inanimate to new heights. Compass spoke to Twist, a 2015 MacArthur Fellow, to learn more about the creative genius that led to the distinguished award.
Participants in the Internet of Things (IoT) tend to focus on individual smart devices, but the Internet of Experiences aims higher, concentrating on what becomes possible when smart devices work together to create experiences.
The great Archimedes, one of the forefathers of both modern astronomy and invention, is said to have boasted to King Hiero that if he were given a lever and a place to stand, he could move the Earth.
Miele, Germany’s premium home appliance manufacturer, was founded in 1899 on the concept of “immer besser” – always better. Today, Miele is delivering on that promise in a new way, with smart connected appliances that make the consumer’s life easier and more enjoyable – an entirely new home appliance experience.
Powered by sophisticated analysis of images and data collected from public agencies and real-time sensors, Virtual Singapore is designed to give a whole new meaning to the term “smart city.”
Systems engineering was developed to manage the trade-offs among dozens of competing subsystems to create a product with optimum overall performance.
For the past 30 years, the Internet has been about connecting people to information. For the next 30 years, it will be about connecting people, data, processes and machines – from cities to cars to wearables – to information.
In a 45-year career, Alan Mulally helped engineer the first commercial airliner built without physical prototypes and then led both Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Ford Motor Company.
Companies around the globe are embracing the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement, in which employees are free to use their personal devices to access corporate systems. The goal is to improve access to information, facilitate greater collaboration and increase productivity.
For decades, the high cost of computer hardware and software put small and medium businesses (SMBs) at a competitive disadvantage, especially as they sought to expand beyond their home countries. But cloud computing, which allows SMBs to access hardware and software on a pay-as-you-go basis, is leveling the playing field.
Throughout recorded history, human beings have sought to extend their physical and mental capabilities. Today’s technologies – which are beginning to enhance humans with mechanical augmentations and computerized sensor technology – stand poised to alter the human experience in ways previously imagined only in science fiction.
Powering the increasing number of Internet-connected devices is no easy feat, especially given the expense, inconvenience and, in some cases, infeasibility of wiring remote devices or fitting batteries.
The average human carries 20,000 different species of bacteria in his or her digestive system, weighing an estimated 2 to 3 pounds (0.9 – 1.4 kg). Researchers are beginning to understand how these bacteria, collectively called the human microbiome, are linked to an astonishing variety of ailments – and perhaps to their cures as well.
Social entrepreneurs don’t give away their services, but they deliver them in ways and at prices that low-income consumers in remote locations can afford.
As concerns grow about the long-term viability of global natural resources, organizations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the European Commission are championing the idea of a circular economy.
The missing link for closing the gap between unfilled jobs and available skills may be hidden in the age-old idea of apprenticeships: combining education with formal, hands-on training.
Determining whether a teacher is effective is difficult, but essential. Leaders in the profession are exploring how a multitude of evaluation methods can be combined to measure individual teacher performance accurately – and fairly.
From the way airplanes look to the way they are powered to the very elements that make up their structures, scientists and engineers are significantly reinventing how airplanes are built and how they work.
From 3D visualization technology that helps engineers predict and refine passenger comfort in business jets, to futuristic entertainment systems on commercial airlines and personalized navigation tools to speed passengers to their gates at airports...
As the prices paid to move cargo over long distances have plummeted, shippers have turned to ever-larger ships in search of volume-driven savings. But that strategy is putting a massive financial burden on the ports needed to service them, creating friction between shipping interests that depend on one another to survive.
Consumers expect customized products and services that reflect their individual identities – and brands are harnessing innovative technologies to deliver them.
To flourish, growing populations need more and better infrastructure – the roads, bridges and other public facilities created for government agencies by civil engineers and construction companies.
The Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (SMEDI), one of China’s top municipal engineering companies, has completed 12,000 projects including water treatment plants, as well as road, bridge, rail, urban landscape, fuel gas and geotechnical engineering projects.
Like individuals, companies can develop tried-and-true ways of tackling challenges and evaluating opportunities. No matter how successful, these “standard operating procedures” also come with blinders to new ideas and even better ways of working.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is quickly reshaping every industry. But standing in the way are questions concerning security, integration and aggregation of intelligence. High-tech companies are paving the way, working to move the IoT in a direction that will benefit humanity.
Even the world’s most technologically sophisticated mining companies are coming to understand that people, equipped with the right information, hold the keys to success.
As the global mining industry pushes deeper and ranges farther for vital minerals, its leading firms are just beginning to adopt “lean” techniques – common for decades in manufacturing industries – for mining greater value from their operations.
Chinese artist Li Hongbo defies interpretation with sculptures that resemble paper gourds, a Chinese folk art. These sculptures bend and flex as a Slinky toy does, distorting the original sculpture like the clocks in Salvador Dali’s painting, “The Persistence of Memory.”
