Home
Journals Archive
Journals – Main Topics
The Future Now Shows

 

CONTENT

Lead Article

African digital innovators are turning plastic waste into value – but there are gaps
by Seun Kolade, Associate Professor and Muyiwa Oyinlola, Director, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University

Article 01

How to avoid microplastics in your food
by DW Documentary

The Future Now Show

Plastic Pollution Unwrapped - Challenges and Opportunities
with Doug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance

Article 02

Hydrogen Forecast to 2050
by DNV

News about the Future

> Mind-controlled robots now one step closer
> Disposable eco-friendly packaging

Article 03

Next Generation Fluid Filtration
by ECOFARIO

Recommended Book

Influence of Microplastics on Environmental and Human Health:
Key Considerations and Future Perspectives
by Yvonne Lang

Article 04

When Russia and Ukraine eventually restart peace talks, involving women – or not – could be a key factor in an agreement actually sticking
by Briana Mawby, University of San Diego

Climate Change Success Story

Algae

Energy / CO2 / Food / Plastic

Futurist Portrait

Mike Walsh
The Futurist For Leaders

Tags:
Algae, Climate Change, CO2, ENERGY, Filtration,
Fish, FOOD, Fuel, Health, Hydrogen, Microplastic,
Ocean, Packaging, Peace, Plastic, Russia,
South Africa, Ukraine, Waste






Club of Amsterdam Search
Submit your article
Contact
Subscribe

Welcome




Felix B Bopp

Website statistics for
clubofamsterdam.com
January 2021 - September 2022:
Visits: 845,000
Visitors: 181,000

 

Mike Walsh: A time of crisis and change.
We have to reinvent how we serve our customers, clients and communities.
We have to rethink how and where we work. And most importantly,
we have to reimagine our role as leaders.
Now, more than ever, is a time for transformation.


Doug Woodring: All that consumption is growing, unfortunately the waste management systems around the world are not keeping pace as quickly as the consumption and products -- there's a big mismatch.

Briana Mawby: Ukrainian women are leading humanitarian efforts and local peacebuilding -- they should be centered in future formal peace talks, too.

Lead Article

African digital innovators are turning plastic waste into value – but there are gaps
by Seun Kolade, Associate Professor and Muyiwa Oyinlola, Director, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University

 

Seun Kolade

Muyiwa Oyinlola

Seun Kolade, De Montfort University and Muyiwa Oyinlola

 

Plastic pollution is a growing global menace. Between 2010 and 2020, the global production of plastics increased from 270 million tonnes to 367 million tonnes. Every year, more than 12 million tonnes of plastics end up in the world’s oceans, with severe consequences for marine life. When macro plastics degrade into micro-plastics, they easily contaminate the food chain and pose significant threats to human health via inhalation and ingestion.

By 2030, plastic waste is expected to double to 165 million tonnes in African countries. Most of this will be in Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

A significant proportion of the plastic that ends up on African shores is produced in developed, industrialised countries. By 2010, it was estimated that close to 4.4 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste was in oceans and seas off the coast of Africa every year. A 2022 estimate has put this number at 17 million tonnes.

Growing numbers of NGOs and innovators across the continent are responding to the challenge. They are developing digital solutions to reduce plastic waste generation, and promoting reuse and recyling of plastic products. Increasingly, African tech hubs are incorporating environmental sustainability in their business models.

In our recent paper, we highlight ongoing efforts and innovations in what is called the plastic value chain. This comprises four phases, from the design of plastic products to manufacture, use, and end of life.

We found a number of initiatives that are transforming the plastic value chain into a smart, innovative and sustainable network. Most aim to improve plastic identification, collection, transport, sorting, processing and reuse. Some focus on the earlier phases: design and production of plastic products.

A whole value chain approach to the circular plastic economy is very important. While the majority of plastic waste management activities tend to focus on the use and end-of-life phases, more attention needs to be given to design and manufacture. This is where the problem of plastic waste begins.

Worldwide, attention is turning to designing simpler and standardised products that are easier to recyle and reuse.

