Self-driven ships make a wave

By 2018 there will be fewer container trucks plying Norwegian roads, as Norwegian shipping company Yara is planning to launch unmanned ships to transport cargo between the countries biggest ports.

The first such vessel – Yara Brikeland – is set to launch in 2019 and will be initially manned. By 2020, it will run autonomously, resulting in around 40,000 trucks being taken off the roads.

Will unmanned ships shake up the maritime industry?

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/self-driven-ships-make-a-wave/

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China leads the way with eco-innovation

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/china-leads-the-way-with-eco-innovation/ China is starting to take a leading position in eco-innovation. This has been driven by the country’s large-scale efforts to address pressing environmental challenges, such as in the areas of air pollution and flood control. Many companies are lending support to this cause. For instance, the Beijing subway introduced special vending machines in May last year which reward commuters with discounts on their travel pass when they recycle plastic bottles. In the same year, Nike opened a concept store in Shanghai which was entirely constructed out of trash. The no-glue construction ensured that all materials could be reused in future. Is China ready to remap the path of eco-innovation?

China’s smartphone market reaches saturation mode

Has China’s smartphone market reached its saturation point? As more consumers switch to touchscreen smartphones, growth in the market is becoming upgrade-oriented. Shipment volumes to China fell by 4% during the first quarter of 2015 with a total of 98.8 million devices shipped – the lowest in six years. This drop reflects the changing nature of the country’s smartphone market – most consumers already own a smartphone and will switch only if there is an upgrade. Industry players now rely on tech-savvy consumers who hit the stores right after an upgrade is launched. They must now focus on innovative ways of locking in their consumer pool to maintain sales figures. Will China’s smartphone market bounce back? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/chinas-smartphone-market-reaches-saturation-mode/

Africa's aviation sector opens up

When the African Union (AU) launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) in January this year, it finally opened up Africa’s skies. 23 signatories on board, though another 32 AU members are yet to sign on. SAATM’s launch is a part of AU’s Africa 2063 project, which is a commitment to intra-continent development. If a common regulatory framework is put into place, this could benefit intra-continental travelers immensely, thus boosting commerce and tourism flows among African countries. Will Africa become the world’s next big aviation market? For more information, click here .

Spire celebrates fourth year of success at Telkom Supplier Award 2014

Telkom Indonesia – one of the largest telecommunications services company in Indonesia – hosted its annual Telkom Supplier Award on 20th November 2014 at Bandung, Indonesia. The award ceremony gathered Telkom’s subsidiary, partner companies and suppliers. Spire Research and Consulting was awarded second place in the Best consultant category at Telkom Supplier Award for the fourth time. The token of appreciation was received by Erwin Widjaja, Country Director, Indonesia of Spire Research and Consulting in the presence of Honesti Basyir, Financial Director of Telkom. Spire is delighted to be the continual recipient of this prestigious award and commits to uphold the highest quality of research and consulting outputs for its clients. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-celebrates-fourth-year-of-success-at-telkom-supplier-award-2014/

Take off with solar powered planes

Solar powered planes are now a reality. Initiated by Bertrand Piccard – a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist – Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) is the first solar powered plane due for manufacture at a commercial level. It took 13 years to develop (on March 2015) by a team of approximately 140 people. Built at a cost of USD150 million, Si2 has a 72-meter wingspan and weighs just over two tons. Energy flows a cross four electric motors with over 17,000 solar cells spread across its wings. That is how Si2 covered a distance of 8,500km – nonstop between China to Hawaii – proving the potential of solar flights. The flight took off from China on 31 May 2015, which took approximately 6 days and 5 nights. Not only this, Si2 can fly day and night for weeks, and has unlimited endurance as its solar cells recharge 633 kilogram lithium batteries. Furthermore, if these planes were available on a larger scale, it may save up to 50% of the current global fossil energy consumption and brighten our...

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