What's Emerging November 2020
A newsletter on interesting stuff that is emerging around the world so you can think about strategy
Introduction
Welcome to our end of November newsletter.
In the next few weeks, as usual we generally slow down for the summer as boards and senior executive teams are generally not keen on starting any major foresight projects when some people will be away part of the time over the next 8 weeks. Therefore the concentration will be on reading and writing, and building a new consultation model for next year. Paul will continue to work on the project looking at the industrialisation of robots and building a consortium model to new organisational approaches in the not for profit sector.
If you want to talk about the use of foresight in your strategy for 2021 then please Contact Us. We can make a start on planning in December or we can book a slot for the work in the new year.
Meanwhile there are two things we would like to bring to your attention:
Paul has supported the fantastic 100 Story Building Team Early Harvest project which publishes a book written and edited by children to improve literacy skills. If you wanted to join with him you can do so at their fund raising page.
The Churchill Club (where Paul is a committee member) are holding an online event on the importance of edge computing called Living on the Edge. The first five readers to contact us will receive a free ticket to the event.
The Emergent Futures Team
In case you missed it. The most popular link from the last edition:
Mendooran grower Pete Rothwell explains how data driven decision making is paying off
There is no secret recipe or unusual approach to the 300 hectare crop that judges of a recent canola competition predicted may yield in excess of six tonnes to the hectare and awarded first place. It's just the culmination of a number of on-farm changes Mendooran's Pete Rothwell has been making on the 1600ha property in the past seven years that are producing big rewards. Traditionally the property was only focused on winter cropping and something was always grown each year. Paul: An interesting story on using data to not do something. Very hard for farmers to sit and watch empty paddocks but more of this is happening and leading to greater overall profitability. This has wider implications than agriculture…….Read more
What are we Writing About?
Paul has written a scenario on how vaccine availability for COVID-19 may cause another crisis. You can go to our HOME PAGE and look under our latest work to read it.
What’s Emerging?
Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment, free delivery for Prime members
Amazon has been quietly building out its pharmacy offering for several years after ramping up internal discussions in 2017 and acquiring PillPack in 2018. Amazon Pharmacy, is the company’s biggest push yet into $300 billion market, and threatens the dominance of traditional pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, as well as other large retailers that offer pharmacy services, including Walmart..…. Read More
In September 2020, for the first time in European history, registrations for electrified vehicles overtook diesel
JATO Dynamic’s data for 27 markets in Europe shows that the total number of electrified cars registered in September (encompassing pure electric, plug-in hybrids, full hybrids and mild hybrids) was higher than the number of registrations for diesel cars. For the first time in the modern era, alternative-fuelled-vehicles outsold one of the two internal combustion engine (ICE) types. This marks significant change – for just five years ago, diesel cars were a dominant player in Europe.....…. Read more
Hopin raises $125 million at $2.1 billion valuation as virtual events become the norm
The company has grown from eight employees, 5,000 registered users, and 1,800 client organizations eight months ago to 200 employees, 3.5 million users, and 50,000 organizations today. And it plans to make a further 150 hires by the end of the year. …. Read more
Singapore, Saudi companies push Indian solar tariffs to record low
The Indian units of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries Ltd and Saudi Arabia-based Aljomaih Holding Co won government auctions to sell solar power for a record low of 2 rupees ($0.0270) per kilo watt hour (kWh), sources said. ….. Read more
The New Wave of Fishless Fish Is Here
Food scientists and marketers are creating healthy, plant-based, imitation tuna, crab, and shrimp that look and taste like the real thing.…. Read more
Amazon Wants to Get Even Closer
In the pursuit of surveillance as a service, Jeff Bezos is intent on recording even our moods. How much personal data is too much to give to Amazon? (Paul: This is way too much).…. Read more
AAA Study Finds Flaws with Driver Assistance Technology