 

Innovators cracking the code

A Nigerian software company, Wecyclers, operates a rewards-for-recycling platform. It offers incentives to individuals and households in low-income communities to make money and capture value from recyclable plastic waste.

Via the platform, waste collectors are connected to a fleet of locally assembled waste cargo vehicles. They use these to collect waste from subscribing households. These households are also rewarded according to the quantity of waste collected from them.

The collected waste is deposited in designated locations in the Lagos metropolis, to be collected in bulk by recyclers. This provides materials to manufacturers who turn it into new items like tissue paper, stuffing for bedding, plastic furniture, aluminium sheets and nylon bags.

The impact is significant on many levels. Firstly, by linking waste generating households with waste collectors in their neighbourhoods, the Wecycler model simplifies the logistics of collection and sorting at source, at practically no cost to households. Secondly, it enables households not only to mitigate the public health risks associated with plastic waste accumulation and mismanagement, but also to generate income. Finally, it elongates the end-of-life phase in the plastic value chain through recycling and potential reuse.

In Uganda, Yo Waste, a technology start-up, has developed a mobile, cloud-based solution that connects waste generators to the nearest waste haulers in their community. Yo Waste improves the efficiency of scheduling and waste collection. It also helps waste collection companies measure the productivity of their trucks, and gives recyclers easier access to the plastic waste.

In Zambia, Recyclebot is connecting waste sellers to waste buyers via a crowdsourcing platform that aggregates waste by type and location. In effect, the plastic waste producers dispose of their waste for free, and waste buyers overcome the cost of separation, transfer and storage.

While these are promising innovations, the main challenge is scaling. This is slow on the continent. Start-ups in the recycling industry face additional challenges like inadequate funding and an under-developed plastic market that offers limited opportunities for growth and income generation.

A significant proportion of the funds accessed by start-ups is provided as grants from international and local organisations. Pure business investments are rare, and policy interventions are way behind the curve.

 

What can be done

To accelerate the transition to a circular plastic economy, stakeholders from across a spectrum of organisations must work together. They include NGOs, cooperatives, think tanks and community groups. The current approach to tackle plastic waste on the continent remains scattered and inadequately co-ordinated. While efforts are being made to develop new ecosystems in many countries, key stakeholders are often missing.

In particular, African governments have a key role to play. They need to commit more to strategic investment in infrastructure, incentives and support for start-ups. African countries also need policy interventions to grow the market for circular plastic products at national and continent-wide levels.

In another study, we argued that innovators must tailor their strategies to create innovations that are functional and easy to use. This will make it easier for ordinary consumers and the general public to accept them. In turn it will help change habits of consumption and expand the market for circular plastic products.

Digital innovators, as early adopters, are critical for driving changes in the way the plastics economy works across the continent. Their innovations are also leading to knowledge exchange and cross-sectoral collaborations.

However, they also face significant institutional challenges and infrastructural limitations that are slowing down the pace of progress. By working together and pooling resources, stakeholders can achieve an impact that is much greater than the sum of their individual initiatives and contributions towards a circular plastic economy in Africa.

Seun Kolade, Associate professor, De Montfort University and Muyiwa Oyinlola, Director, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University

 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

CONTENT

Article 01

How to avoid microplastics in your food
by DW Documentary

 

Food lover Nazrudin Rahman is shocked to hear that microplastics are in our food, water and air. Here’s how the cooking show host discovers how to enjoy his food again – and keep his family healthy.

Malaysian food show host Nazrudin Rahman thinks a lot about what his family eats. He sets off on a journey to learn more about an almost invisible problem: tiny plastic particles in his lunch and dinner. He discovers that the problem is closely connected to waste disposal and doesn’t just involve food. He’d better kick out some of the products in his bathroom as well.

