Recently, the IAEA published their Report on Energy Technology 2023. They are analyzing both scenarios, the "Net Zero Emission by 2050" scenario as well as the "Announced Pledges Scenario". It is one of the few very comprehensive reports about the topic that I have read in recent years looking at a variety of aspects. The … Continue reading Rethinking energy usage for transportation
Just yesterday, some early results of a US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) project have been published. The idea of project was to create a low-cost, expendable engine by separating the development from the production/procurement costs. So what does this mean in particular? Rethink innovation The development of a new engine, especially when it comes … Continue reading Creating open source jet-engines
Just over the weekend, Volga-Dneper, a staple in spezialized air cargo annonunced to reduce their staff and temporarily ground two Antonov AN-124 as one could read in the press. The company apparently stated a reduced demand due to the US-China trade dispute and the respective reduced need for cargo shippments. On the other hand, a … Continue reading Where does the air cargo grow in the future
Every now and then I can read, or even write, a business plan about an idea, a product or a startup. One part of it always bewilders me since I never trust the numbers: Market and competitive research. On the one hand, most business plans do cover the topic only very superficially by either stating … Continue reading Why we need to rethink market research in a business plan
After making mostly critical comments on the reports published by consulting companies, I have also to point out truly good articles. One of those is certainly the recent McKinsey article on Smart Cities in South East Asia. What we generally understand nowadays as a smart city is a connected city, where monitoring allows dynamic adapting … Continue reading What makes a smart city smart
A thing that is bothering for over twenty years is that transport does not seem to attract significant investments and innovations in its sectors. While the IT industry still follows Moor's law (respectively an abrevation of it), transport does not seem to evolve and attract disrupting new players. The role of private players in transport … Continue reading Why Transportation does not attract relevant Startups
Finally 2018 arrived and a exciting sometimes divisive and decisive 2017 ended. Certainly, the shift in US politics from a pro sustainable energy to a pro fossile energy has create a changing climate for projects in the US as well as in other countries. Nevertheless, Europe and Chine are surpassing the US in technical development … Continue reading Reflections and predictions in the transportation industry 2017/2018
We have reached now a computation power where machine learning algorithms can easily be applied across a spectrum of industries to resolve a huge variety of problems. While first successes are also published in the railway industry this also opens up the market for what I call "snake-oil-resellers". Companies or individuals that use publicly available models, claim … Continue reading Predictive Maintenance – selling snake oil to a gullible audience
This fall, the Swiss transport authority (Bundesamt für Verkehr -BAV) announced the plans to invest heavily in railway infrastructure until 2035. Over 200 Projects and 11.5 bn CHF will be invested in tunnels, concrete and steel across the country. Last Sunday, an NZZ article (in German) has allowed an alternative view on the intended infrastructure … Continue reading Investing in concrete or intelligence
Last week, a Swiss Think Tank published this interview about the development in trade in a city. I want to utilize this as a good example of the challenges and common misconception that we face when thinking about the future urban area. First of all, it follows the concept of ceteris paribus (other things equal). … Continue reading A common misconception of the city
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