When Polish kayaker Aleksander Doba crossed the Atlantic Ocean unaided in 2013 at the age of 67, he broke his own world record for the longest open-water kayak voyage ever made. Doba, now 69, who was named National Geographic’s 2015 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year based on reader votes, tells Compass what motivates and inspires him to take on his intrepid adventures.
Modern technology helps marketers to better measure, predict and influence consumers’ purchasing activity while creating exciting new ways to engage their senses. With new success, however, comes new pressure.
It is fairly typical for emcees at auto shows to receive applause at the end of their new-model presentations. But for the audience to burst into applause at the beginning of a presentation requires true showmanship.
To raise awareness about new routes and the frequency of its flights, British Airways created a digital video billboard that literally pointed out planes flying overhead. It was a simple, “magical” idea, but it required coordinated and precise execution and a lot of behind-the-scenes technical wizardry.
Built on the idea that Google+ offers people the chance to get closer to the things they love, Google and its UK ad agency, adam&eveDDB, created a virtual “front row” for Manchester United at its home stadium, Old Trafford.
With the launch of Lamborghini’s Huracán, the successor to the Italian company’s most popular car ever, the Gallardo, Lamborghini wanted to get closer to prospective buyers by allowing them to experience the newest 10-cylinder model – all before the car was even available.
While futuristic technology usually conjures up images of over-the-top gadgets, users don’t always need astonishing special effects to be drawn into a brand experience. Sometimes the simplest, most familiar activities can be the most satisfying.
How can a small, high-end mountain bike frame maker serve customers more efficiently than its big-name competitors while reducing its carbon footprint ? Santa Cruz Bikes, based in California, found the answer by taking its design, development and marketing processes digital.
As the first post-graduate business school specializing in sports management, AMOS (Académie du Management des Organisations Sportives), which is based in Paris with programs worldwide, was already unique. However, AMOS wanted to set its program apart even more by providing cutting-edge training in modern marketing techniques.
Launching a new model at an auto show is a tug of war between competing priorities: Engineering wants as much time as possible to finish perfecting the show car. But with dozens of car companies courting journalists for their models, every day of delay in producing assets cuts into the quality and quantity of coverage that the marketing team can generate.
With retail consumers’ rapidly shifting shopping, buying and technology-adoption behaviors, Eric Singleton, CIO of women’s fashion retailer Chico’s, realized the company needed a digital road map to stay in step with its audience.
As a manufacturer of premium tools for construction professionals, Liechtenstein-based Hilti has an ongoing challenge: demonstrating to prospective buyers that, although the outside housing looks similar to lower-priced competitors’ products, superior engineering inside justifies the extra investment.
In 2014, Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei faced a perception problem.
Although it made a broad line of premium products similar to those from Apple and Samsung, and although Huawei is the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, its awareness and reputation did not rival those of its foreign competitors. To change that, Huawei decided to use data visualization in its marketing.
High-performance bike and sports gear maker Scott Sports of Switzerland has been using 3D imaging to design and manufacture its products for several years, but the company’s leaders knew it could be doing more with the technology.
My son is putting the finishing touches on a photo edit. He adds color filters, graphic overlays, texture, text – and a delicate insignia that expresses his authorship.
Frederico Curado, president and CEO of Embraer, Brazil’s largest exporter and the world’s third largest civil aircraft manufacturer, believes in meeting major challenges head on – and as early as possible.
As if global travel itself isn’t taxing enough, business executives can now be taxed if they spend more than a designated amount of time in various governmental jurisdictions.
As companies embrace the Experience Economy, many are appointing Chief Experience Officers responsible for ensuring they deliver great consumer experiences. Leading innovation and managing across multiple functions is a challenge, but these champions say it is vital to survival.
The ancient art of origami is more than just child’s play; its principles are being used to meet a wide range of modern engineering challenges – from how to fold up a tennis court-sized solar array for use in space to reducing the amount of waste in a tube of toothpaste.
Deep learning is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most cutting-edge fields of artificial intelligence. With some impressive recent advances, experts increasingly believe the technology will soon transform many industries.
Technology that translates one spoken language into another, known as speech-to-speech translation, could transform the way we communicate.
In our ultra-connected world, the latest trend is wearable technologies: data transmission systems built into clothing or accessories to transform what we wear into a new communication interface. With a wide range of capabilities, from tracking our moods to monitoring our health, the next-generation wardrobe is here.
In classrooms around the world, digital technology is transforming textbooks with dynamic, interactive content that can reach out and engage learners. As these “eTextbooks” also are cost efficient, educators and publishers are teaming up with technology providers to produce more engaging, media-enriched material.
In a world plagued by intractable social, environmental and political challenges, students who graduate with heads full of facts are of little use to organizations focused on finding never-before-thought-of solutions.
From retail banking customer service to the capital markets, financial technology – FinTech for short – is reshaping the financial industry as established players scramble to compete with or buy up the technology startups that are streamlining age-old processes.
For London-based financial technology startup Kusiri, one of the most transformative experiences of its young existence was winning the 2013 3D FinTech Challenge.