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENT

The Future Now Show

Plastic Pollution Unwrapped - Challenges and Opportunities
with Doug Woodring

Doug Woodring has a unique business focus on the future of plastic sustainability, and how solutions, innovations, materials and opportunities can be scaled, for a world with a reduced waste footprint.He talks on the future of plastic, and where the leaders are going with design, innovation, materials, recycling and solutions, for a world with a reduced waste footprint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credits

Doug Woodring
Founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance
eanrecov.org
Lead Expert for the Rebound Plastic Exchange
the Global Trading Platform for RECYCLED PLASTIC
reboundplasticexchange.com

Felix B Bopp
Producer of The Future Now Show
clubofamsterdam.com

The Future Now Show
clubofamsterdam.com/the-future-now-show

You can find The Future Now Show also at

LinkedIn: The Future Now Show Group
YouTube: The Future Now Show Channel

CONTENT

Article 02

Hydrogen Forecast to 2050
by DNV

 

 

Discover DNV’s forecast for a most likely hydrogen future to mid-century, across production, transport, and end use. Get insights into factors crucial to scaling hydrogen, including policy, regulations, safety, and investment.

Hydrogen Forecast to 2050
DNV’s first dedicated hydrogen forecast to 2050 provides new and expanded hydrogen findings from our Energy Transition Outlook model – exploring the outlook globally, regionally, and by sector. We combine this with the knowledge we have gained in our projects, research and development.

We find that hydrogen is essential to a clean energy future, but many questions remain around hydrogen’s large-scale use as an energy carrier. We explore these – through both forecast and insights – in our latest research:

Forecast

When, where and by how much will hydrogen scale?
In which sectors will hydrogen and derivatives be used? And where will they not be used?
How will hydrogen be transported and traded?
What will be spent on hydrogen through to 2050?

Insights

Which policies and strategies can best accelerate the scaling of hydrogen?
What can be done to reduce risk and increase the attractiveness of hydrogen investments?
How can hydrogen safety and perception challenges be overcome?
Which hydrogen value chains will be successful, which won’t? What are the pioneering examples?

download a copy of DNV’s latest hydrogen research

 

DNV is the independent expert in risk management and assurance, operating in more than 100 countries. Through its broad experience and deep expertise DNV advances safety and sustainable performance, sets industry benchmarks, and inspires and invents solutions.

Whether assessing a new ship design, optimizing the performance of a wind farm, analyzing sensor data from a gas pipeline or certifying a food company’s supply chain, DNV enables its customers and their stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence.

Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV helps tackle the challenges and global transformations facing its customers and the world today and is a trusted voice for many of the world’s most successful and forward-thinking companies.

CONTENT

News about the Future

> Mind-controlled robots now one step closer
> Disposable eco-friendly packaging

Mind-controlled robots now one step closer
by EPFL

Two EPFL research groups teamed up to develop a machine-learning program that can be connected to a human brain and used to command a robot. The program adjusts the robot’s movements based on electrical signals from the brain. The hope is that with this invention, tetraplegic patients will be able to carry out more day-to-day activities on their own.

Tetraplegic patients are prisoners of their own bodies, unable to speak or perform the slightest movement. Researchers have been working for years to develop systems that can help these patients carry out some tasks on their own. “People with a spinal cord injury often experience permanent neurological deficits and severe motor disabilities that prevent them from performing even the simplest tasks, such as grasping an object,” says Prof. Aude Billard, the head of School of Engineering’s Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory. “Assistance from robots could help these people recover some of their lost dexterity, since the robot can execute tasks in their place.”

Next step: a mind-controlled wheelchair

The researchers hope to eventually use their algorithm to control wheelchairs. “For now there are still a lot of engineering hurdles to overcome,” says Prof. Billard. “And wheelchairs pose an entirely new set of challenges, since both the patient and the robot are in motion.” The team also plans to use their algorithm with a robot that can read several different kinds of signals and coordinate data received from the brain with those from visual motor functions.

 

 

 

Disposable eco-friendly packaging

Gainyo Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading supplier of environmentally friendly packaging for disposable products in China.Since its establishment, the company has been committed to the design, development, production, and sales of high-quality disposable environmentally friendly packaging products. The company is operated by a group of companies headquartered in Hefei with a production center in Anqing, Anhui province.We have 50 technicians, 200 workers, 5000m³ dust-free workshops, and multiple automated production equipment. We specialize in the design, manufacture, and distribution of compostable eco-friendly packaging products, with a wide range of consumer packaged goods (consumer electronics, health & beauty, etc.) and e-commerce applications. We’re dedicated to changing and improving the environment, and protecting the health of human beings by offering the most innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.

