THE RISE OF PLATFORM BUSINESS
BIG PROFITS FROM BIG DATA
COMPLEMENTARY GROWTH
THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
MATE RIMAC
MACHINES THAT LEARN
UNITING FOR RESILIENCE
CIRCULAR CITIES
ENGINEERING GENDER DIVERSITY
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN 3D
FROM AUTOMATED TO SMART
CUSTOMIZE? NO, MODULARIZE!
BATTLING DATA SILOS
MOBILITY'S FUTURE
DIGITAL CONTINUITY
REGULATORY ALCHEMY
CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION
IN SILICO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
ROB PARSONS AND ANDY BLOOD
#11INDUSTRY
LIFE SCIENCESFROM AUTOMATED TO SMART
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 EQUIPMENTCUSTOMIZE? NO, MODULARIZE!
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.
ENERGY, PROCESS & UTILITIESBATTLING DATA SILOS
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.
TRANSPORTATION & MOBILITYMOBILITY'S FUTURE
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.
TRANSPORTATION & MOBILITYDIGITAL CONTINUITY
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.
FINANCIAL & BUSINESS SERVICESREGULATORY ALCHEMY
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.
FINANCIAL & BUSINESS SERVICESTHE HUMAN TOUCH
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.
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS & RETAILCONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION
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.
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS & RETAILIN SILICO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
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.
#11EDITORIAL
EDITORIALMonica Menghini
Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer
Dassault Systèmes
It is rare for a sequel to do better than the original. But that is precisely what is likely to happen in the case of platform business models.
The B2C platform model – the one that has made companies like Alibaba, Apple, Google and Amazon incredibly rich and influential – is the original story. It appeared in the 1990s. But now the sequel, the B2B platform business model, could end up stealing the show.
SELF-FLYING TAXI
Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang reports that it has successfully tested a flying taxi capable of carrying a single person, with luggage, weighing as much as 220 pounds (100 kg). The electric-powered Ehang 184 can fly at speeds up to 100 mph (161 km/h) for approximately 30 miles (48 km) on a single charge. Passengers choose their destination from a pre-determined list and the vehicle takes off vertically. A security system is designed to automatically land the craft if it detects any malfunction. The Dubai Transport Authority has announced plans to operate Ehang 184s by July 2017.
MUSIC FELT BY THE DEAF
UK-based wearable technology fashion brand CuteCircuit has partnered with Germany's Junge Symphoniker Hamburg Orchestra to bring the joy of music to the deaf and hearing impaired with the Sound Shirt. Blending fashion with interactive technologies, the wireless garment receives software-translated sounds from the various instruments, causing actuators to vibrate at similar frequencies. Each instrument "plays" in a different part of the shirt – bass on the stomach, violins along the arms – allowing the hearing impaired to "feel" the music.
MAKING THE VIRTUAL WORLD MORE REAL
The ability to feel virtual objects just became real thanks to Japanese startup exiii and its haptic device EXOS. Touted as the next interface for the virtual world, EXOS' internal motor sends a reactive force to the user's fingers, reproducing the textures of the real objects depicted by the virtual objects on display. The device's four joints give the wearer sufficient freedom of movement to execute basic gestures like grasping or pinching. EXOS can be used in a variety of applications such as virtual reality gaming, piloting robots and drones, or in the medical field for rehabilitation programs.
A LIVE WIRE HAS PROMISING APPLICATIONS
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered a common microorganism called Geobacter metallireducens that is widespread in the environment, but whose electrical properties enable it to replace electricity-conducting filaments in nanoelectronics. The microbial nanowire is more ecofriendly than existing nanowire materials, which require high temperatures, large amounts of energy and expensive or toxic materials to make. Derek Lovley, who discovered the microorganism's application in nanowires, is working with his team to explore other applications, including medical uses and detection of noxious gases and chemicals in the environment.
ELEVATING BIODIVERSITY TO NEW HEIGHTS
Vertical forest, a term for vegetation that grows out of tall buildings and skyscrapers, was the brainchild of Italian architect Stefano Boeri. Boeri Studio embellished two residential towers in Milan, Italy, with 900 trees and more than 20,000 shrubs and floral plants, positioned based on how the façades of each building are exposed to the sun. The resulting ecosystem absorbs CO2 and dust, produces oxygen, protects humans from the sun's rays and from sound pollution while adding to the city's limited green spaces.