In the early 2000s, Hyun Soon Lee convinced Hyundai Motor Company to independently develop diesel engines for its cars. Now, as CTO of Doosan Corporation, Lee is devoted to developing fuel cells and unmanned construction equipment – another first for Korean industry.
Personalized, customized, one-off – many consumers are gravitating to products they can personalize when purchasing cars, handbags and shoes.
Thomas Fontaine is the in-house perfumer for French brand Jean Patou and guardian of the classic perfume Joy – a favorite since it was launched in 1930. Compass asked him about the secrets to creating a classic brand formula.
New biomaterials, smarter manufacturing processes and lifecycle-assessment tools are helping fast-moving consumer goods companies reduce the environmental impact of their plastic packaging throughout its lifecycle.
The name Olympus Corporation is synonymous with endoscopes. The Tokyo-based company enjoys nearly 70% of the market share, and that figure is poised to grow in the future. What is the company’s key to success? Akihiro Taguchi, business management officer of Medical Business at Olympus Corporation, discusses the company’s strategies for growth.
An aging population, the rapid development of new treatments and the need to spread good medical practices more widely are challenging health care professionals to innovate with mobile technology, while governments and patients monitor privacy issues.
The smart grid, which marries electricity generated from varied sources with emerging, Internet-based control technologies, promises improvements in energy efficiency and the environment while giving consumers more information about – and control over – the power they use.
Critics have long predicted that pollution, resource depletion or a major nuclear accident would lead to the extinction of power generated with coal, oil, natural gas and uranium.
Driverless cars offer the tantalizing prospect of a world without automobile accidents. But the infrastructure required to make it a reality – and a business model that will pay for building and operating a smart automotive grid – are major hurdles still to be cleared.
AKKA Technologies uses the knowledge it gains as a global service provider to aerospace, automotive, IT and energy companies to create innovation by transplanting ideas from one industry sector to another and watching what blooms.
The striking juxtaposition of vivid color and iconic imagery makes it difficult to miss or forget the work of Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra.
Internationally acclaimed artist Janet Echelman reshapes urban airspace with monumental, fluidly moving sculptures. Compass spoke to Echelman, who was named a 2012 Architectural Digest Innovator for “changing the very essence of urban spaces” to understand how her work fuels social interactions.
Scientific research isn’t producing as many breakthroughs as it once did. But new capabilities and processes, from computerized simulations to big-data mining and personalized medical data monitoring, offer the potential to reinvent how scientific discovery is done.
The ability to manage large quantities of data at each stage of the discovery, development and commercialization cycle is critical to success, and analysis tools are helping researchers transform data into knowledge.
Throughout the life sciences industry, a key focus is on improving “technology transfer,” the process for moving complex data from discovery to development and ultimately to manufacturing. Elegant tech transfer shortens timelines, eliminates rework, protects quality and frees scientists to focus on innovation.
Researchers are using advanced modeling software to manipulate materials at the molecular level, giving them properties that enable once-unthinkable products.
By accelerating the rate at which new materials are developed, simulation is reshaping the modern world.
Scientists are learning how to use data to predict which patients will respond well to particular drugs. Even more advances are occurring in understanding human cells, organs and – ultimately – the unique variations of each individual’s body.
Deadline-focused scientists often resist taking the time to learn new technology – especially if it will expose their unfinished research to colleagues. Global change expert and clinical psychiatrist Leandro Herrero explains how leaders can help their researchers embrace efficiency-boosting change.
The Permasteelisa Group, based in Italy, is a leading worldwide contractor in the engineering, manufacture and installation of architectural envelopes and interior systems. Compass spoke to Permasteelisa IT project manager Federico Momesso and communication manager Massimiliano Fanzaga about how the company is adopting more standardized technologies and processes to better meet the construction industry’s growing demand for customized building systems on short timelines.
From a residential high-rise in New York City to low-cost hotels in Europe, the application of prefabricated and modular objects and systems continues to capture the interest of owners, architects, contractors, fabricators and product manufacturers in the building industry.
Fashion brands are finding that a sustainable supply chain is not only good for people and the environment – it’s also a business essential when dealing with today’s well-informed consumer. Ensuring sustainability progress requires continuous vigilance, a shared industry commitment and sophisticated systems for tracking the supply chain’s activities.
Social media has given consumers a public voice. Brands are not only listening – they’re realizing that engaging in a two-way conversation is essential to success.
Bluenove, which provides consulting and services in “Open Innovation” to companies worldwide, conducted a study on collaborative innovation and its applications, particularly in the context of social issues. Martin Duval, President and COO of the firm, shares his vision of Open Innovation’s future based on his experience working with companies of all sizes.
Complex semiconductor electronic systems – like the Internet of Things – are only possible by combining widely available hardware and software in innovative new ways. But proving who owns the intellectual property behind these technologies is becoming an increasingly difficult hurdle to clear.