Gainyo's products are exported to the market throughout the United States, European countries, and other regions, with major customers McDonald's, KFC, burger king, Subway, Wendy's, and supermarket chain wall-mart, and other terminal customers of international suppliers.

CONTENT

Article 03

Next Generation Fluid Filtration
by ECOFARIO

The idea for ECOFARIO came in 2013 after the media published more reports about the environmental pollution by microplastics and that the wastewater treatment plants weren’t able to filter it out of water cycles. In the years that followed, Sebastian Porkert developed his original technology together with like-minded people who also felt the strong drive to find a solution to the microplastics problem. Since then, ECOFARIO has received multiple awards. After successful patenting and construction, ECOFARIO is running tests with the first mobile pilot plant in cooperation with potential clients.

330,000 t of primary microplastics are released in Germany each year, which corresponds to approx. 4 kg per inhabitant. Most of the microplastic particles in our water cycles come from wastewater. Wastewater treatment plants cannot adequately filter out microplastics, since current cleaning stages have not been designed to remove microparticles from the water. Conventional filtration methods for the production of clear water such as micro-, nano- and ultrafiltration have technical and economic disadvantages. The need for filters results in lower throughputs, a comparatively high energy requirement and a higher maintenance expenditure. Filters must be cleaned and flushed and tend to clog due to biofouling. The factors mentioned generate high costs, which is a considerable disadvantage compared to the ECOFARIO technology.

 

Our Solution

ECOFARIO has developed a new type of separation process based on hydrocyclone technology, which will be installed as an end-of-pipe solution in municipal or industrial sewage treatment plants and significantly reduces the microplastic load and the associated pollutants. Active filter media are used in common processes such as micro-, nano- and ultrafiltration as well as reverse osmosis. By eliminating these media, volume flows of any size can be treated with long product life cycles without the need for flushing sequences. The system can be integrated into almost every wastewater and process water cycle.

Tests on a scale of 1:4 demonstrate a possible filtration performance of 95% in a single cleaning step.

In the High-G-Separator, the polluted water is put into an extreme rotational flow from top to bottom. This means that microplastic particles move into the center, from where they are then separated from the cleaned main stream in the lower part. The partial flow loaded with microplastics leaves the High-G-Separator through a pipe in the center of the upper part, the cleaned water through an opening in the lower part of the separator. Through multi-stage cascade connection, we concentrate the microplastics and either feed it to the sewage sludge with which it is thermally recycled or filter it out through small filtration units. The removed microplastics cannot be recycled conventionally, because on the one hand they have strong impurities and on the other hand they are contaminated with pollutants, drug residues and hormones, which in no case may be returned to the value-added cycle.

 

 

 

CONTENT

Recommended Book

Influence of Microplastics on Environmental and Human Health:
Key Considerations and Future Perspectives
by Yvonne Lang

 

Microplastics have received increased attention in the research world over the last ten years. A number of significant publications by the World Health Organisation, European Union, SAPEA, and GESAMP have highlighted this growing environmental and health emergency.

This book provides an accessible introduction to the microplastic problem and details its potential impact both on nature and human health. Filled with the latest developments in the field, it attempts to address the gaps in our knowledge of microplastics and also proposes additional areas of research and impact to be considered to resolve this crisis.

It will be of interest to researchers and academics working in the areas of microplastic pollution, microplastic detection, and the impact of microplastics on environmental and human health. It will also be of use to undergraduate students of environmental programmes, analytical programmes, and public health programmes.

Key Features:

• Chapters describe the impact of our reliance on plastics in certain sectors and how they relate to microplastic pollution
• Investigates emerging solutions to the microplastic pollution
• Presents a multi-disciplinary perspective, covering topics such as analytical techniques, quantitative techniques, environmental monitoring, and human health monitoring

 

Yvonne Lang

Dr. Yvonne Lang is a lecturer in chemistry at the Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland. She obtained her PhD from the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2014. Her doctoral research investigated the use of diatoms to fabricate polymeric structures with a defined geometry. Work emanating from this research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at several key international conferences. Yvonne's postdoctoral research focussed on varying aspects of nanoparticles including: investigation of both therapeutic and environmental applications of nanoparticles; quantification of nanoparticles in biological samples; and exploration of bioremediation approaches to detect and capture nanoparticles in environmental samples. She is a member of both the Nanotechnology and Bio-Engineering Research Division and the Centre for Environmental Research, Innovation and Sustainability at IT Sligo.

