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Don’t wait to innovate!

The world of business and technology is moving faster than ever before. No sooner have consumers and businesses gotten used to a new app, device, and technology enabled process or channel for travel, dining, shopping, etc., than a new one appears to replace it. In this agile world, technology evolves fast, and those that don’t embrace the change and don’t keep up are at risk.

While large corporations have dedicated subsidiaries and divisions focussed on innovation and R&D, smaller businesses, start-ups and charities are often embroiled in the day-to-day running of their businesses and the occasional, or sometimes usual, firefighting. They have little or no capacity to innovate, to create, to develop.

Innovation is the means to create value, to improve, to become more efficient, productive and to reduce waste. To stick to the status quo in this world is to shut down business sooner or later.

Our questions to you: are you innovating? Is innovation a priority in your business? Can you keep up with the competition and your customers’ expectations?

If you answered no to these questions, we can help you to identify opportunities and catalyse innovation and move forward.

 

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Energy Harvesting is needed for the Internet of Things

Much effort has been spent on developing technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT). From wireless communications, to web registries of connected sensors and devices, to Big Data technologies for the streams of data from these sources, to various protocols and ontologies.

In our opinion, the vision of the IoT, that of ubiquitous sensing and actuation with Big Data mediated intelligence, depends on energy harvesting. In particular, fit-and-forget IoT sensors and devices depend on a continuous, long-term or indefinite source of power.

While larger, more accessible nodes can benefit from power from the grid and more conventional renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic and wind powered generators, smaller sensors and devices should take advantage of a combination of power storage, i.e. batteries and capacitors, and micro-scale energy harvesting. Sources of energy for micro-scale energy harvesting include vibration, electromagnetic, tensile and compression forces, biochemical, chemical, heat and light.

We have worked on appraising energy harvesting technologies and work with a number of independent Associates with years of experience in energy harvesting technologies and applications.

If you have a need for energy harvesting technologies, or are developing energy harvesting technologies and need innovation and commercialisation services, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the form below. We can put you in touch with stakeholders and collaborators, help with finding project funding and provide a range of innovation and project management services.