The term “sustainable development” may seem like an oxymoron in mining. But Mark Cutifani, chief executive of global mining leader Anglo American plc, believes technology and innovation can strengthen and sustain the industry’s critical contribution to modern life.
Facebook’s recent purchase of Oculus VR is only the most high-profile acquisition in a growing list of significant investments in virtual reality (VR) technologies. While video gaming is an obvious application, the technology also could impact most industries, including education, health care and manufacturing.
After working in leadership positions for a variety of multinational mining companies, Mark Cutifani in April 2013 became chief executive of UK-headquartered Anglo American plc, one of the world’s largest mining companies and the parent organization of De Beers, the preeminent name in diamonds.
With a booming mining sector, growing clothing and tech businesses and a burgeoning middle class, Africa continues to attract economic investment from abroad. But challenges – from poor electrical generating capacity to extreme income and educational disparity – suggest an uphill climb for the continent’s economic development.
Ali A. Mufuruki, one of Africa’s most outspoken business leaders, is chairman and CEO of his family firm, Infotech Investment Group Limited, and a fellow of the Aspen Institute, a prominent international educational foundation. Compass spoke to him about his perspective on the continent’s challenges and opportunities.
Spider silk’s exceptional toughness, flexibility and biocompatibility make it one of nature’s most remarkable materials. Today, researchers are developing commercial applications and making strides toward mass production of synthetic spider silk.
As gamification begins to gain traction in North American and European classrooms, educators and parents are assessing its contribution to the learning experience.
The children of Boyle Heights, east of Los Angeles, are heirs to a rich Hispanic heritage, but their neighborhood has been plagued by poverty and violence. The i.am.angel Foundation seeks to change all that. Founded by Grammy Award-winning musician will.i.am, the foundation collaborates with government and corporate partners to educate and empower students.
The Solar Impulse team created the only airplane “able to fly day and night on solar power, without a drop of fuel.” Compass spoke to project co-founders and pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg about challenging the limits of sustainable transportation.
Since 2007, Japan has been wild for artist Hatsune Miku. Her claim to fame? She is virtual. Songwriters, lyricists and choreographers are partnering with programmers, graphic designers and 3D animators to breathe life into this digital being. Now an international star, is she a passing fad or a social trend?
Pablo Picasso once said, “When I was their age I drew like Raphael, but it took an entire lifetime to learn to draw like a child again.” For Sébastien Cailleux, these words resonate in every project from École d’Art au Village (EDAAV).
From bass player in the British band Funkapolitan to internationally acclaimed furniture designer, Tom Dixon’s path to success has been unconventional – in fact, he says he fell into design by accident when he taught himself to weld. Compass talked with Dixon to discover what inspires the man that international home decor tradeshow MAISON&OBJET named Designer of the Year 2014.
The technology landscape shifts constantly, but the changes happening today – supported by the cloud’s innovative technology and processes – are transforming the ways companies do business. As small companies grow skilled in harnessing the cloud’s advantages, large companies are discovering that each day they delay may be costing them competitive advantage.
A lot can be said for the advantages of adding (or subtracting) infrastructure and software in seconds, a benefit only available on the cloud. Here are some others:
Architecture is a highly collaborative business. Keeping numerous stakeholders – owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, utilities, permitting agencies, fabricators, suppliers and subcontractors – on the same page is a daunting task.
Information Technology has entered a new era with the advent of “Third- Platform” technologies. The first platform was the era of mainframe and terminals, the second the era of LAN/ Internet and client/server. Now, in 2014, we have entered the Third Platform: the era of cloud computing, mobility, big data/analytics, and social business.
Because cloud providers support hundreds of businesses, they should be able to afford better security than any one business can, just as a bank vault provides better security than a home safe. But security varies widely from provider to provider, so due diligence is advised.
IT is facing unprecedented change, brought on by trends that allow users to cheaply and easily deploy their own cloud-based software and services. In such an environment, IT’s role shifts to that of partner, helping users improve their productivity through technology.
Many people have difficulty believing that a currency created by a computer geek can have real value, but 75 “crypto-currencies” are available today and they’re being exchanged for actual goods and services – including some that are illegal. Compass looks at the attractions and drawbacks of virtual currencies and their evolution to date.
Drones are widely used for everything from military reconnaissance to weather forecasting. Today, these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are poised to revolutionize the commercial sector. With applications ranging from autonomous parcel deliveries to agricultural research, drones are leading a new era in aviation – if regulators can agree on how to ensure their safe operation.
By awarding the prize to three scientists who pioneered the use of computers, the 2013 Nobel jury in chemistry recognized the fundamental contribution of digital modeling to laboratory research. Compass talked to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel about their breakthrough research.
3D printing is revolutionizing global industrial manufacturing, but it’s also being adopted to create human tissues. Researchers are dedicated to finding a way to produce desperately needed human organs in the lab, including kidneys, livers and hearts.