CONTENT

Article 04

When Russia and Ukraine eventually restart peace talks, involving women – or not – could be a key factor in an agreement actually sticking
by Briana Mawby, University of San Diego





Briana Mawby

Briana Mawby, University of San Diego

Ukraine and Russia launched peace talks just days after Russia invaded in early February, 2022 – but since then, peace negotiations have started and stopped multiple times.

Now, more than six months after the invasion, peace between the two countries seems far off.

Gannady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said on Aug. 22, 2022, that he does not see any imminent possibility for a diplomatic solution.

Ukrainian women have had a large presence in the war, from joining the military and leading humanitarian work to becoming breadwinners and taking on new jobs. While it is unclear how or when peace negotiations may resume, it is easy to spot the conspicuous lack of women around the table during previous rounds of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

As a researcher focused on gendered experiences of conflict and crises, I think it is important to understand that including women – if they are from varied backgrounds and can participate in a meaningful way, not in a tokenistic manner – in talks to end war is critical for building more effective, longer-lasting peace agreements.

Why women’s participation matters

Peace talks are complicated procedures that, more often than not, do not result in an actual peace agreement. The negotiators at the table are typically members of a political or military elite and are individually selected by leaders of warring parties.

Women’s participation in peace talks has been shown to have a strong impact on the way these conversations proceed – and whether they lead to lasting peace – in several key ways.

A 2016 study on 40 peace processes conducted since the end of the Cold War, for example, found that when women’s groups are able to exercise strong influence on the negotiation process, there was a much higher chance that an agreement would be reached, compared with when women’s groups had weak or no influence.

When women participate, it’s also more likely that a ceasefire will last, rather than remaining words on paper.

Women also tend to help shape the outcomes of an agreement. In Northern Ireland, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines, women envisioned peace beyond just ending immediate fighting. In these cases, they adopted a longer-term view, planning for economic growth in a post-conflict period, for example.

Women have helped lead formal negotiations to end wars in places from Burundi and Colombia to Kenya and Northern Ireland.

But it’s more often that women do not participate in peace talks. Women made up 6% of mediators, 6% of signatories and 13% of negotiators in the major peace processes that took place from 1992 to 2019.

Many obstacles prevent women’s meaningful participation in peace processes, particularly when there is no official policy or agreement to ensure their involvement.

This exclusion is often driven by the idea that women are victims of conflict rather than political leaders, or that men hold most of the power in negotiating war and peace.

The case of Ukraine and Russia

Following Russia and Ukraine’s conflict over the eastern part of Ukraine and Crimea, the two countries signed the Minsk I and Minsk II agreements in 2014 and 2015 to end the fighting. But these deals were not successful at maintaining a ceasefire.

Only two Ukrainian women participated in the Minsk agreement process, with one serving as a Ukrainian humanitarian envoy and the other as a negotiations expert for Ukraine. These processes also did not welcome nongovernmental women’s organizations and other local community leaders at the table.

However, Ukrainian women did play a significant role in unofficial work related to peace building in 2014 and 2015. They led conversations between communities in conflict with one another and advocated for policies to help women who had been displaced from their homes or who experienced violence.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, women have stepped up their involvement in the war even further, documenting atrocities and potential war crimes, for example. Ukrainian women also make up about 15% of Ukraine’s army.

At the same time, the war is having a disproportionate impact on women and minorities, particularly around the ability to receive health care and get food, but also because of the sexual and gender-based violence Ukrainian women have endured.

Beyond participation

Still, what’s most important is how meaningful women’s participation actually is in peace talks, not just whether they are able to sit at the negotiation table.

This issue extends into whether women can influence the discussion and ultimate design of the peace agreement. This kind of democratization of peace negotiations is linked to a greater likelihood of a peace agreement explicitly ensuring rights for women.

