What's Emerging end of April 2025
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy.
Welcome to our newsletter for the end of April 2025.
In the next few weeks Paul will continue to work on the strategy implementation consultation process with RSL Victoria and present on the future of AI to a CEO roundtable. He will also be assisting Blue Light Victoria on their strategy and working with the Shrine of Remembrance on reviewing their strategic plan. Paul will also continue working on his new startup which now has partial funding. He will also continue in his role of Chair with venture philanthropy organisation Social Venture Partners Melbourne. This includes launching a new low bono consulting model for the not-for-profit sector which will provide low cost/high value consulting services with all the money generated going to Social Venture Partners Melbourne to continue their pro bono work in the sector.
If you are interested in talking to us about any of our strategy approaches, foresight approaches, workshops, or conference presentations, please Contact Us.
The Emergent Futures Team
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition was (yet again):
Think your specialist is expensive? Look at what others are paying
Mean (average) fees charged by doctors in 17 specialties in Australia for initial face-to-face appointments after a GP referral..……….Read More
What are we Writing About?
Paul has been on holidays so this nothing in this section for this edition.
What’s Emerging
Used EV batteries could power vehicles, houses or even towns – if their manufacturers share vital data
By 2030, around 30,000 tonnes of EV batteries are expected to need disposal or recycling in Australia. By 2040, the figure is projected to be 360,000 tonnes and 1.6 million tonnes by 2050. Is this a problem? Not necessarily. When a battery reaches the end of its life in a vehicle, it’s still got plenty of juice. Together, they could power smaller vehicles, houses or, when daisy-chained, even whole towns........…..Read More
Inside arXiv—the Most Transformative Platform in All of Science
If arXiv were to stop functioning, scientists from every corner of the planet would suffer an immediate and profound disruption. “Everybody in math and physics uses it,” Scott Aaronson, a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, told me. “I scan it every night.”....….….Read more
Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is funding a secretive EV startup based in Michigan called Slate Auto that could start production as soon as next year, according to multiple sources and documents that link the billionaire’s family office to the startup. Slate, which took root in another Bezos-connected company called Re:Build Manufacturing, has been operating quietly since its founding in 2022. The company has hired hundreds of employees while in stealth — many of whom come from Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, and Harley-Davidson. Paul: An interesting approach to manufacturing- complete minimisation ....…..Read More
Temu slashes U.S. ad spending, plummets in App Store rankings after Trump China tariffs
Temu has pulled back on its online ad spending in the U.S. in the wake of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs...............…..Read More
How are US consumers and firms responding to tariffs?
Rapid downward revisions to earnings expectations
New orders falling, capex plans falling
Inventories rising before tariffs......……. Read More(pdf)
Waymo and Toyota Outline Strategic Partnership to Advance Autonomous Driving Deployment
Toyota and Waymo aim to combine their respective strengths to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform....……. Read More
Don’t call it a drone: Zipline’s uncrewed aircraft wants to reinvent retail
Zipline is launching its airborne delivery service for real, rolling it out in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Mesquite ahead of a gradual spread that, if all goes according to plan, will also see its craft landing in Seattle before the end of the year......…..Read more
Unlocking EV charging potential: Revolutionising accessibility by leveraging private chargers
Focusing solely on public infrastructure overlooks a massive, untapped resource: private chargers. In the UK alone, there are approximately 930,000 EV chargers, with the vast majority installed at homes and business premises. This means over 850,000 private chargers remain largely inaccessible to the public. If just 10% of these were made available, it could effectively double the UK’s current public charging capacity.....…..Read more
Business and Other Tips
The Best Fast Chargers for Every Device
The outdated USB chargers clogging store shelves and online listings won’t charge your latest gear as fast as possible. New fast chargers are safe, affordable, and up to three times faster than the old ones many people have had lying around for years.…….Read More
Marketing’s New Middleman: AI Agents
From discovery to decision, large language models are starting to gatekeep the marketing funnel, so brand stewards must learn to speak their language.……….Read More
Tempted to turn on the aircon? Science says use fans until it’s 27°C
Fans still use electricity, but it’s as little as 3% of the electricity used to run air conditioning. That means you can run more than 30 fans with the same amount of energy it takes to run a single aircon unit. A basic pedestal fan is cheap to buy (A$20 to $150), requires no installation and minimal maintenance, and can be easily moved around to keep you cool in any part of your house. Simply turn on the fan as soon as you start feeling slightly warm.………..Read More