With foreign aid and philanthropy depleted by years of austerity, a new type of investment is gaining momentum, offering market-rate returns to help solve some of the world’s most intractable social problems. Known as Impact Investing, it collected investments of US$3.8 billion in 2013 and is projected to reach US$400 billion by 2023.
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are poised to create massive societal impacts while transforming urban landscapes and national economies. From the work we do to how our cars express our personal styles, the automobile’s traditional impact on society is about to fundamentally change.
This fall, the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation will spread its glass wings in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. This epic project is guided by two overarching themes: the celebration of visual art and the creativity of meeting a unique technological challenge.
Training technicians and engineers involves costly, fragile and sometimes hazardous equipment. The alternative? Virtual labs. Based on digital technology, these labs have become powerful learning tools, allowing students and teachers to overcome the constraints of the physical world to train safely.
School systems from Australia to Uruguay are investing heavily to make new technology available to students. But education experts agree such programs often overlook a vital component to successful deployment: training teachers how to use the technology and integrate it into their lessons.
T. E. “Ed” Schlesinger, dean of engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, believes that an era of autonomous vehicles will arrive within the next 15-20 years. Schlesinger, who founded General Motors-Carnegie Mellon Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab before joining Johns Hopkins, is an expert in engineering systems for driverless cars.
While experts envision a near-future of driverless cars, Toyota believes the technology’s adoption will come more slowly than predicted. To bridge the gap, Toyota emphasizes an incremental, step-by-step approach to redefining the relationship between car and driver. Compass reports on Toyota’s recent media demo.
Lockheed Martin Executive Chairman Bob Stevens retired as chairman and CEO of the world’s largest aerospace company at the end of 2013, after 10 years at the helm. He leaves a legacy of leadership, innovation, and an astute sense for guiding a large enterprise through challenging times in the pursuit of excellence.
Large aerospace manufacturers are requiring small suppliers to share more of the business risks and financial investments associated with development and production programs – all in an environment that requires the highest levels of quality and reliability, meticulous adherence to promised dates of delivery and year-on-year cost reductions.
As the polar ice cap thins and recedes, ship owners eye a trek through the Arctic as a means to slash fuel costs, emissions and time in transit. Though Arctic ship traffic is increasing, significant logistical, technical and political hurdles remain before the promise of the Northern Sea Route significantly impacts global shipping patterns.
SEEMP. ECA. EEDI. BWTS. Regardless of the acronym, these regulations spell “m-o-n-e-y” for the owners and operators of commercial ships. Although the new rules are intended to increase ship efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ship experts debate whether spending more on ship design and construction can be recouped through lower operating costs.
The contribution of shale gas to the US economic recovery is giving rise to dreams of “cheap energy” on a world scale. But experts agree that extending this boom requires the development of more efficient and environmentally safe recovery solutions.
By 2015, coal is set to take over oil’s position as the world’s leading fossil fuel, a major comeback driven by emerging economies and the development of less polluting and more economical “clean coal” technologies.
Take three brothers’ unique culinary skills, add a generous pinch of passion, blend avant-garde techniques with traditional Catalonian flavors, and what do you get? El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain – the highest ranked restaurant in Restaurant Magazine’s 2013 list of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” and holder of three Michelin stars. Compass spoke to head chef Joan Roca to discover the secret ingredient to the success he has created with brothers Josep (wine director) and Jordi (pastry chef).
Technology is many things to many people. For some it is a tool to achieve corporate success, for others it provides a way of furthering knowledge. For new-media design company ART+COM, technology is a design tool, but it also serves as a medium to convey meaning and foster interaction with others.
The relationship between government and business is often adversarial, but each could benefit from the other in the field of cybersecurity. Can these two powerful interests learn to get along for the common good?
After a spectacular ten-year run, economic growth in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) is slowing, and multinationals are eager to anticipate where the next investment opportunities will arise. Different financial analysts have attempted to create the next basket of countries – but as quickly as those lists are created, governments fall and fresh uncertainties occur.
Raytheon Company Chairman and CEO Bill Swanson, who is stepping down as CEO at the end of March, 2014, has developed a few simple rules during his 41 years in the aerospace and defense industry: Apply discipline to everything, model performance to ensure outcomes and – if you really want to keep your shareholders happy – always give customers more than they expect.
Technology shifts are allowing information to be easily shared across multiple platforms, devices, and data centers. While these capabilities facilitate speed, convenience and efficiency, they also create the high risk of being hacked, spied on or robbed.
We’re in a situation where the bad guys can hack any system if they really want and if they have a big enough budget. Most IT security solutions are not ready to guarantee adequate protection for these types of attacks: The value of information is many times more than the cost to steal it.
As cybersecurity becomes a more widespread challenge, demand for experts skilled in recognizing the data patterns that signal the presence of an intruder are expected to skyrocket – along with the competition to hire them.
Early in 2013, US Attorney General Eric Holder issued a report on online theft in which he said that companies fall into two categories: Those who have been hacked and know it, and those who have been hacked and don’t know it.