Including women from a range of backgrounds, especially women from marginalized communities and people who have different gender identities and sexual orientations, can also help build a final agreement. Some women may work together across demographic or social lines in pursuit of common goals, but others may not.

Formal peace negotiations are not the only method of reducing conflict and building peace – women have long played a role in informal peacebuilding in Ukraine and in other conflicts in various ways.

However, peace talks are important processes that can set the stage for rebuilding stability.

Including women as decision-makers on the full range of issues involved in peace talks – including discussions about peace, security, economic recovery and governance – can help fully realize the benefits of lasting peace.

 

Briana Mawby, Program Officer for Women, Peace and Security, University of San Diego

 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

CONTENT

Climate Change Success Story

Algae

 

 

Algae can be used to fight climate change because it removes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, stores it as biomass, and replaces it with oxygen.

How do some algae make the Earth warmer? How do some algae increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? (Green) algae increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere when they produce nitrous oxide.

Green algae that evolved to tolerate hostile and fluctuating conditions in salt marshes and inland salt flats are expected to survive climate change, thanks to hardy genes they stole from bacteria, according to a Rutgers-led study.

One acre of algae can remove up to 2.7 tons per day of CO2. Certain species of microalgae have also been shown to efficiently remove CO2 in environments at a rate of 10–50 times higher than terrestrial plants.

“When they grow in water, they use that nitrogen, phosphorus, and a range of other elements in our water, and they grow and produce biomass.” By passing wastewater from aquaculture through the right kind of algae, de Nys and his team have found that it can be safely released back into the environment.

Algae are cheap source for waste water treatment and biogas production. o Genetically engineered algae are used to enhance biofuel production and as source of protein and vitamin rich food and fodder.

Land-based plants contribute 52% of the total carbon-dioxide absorbed by the earth's biosphere, while ocean-based algae contributed 45% to 50% of that, which means that despite their small size, algae can absorb carbon-dioxide efficiently because of their comparatively short life cycles.

Scientists estimate that 50-80% of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The majority of this production is from oceanic plankton — drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that can photosynthesize. One particular species, Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic organism on Earth.

Algae contains high levels of calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, selenium, and magnesium. Most importantly, it is one of the best natural sources of iodine, a nutrient that is missing from most other foods, and is also essential for a healthy functioning thyroid gland.

Source: Google

 

 

Energy

The Fuel of the Future
By Seeker
Scientists are always looking for alternatives to fossil fuels, but what about algae? Can algae be used to create biofuel?

 

 

European Technology and Innovation Platform Bioenergy (ETIP Bioenergy)
European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs) are industry-led stakeholder fora recognised by the European Commission as key actors in driving innovation, knowledge transfer and European competitiveness in the energy sector.

ETIPs develop research and innovation agendas as well as roadmaps for action at EU and national level. They mobilise stakeholders to deliver on agreed priorities and share information across the EU. ETIPs are independent and self-financing entities.

CO2

Why the world needs more algae, not less.
Plastic, fertilizer, fuel, even cow farts — algae can make all this more sustainable, and even capture carbon. Here’s why we’re on the brink of an algae revolution.
By DW Planet A

The Use of Algae to Reduce CO2 Emissions
By Dr. Priyom Bose, AZoCleantech

The high emission of greenhouse gases has been one of the foremost global threats with far-reaching consequences. Algae are photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms that are categorized as microalgae (unicellular) and macroalgae (multicellular) based on their size. Scientists have indicated that algae are extremely important to reach the global aim of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Food

Could Microalgae change food and cosmetics industries?…
At a European funded research project in Northern Spain, scientists think that microalgae could start a revolution in the food and cosmetic sectors. Euronews’ Julián López Gómez visited the research centre where the microalgae are being cultivated.
Four particular microalgae species are being examined at the research centre in the city of Gijón, Northern Spain. They are able to produce Omega-3, a fatty acid used as a dietary complement. The antioxidant also is used in the cosmetic industry.
By euronews

TARI – Faroe Seaweed produces high quality seaweed in the clean and nutrient rich seawater surrounding the Faroe Islands.