Although it’s designed to make you safer on the road, AAA is warning drivers to be cautious when trusting certain vehicle technology. What’s called “active driving assistance” is designed to automate certain aspects of driving. However, AAA researchers warn that this system is far from 100% reliable.…..…. Read more
Far-right terrorism grows in West as global deaths from attacks hit five-year low
Global deaths from terrorism have fallen for a fifth consecutive year, according to the 2020 Global Terrorism Index, but in the past decade a new threat has been emerging, with far-right attacks increasing significantly in many regions. ..…. Read more
Best Buy partners with Instacart for same-day delivery across the entire US
The partnership is a big deal for Instacart, which has gradually expanded beyond its initial grocery delivery ambitions to include delivery of all manner of goods from many types of different retailers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for delivery of everything from home supplies to groceries to hot meals has skyrocketed, giving Instacart and its rivals huge revenue boosts and the means to continue expanding. For Best Buy, it’s a way to tap into the ease of on-demand delivery while also leaning on companies with the resources and technical expertise to manage the complex logistical side of the operation in ways traditional package carriers cannot.....…. Read more
159,000 Teslas doomed to fail due to worn out memory chips
Around 159,000 Tesla Model S and Model X‘s built between 2012 and 2018 are at risk of experiencing sensor problems and component failures due to the eMMC NAND storage in the car’s infotainment system reaching the end of its useful life. Tesla has issued an update to mitigate the situation, for now ….Read more
Beyond Meat Has Reworked Its Flagship Burgers to Cut Fat and Calories, Boost Nutrients
The new versions of the Beyond burgers, which will replace the existing recipe, are set to launch early next year in groceries and restaurants. The upgrade promises less fat, fewer calories, and added vitamins and minerals (Paul: given there was considerable concern here this is an important step).…. Read more
Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological disorders: Exploring mitochondrial transplantation
Translation: Mitochondria are fundamental for metabolism in cells. In the nervous system, they are required to establish appropriate electrochemical gradients and reliable synaptic transmission. Notably, several mitochondrial defects have been identified in central nervous system neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease, as well as ischemic stroke. Being able to transplant them could be a game changer.…. Read more
Robotaxis Can Now Collect Cash Money From Passengers In California
More than a dozen companies have long been approved to test out self-driving cars in California. Now, they can also charge passengers if they launch a robotaxi service.
On Thursday, November 19, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved both the ability to launch robotaxi services and charge for them after many months of these companies — such as Cruise, Waymo, Aurora Innovation, Pony.ai, and Zoox — lobbying for such policies.Of course, the companies still have to jump through various stacks of paperwork in order to be granted such approvals…..Read more
Spotify Acquires Megaphone, A Top Podcast Ad And Publishing Platform, For $235M
Spotify is on a tear of acquisitions and spending to build a new business model away from music The deal is the second-largest of 2020 in the expanding realm of podcasting, after the $325 million acquisition of Stitcher by SiriusXM..… Read more
Business Tips
Jeff Bezos: Here’s how I make Amazon’s highest-stakes decisions
In an excerpt from a new collection of his writings, Amazon’s CEO says that his secret is making fewer, better decisions—and thinking three years out (Paul: I really like the concept of one way door decisions here)…..Read more
Wardley Mapping Spotlight - Marcus Guest
Paul: Regular readers will know that I am a big fan of Wardley Mapping for thinking about the future and strategy. I am working with Marcus and Simon in a group looking at the industrialisation of robots and how that might change organisational practice. Marcus’ take here is well worth watching. If you want to look at how to utilise Wardley maps in your business strategy then please contact us.
How to Recover Quickly from a Quadriceps Strain - Marathon Training Academy
Paul: Obviously not a business tip but I fell off our front steps while painting the front of the house 10 days ago and tore my right lateral quad muscle. This is a good guide to recovering from such an injury if your suffer a similar fate in the future…. Read more
5 Lessons We Learned From Our Ransomware Attack : DCX Technology
A summary of what happened and what you can do……Read more
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