You’ve been hacked, your systems are back in your control – and now the real work begins. What are your legal obligations if your company is publicly traded? How do you balance the need for full disclosure with the need to survive? Be prepared for some of the toughest decisions of your career.
The flipped classroom is a teaching model that reverses the traditional roles of classroom time and homework. Students watch short video lectures at home in place of traditional homework, while class time is devoted to hands-on experiences and projects. Adoption so far has been fruitful, but success doesn’t come without a challenge.
In an increasingly digital world, computer science is the key to global competitiveness and well-paying jobs. Yet experts agree that too few school systems around the world are preparing primary and secondary-school students adequately for careers in the field. A growing number of educators, legislators and advocacy groups, however, are working to change that pattern.
When developing a new product, many corporations will innovate in-house. Some, however, have transformed their approach and are choosing to capitalize on the abundance of technology, resources and human expertise available in government research and development agencies.
While some teenage girls spend their days obsessing over the latest movie release or boy band, Brittany Wenger pursues a very different passion – diagnosing, and perhaps curing, cancer with complex computer programs she created after teaching herself to write the code.
As robots begin to comfort disaster survivors, care for children and the elderly and serve as companions for the lonely, they increasingly offer the promise – and risk – of redefining human-machine relationships.
Using 3D digital reconstruction and simulation, marine archaeologists are revolutionizing the way they prepare for deep-sea missions – and creating remarkable views of neverbefore-seen archaeological treasures. Compass talked to marine archaeologist Michel L’Hour to discover how the technology is being applied to a ship that sank during Louis XIV’s reign.
Internet technologies have enabled the widespread sharing of digital products such as films and music. But that trend has also extended to physical items, with people choosing to share goods that include food, cars, and even real estate. Is it good for the community or a detriment to our personal space?
As regulators demand transparency and shareholders push for improved efficiency, financial services companies still rely on cumbersome manual processes in many key aspects of their business. To make all of their activities as efficient and visible as routine transactions, banks need unified systems that can handle both processes and documentation digitally.
As the global population ages, demand to bring safe yet innovative new products to market faster and more affordably is growing, challenging life science companies and regulatory authorities alike to reinvent approval processes for development of drugs and devices.
Amin Rajan, chief executive of CREATE-Research, a research boutique based in London, UK, orks with financial institutions in general and asset managers in particular to improve their innovation processes. Rajan’s latest study focuses on innovation challenges for asset managers who invest US$65 trillion in assets worldwide, yet lag in innovation. In an interview with Compass, Rajan spelled out his recommendations for adapting to this new era.
With increasingly sophisticated products, supply chains and customer expectations, industrial-equipment manufacturers are experiencing intense pressure to deliver. Compass spoke with Cambashi founder Mike Evans about strategies to manage the industry’s growing complexity.
The color of products, their packaging and their surroundings can have a major impact on their success in the marketplace. Consumer packaged goods manufacturers continue to refine their color choices, working hard to deliver the intended message about their products.
Increasingly, medical researchers are using sophisticated modeling and simulation software to collate and capitalize on vast stores of biological data and generate new insights about the complex systems and physiological interactions of the human body. From modeling bone and muscle to simulating the human heart and brain, groundbreaking new treatments are on the horizon.
Steam, electricity and electronics powered the first three industrial revolutions. Now the Internet is driving Industry 4.0, which is revolutionizing industrial equipment and the services that support it with connected, intelligent machine capabilities that can earn profits of up to 30% for machine builders.
CEOs are rethinking their global manufacturing footprints, locating plants and R&D facilities as close as possible to major customers and preparing for a new wave of technologies that could transform the shop floor. To seize the future, they must persuade their organizations to experiment at a time when risk control is paramount.
Several western companies have made headlines by “reshoring” manufacturing jobs previously offshored to countries with lower labor costs. The new jobs require higher skill sets than the ones they replace, however. As US-based Master Lock discovered, finding workers to fill them is a challenge.
The equation for deciding where to locate manufacturing on either side of the Pacific Ocean is shifting. With the opening of China decades ago, the labor cost differential was so big, and communications had improved so dramatically, that you could make a lot of money. The cost differential was anywhere from 30-to-1 to 100-to-1 in terms of labor costs. I could shift production to China, and even if it took three times as many people, or ten times as many, I was still ahead. We saw dramatic decreases in costs for sneakers, electronics and many other products. Massive numbers of jobs were offshored.
SIR JAMES DYSON is the founder and chief executive of Dyson Ltd., makers of the Dyson Ball line of bagless vacuums, plus blade-free fans, near-instantaneous hand dryers and other innovative products.
3D printing – a technology that builds products layer by layer rather than milling or forming them from metal or plastic – is beginning to earn its place in everyday use at some of the world’s largest manufacturers. As the technology becomes more powerful and less expensive, the potential to locate small factories everywhere for everything from automobiles to fashion, even for a market of one, becomes a distinct possibility.