Based on many years of academic and practical experience with seaweeds we established TARI – Faroe Seaweed in 2016. We cultivate and hand pick different seaweed species, and process the high-quality raw material into finished products and ingredient products.

Our Ocean products (Ocean Wings, Ocean Spaghetti, Ocean Palm and Ocean Purple) are easy to use in everyday cooking, and we hope our products will reach many homes as a healthy taste enhancer alternative.

Research and development go hand in hand in TARI, and our primary goal is to produce high quality seaweed in a biologically sustainable manner.





SW-Grow

is an EU funded project with sole focus on the seaweed industry in the Northern Periphery and Arctic region. It aims to identify common issues throughout the region and give access to high-level R&D links within academic partners across regional and national borders to pilot solutions that can be adopted throughout the industry – thus developing solutions that enable technology transfer across the Programme area – in particular benefiting SMEs. This will result in higher levels of innovation and competitiveness in remote and sparsely populated areas by transfer and development of models and solutions that facilitate technology transfer to, and across, the Programme area.

Plastic

Why Algae Could be the Plastic of the Future
By Undecided with Matt Ferrell

 

Eranova

Green algae proliferation is a global issue that directly impacts France, the United States and China. Their development is accelerated by global warming and pollution. Not collected and not valorized, they can be a threat for humans and the environment.





Notpla

Notpla is a revolutionary material made from seaweed and plants. It biodegrades in weeks, naturally. We have created unique machines and materials to package your products in the most sustainable way.

 

Seaweed for Europe report on the potential for sustainable seaweed farming in Europe.

Seaweed as a growth engine for a sustainable European future

 

 

 

CONTENT

Futurist Portrait

Mike Walsh
The Futurist For Leaders

 

 

Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. For the past twenty years, he has been a leading authority on disruptive innovation, digital transformation and new ways of thinking. A global nomad, futurist and author of three bestselling books, Mike advises some of the world’s biggest organizations on reinvention and change in this new era of machine intelligence.

A prolific writer and commentator, Mike’s views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including Inc. Magazine, BusinessWeek, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. A regulator contributor to the Harvard Business Review, his articles explore a wide range of cutting edge leadership topics including data-driven decision making, agile organizations, algorithmic management and AI ethics. Each week Mike interviews provocative thinkers, innovators and troublemakers on his podcast, Between Worlds.

Mike’s latest book, The Algorithmic Leader offers a hopeful and practical guide for reinventing leadership and organizations. The book has been a global hit and is now available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, Polish and Russian. In 2019, The Algorithmic Leader was selected to be given to the world leaders and executive attendees of the Ambrosetti Global Forum at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, Italy.

Futuretainment, Mike’s first book, was published by Phaidon and was the winner of the design award by the Art Director’s Club in New York. Released in 2009, it predicted how the smartphone would reshape the media and marketing industry, and the imminent rise of social media, digital influencers, streaming entertainment and the Metaverse.

In The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas, published in 2014, Mike anticipated breakthroughs in micro satellite networks, cryptocurrencies, remote work, digital protest movements, life extension technologies, self-driving cars, drones, digital biology and the commercialization of space.

A dynamic and engaging keynote speaker, Mike has given over a thousand talks over the last decade, from strategic briefings for the boards of companies like Verizon and Raytheon, to an employee summit for a healthcare corporation that filled a sports stadium with an audience of over 25,000 people. In addition to both in-person and virtual presentations, Mike also works with enterprise learning and development leaders to create compelling programs to up-skill teams for a world of AI-powered competition.

 

 

10 New Rules For A New World
By Mike Walsh

One of the biggest dangers in any disaster is a premature plan for normalcy. As vaccine programs roll out worldwide, organizations and governments are preparing for economic recovery, a return to offices, corporate travel, and a resumption of business as usual. We all need a little optimism, but nostalgia can be as dangerous as disruption. Some doors are one-way only. What if the pandemic was not a crisis but rather a chrysalis?

The difference is a subtle but important one. A crisis is something you recover from, whereas a chrysalis is a bridge from one state to another. The difficulty is knowing whether the changes you are experiencing are merely temporary or part of a more permanent redefinition.

COVID-19 may have started as a crisis, but it quickly became a forcing function that unleashed digital transformation on every aspect of our lives - whether it be how we work or how we buy things, run our factories or deliver healthcare. What is likely to make these changes permanent is not just gains in efficiency but also the unexpected ways these forces are now interacting with each other.

More becomes different. More data, more computation, more automation, and more transactions - don’t just add up to more speed or resilience - they can reverberate throughout your organization until you become something else entirely. In any complex adaptive system - whether it be a supply chain, a workplace, or a biological ecosystem - small changes amplified by reinforcing feedback loops can hit critical mass and trigger radical reinvention. Water becomes ice; tremors become an earthquake; a viral video can make you a global star.

From this perspective, what if the end of the pandemic is not a pendulum swinging back to normality; but rather a portal from the world we knew to a radical new future that we are yet to fully understand? If you change enough of the infrastructure that runs what you do, at some point, you also change who you are. Likewise, if you change enough of the forces that run the world, you will inevitably change that as well.

I’ve spent the last year thinking about what all the small changes in our lives add up to. The list of pandemic era adaptations is long and constantly growing: working from home, social distancing, automated service delivery, augmented reality training, mRNA technologies, drones and robotics, process automation, telehealth services, retail live-streaming, AI-powered drug discovery, and the growing influence of data in the way we run our organizations.

I firmly believe that the sum of all of these innovations not only exceeds what we have seen before but also that their combination and interaction are the foundations of something new: a new world that runs on new rules.

I am in the process of researching the terrain of that new world and compiling what those new rules might be. They are the basis of my latest keynote presentation. Potentially, they may also be the basis of a new book. More on that later. For now, here are my first ten rules to get you thinking:

Rule #1: Digital disruption is now just digital delivery

Forget digital disruption. We are all disruptors now. Being digital is nothing special, it is just the price of staying in business. The real challenge is this: what is possible in an age of AI that was not possible before?

Rule #2: There is no remote work, only work

Remote work is just the beginning of a much bigger transformation that is set to transform the nature of work itself. The true future of work will be shaped by five forces: mobility, autonomy, memory, objectivity and velocity.

Rule #3: Robots are not coming for our jobs, they are here to change them

AI will not destroy jobs, but it will change them. A new world needs new kinds of capabilities - and that means that humans need to evolve and adapt, just as our machines do.

Rule #4: Experiences matter more than transactions

What did we learn about the future of retail, when the world’s stores had to close? Whether it be an app or a showroom, reinventing retail for peak experiences rather than pure transactions is what now really counts.

Rule #5: The best way to lead is to be data led

Being a leader in the Algorithmic Age requires a very different approach. We all like to claim to being ‘data-driven’, but in truth, what we really need to be is ‘data-led’.

Rule #6: There is no new normal

What if the new normal, is not normal at all? Thanks to COVID-19, we are now living in a radically different reality - robotics, VR, automation, protests, surveillance, fake news. The first step to survival is acknowledging that there is no going back from this.

Rule #7: XR is the new reality

XR or virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality are all on the brink of becoming mainstream technologies that will transform our how we live and work. Now is the time to reimagine the way we interact with our customers and create radically new experiences not possible before.

Rule #8: Social distancing is here to stay

Social distancing is more than a pandemic response, it is a preview of an AI-powered world in which we deliver products and services using automation and machines with minimal or no human contact.

Rule #9: The future of AI is personal

We are fast accelerating to a future in which we will interact with applications with our voices rather than screens, but before we get there, we need a new, more personal approach to AI - virtual assistants that are a digital extension of ourselves.

Rule #10: The future favors the bold

This is no time to settle for survival as a second prize to success. After the chaos of 2020, we need bigger dreams than just recovery. What matters now is reinvention, nothing less.

 

 

Future of Business

The digital transformation revolution has begun. Customers are changing, generational priorities are shifting, and industries are being reshaped by the collision of AI and data-driven business models. In this new world, only organizations willing to adapt, experiment and embracing learning at scale will succeed.

 

 

 

 

CONTENT

Copyright © 2002-2022, Felix Bopp. All rights reserved.