After years of dependence on tried-and-tested technology, the payments industry is on the cusp of a revolution. With attractive “digital wallet” options being unveiled by PayPal, VISA, MasterCard and others, the technology clearly has potential. Consumer adoption, however, is the true test of success. Will consumers embrace digital wallets?
Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth is the driving force behind the transformation of two of the world’s most iconic British automobile brands: Land Rover and Jaguar. Since he took the helm in 2010, Speth has focused on achieving profitable, sustained growth.
A barrage of materials-compliance regulations is springing up worldwide, challenging manufacturers to be proactive in protecting revenues, avoiding fines, and maintaining product quality. Some, however, have transformed their approach to the regulations from a burdensome compliance “chore” into a competitive advantage.
The cost of determining an individual’s genetic code with DNA sequencing has fallen sharply. As a result, testing individual patients for diseases caused by single-gene mutations has become common place, but genetic “cures” for complex and chronic diseases remain out of reach. To bridge the gap, projects around the globe are sequencing large groups of individuals in search of patterns – and raising significant ethical questions in the process.
The global population is aging at an unprecedented rate. Yet many companies are slow to confront implications of the coming wave of retirements. Success hinges on grooming future employees – while retaining the wisdom of older workers.
An electric car. A business name. A cure for cancer. All of these challenges call for creative problem solving. Traditionally, organizations have engaged experts to do the work. But an increasingly popular—and sometimes controversial—technique called “crowdsourcing” leverages the Internet to tap vast pools of global intelligence.
Global examination statistics reflect measurable differences between the academic achievements of boys and girls, and boys are lagging. By using electronic tables and interactive games in the classroom, however, educators have new tools to help boys reach their full academic potential.
Engineering — it’s a man’s world, but Stanford-trained engineer Debbie Sterling aims to change that with her newly launched GoldieBlox line of engineering toys for girls. Yes, they’re cute. Yes, they’re pretty. But it’s the storybook that goes with every building project that taps girls’ strong verbal skills, making GoldieBlox uniquely tuned to the way girls learn.
Universal education is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2000. The aim is that by 2015, every boy and girl around the world will have access to a full course of primary school education. But recent reports indicate that this goal won’t be achieved in the three years that remain.
Speeding design and manufacture with virtual tests of advanced composites
Retirements and downsizing threaten Aerospace & Defense knowledge base
Easing urban congestion for a better city experience
Loic Le Meur is the founder of LeWeb, reportedly Europe’s biggest Internet event. LeWeb’s 2012 theme was the “Internet of Things,” the idea that every object can be Web-enabled. Compass spoke to Le Meur about how the ability to connect everything may revolutionize life.
As the world’s population grows, demand for food, water and natural resources like oil, gas and minerals does, too. The seas provide a largely untapped resource that is simply waiting to be harvested. The Marine & Offshore industry is bringing innovation, plus a renewed environmental focus, to that quest.
The oceans are playing a vital role in globalization of the world’s economy, making this century the most maritime-focused in history.
The world’s population has passed 7 billion on its way to 10 billion around 2100, based on estimates from the United Nations. Coupled with increased industrialization in developing countries, this growth guarantees escalating demand for energy. But where will it come from, and in what form? Worldwide, every country is answering that question differently.
Ongoing developments indicate wind energy has a future
It takes a perfectionist to catch every minute detail on an image with a magnifying glass. Every pixel counts. But Mike Campau goes beyond perfectionism. He takes a photographer’s picture and uses his imaging skills to transform it into frozen-in-time moments of virtual, altered, or heightened reality. His creative process begins with an idea that can evolve in unpredictable ways, and sometimes leads to surprising results.
Dame Zaha Hadid is internationally recognized as an innovator in avant-garde architecture that interprets the complex life around it.
With the growth of big data, social media, and location-based services tied to shoppers’ smartphones, the retail industry is facing an IT upheaval. For a peek into the future, Compass talked to perennial retail IT innovator Michael Relich, COO of the fashion-forward Guess brand.
Crowd funding, a new form of raising capital for start-up companies, has gained traction during the global recession. Established financiers – including angels and venture capitalists – minimize its potential to become a major part of the global financial ecosystem. But those who are building their companies with the new technique are quick to disagree.
The world once depended on the United States for the rare earth elements required in advanced applications. Over the past 15 years, however, dependence has shifted to China, leaving some manufacturers feeling vulnerable. From developing competing sources of supply to finding alternative materials, governments and businesses are working to broaden the supply of rare earth elements.
Carbon nanotube technology shows promise as a potential replacement for silicon in the fabrication of semiconductor chips, but it is not the only technology vying for that honor. With silicon approaching its physical limits, the desire for alternatives is high, and investors everywhere are eager for a front-runner to emerge.
In an increasingly “always on” world, connected consumers are using the power of information to drive prices down and services up – and their expectations for stellar experiences with everything from retail to healthcare will only increase as smart devices proliferate. To keep up with the pace of change in the connected world, enterprises must transform unprecedented data complexity into operational simplicity while generating the rich insights and responsive service certain to delight even the most demanding customers.
In today’s fast-paced environment, market needs change so quickly that staying connected to the customer is critical. We learned this lesson the difficult way when our first definition of the Airbus A350 didn’t suit our customers. This gave our competitor the lead in an environment of massive competition. We had to close the gap, which is when we developed the A350 XWB (extra-wide body).
The cloud, like many new technologies transforming business and society, is gaining significant traction. With cloud’s clear advantages in terms of costs and flexibility, the biggest challenge most companies face now is deciding how to integrate the cloud’s varied services with existing operations.
Historically, we have designed companies like we design machines. We need the company to perform a certain function, so we design and build it to perform that function. But once a machine’s purpose has been set, it has no way to adjust to new situations; it just becomes obsolete.
An automotive supplier uses a social innovation tool to unite its employees worldwide in dreaming up the automotive electronics of tomorrow. A mining company “explores” unmined ore deposits in 3D. A global economic development lender uses a dynamic search tool to “mine” past projects for insights that will make future projects more successful. From New York to New Zealand, innovative companies are employing intuitive digital tools to increase their operational agility and empower employees to serve customers better.
Around the world, communities are working to preserve their local culture against the threat of homogenization. However, globalization and digital communication – the same forces that are driving standardization – could also help to create an evolving, multicultural experience.
Developing and advancing talented women promises significant economic benefits. Studies show that companies with a higher proportion of women on their management committees are the best performers. But top circles of corporate and government leadership remain male bastions, and governments across Europe are adopting legislation to force equality.
Finnish, Korean and Canadian schools consistently lead international comparisons of top-performing educational systems. The common denominator? High regard for the teaching profession and individualized learning tailored to each student.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have taken the education world by storm, promising to deliver rich content to a significant number of people via the Web – for free. While students are signing up in droves and employers are beginning to take notice, educational experts question whether courses without certifications deliver any real value.
Marie-Claude Pietragalla is an emblematic figure in the world of dance and choreography. Together with Julien Derouault, an astounding dancer, she has created a unique world, designed as the setting for choreographic experimentation and exploration in “théâtre du corps” (body theater). She is a contemporary artist who draws inspiration from modern society, yet remains open to historical influences by creating a link with the present to explore the art of movement.
Until recently, the construction industry has suffered a technology bypass, relying on centuries-old processes and procedures to manage complex modern projects. Today, however, the same software applications that make manufacturing industries efficient are being deployed in building construction. Compass spoke with leading construction industry consultant Dr. Perry Daneshgari about why the industry must evolve.
Balfour Beatty, which employs about 50,000 people worldwide, is recognized as a world-class infrastructure lifecycle services business. Compass spoke with Dr. Chris Millard, business efficiency director at Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Division, about integrated project delivery and collaborative construction.
As the e-commerce experience continues to improve, it is tougher than ever to attract shoppers to physical stores – and those who do visit the store often buy online. To make their physical sites work, retailers are struggling to redefine their stores as appealing destinations not only for test-driving a product, but also for buying it.
With the use of PCs, tablets and mobile phones becoming almost universal in developed economies, the rules of the retail game are rapidly changing. Customers expect the same rich experience no matter how they shop, with access that is available whenever and wherever they choose – and retailers are scrambling to deliver.
John Blyler writes, teaches and speaks on technology, science and science fiction, and serves as chief content officer of Chip Design, Solid State Technology and Embedded Intel Solutions magazines. He is an affiliate professor of systems engineering at Portland State University, teaching graduate-level programs. Compass recently spoke to Blyler about trends in high tech.
From early concept to distribution, high-tech companies choreograph dizzying volumes of information and actions to deliver new products to consumers on ever-shrinking schedules. To manage the New Product Introduction (NPI) challenge, high-tech manufacturers are adopting new tools and processes and developing new ideas about the very nature of their organizations.
Today’s economic environment has fundamentally altered commodity demand and prices, making it more difficult for mining companies to predict future patterns. Although long-term demand for natural resources, particularly by industrializing nations, is expected to rise, short-term pressures are forcing companies to examine their operations.
The mining industry has some catching up to do, according to Rick Howes, CEO of Dundee Precious Metals. He says that compared to other industries, mining is decades behind in technology adoption. But he thinks mining companies can take control of their operations with a better set of tools and processes.
Many artists are particular about how curators install their artwork. Ghanaian artist El Anatsui is not one of them. “Giving people freedom to reconfigure my works each time they are displayed allows them to take on a new shape,” he explained in a recent interview.
In the 21st century, industry is no longer a means of production, but a process of value creation.
A dreamer no longer needs physical hardware and software to design and engineer their vision. A maker no longer needs a physical laboratory to produce their goods. With minimal investment, from a computer or tablet, a modern-day da Vinci can not only design and engineer a flying machine on the cloud, but make it too, sending the model to a 3D printer anywhere in the world with a single click.
