The EU has been gradually introducing climate-friendly laws and regulars over recent years, to aid the attainment of its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. This law was passed as the Climate Change Act in 2008, but recent events in terms of the effects of climate change have contributed towards the drafting and passing of further laws. The latest of these aims to end the selling of cars with combustion engines (that is, those powered by petrol or diesel) by 2035. Along with this, the plan aims to reduce emissions from international flights by gradually beginning to raise taxes on certain types of fuel.

The use of passenger cars within the EU is currently responsibly for 12% of total EU carbon emissions, meaning that the implementation of this bill will contribute greatly towards the continent’s aim to become carbon neutral. It will, however, require the building of new infrastructure: charging stations for electric cars, which are expected to replace petrol and diesel cars, must be built along public highways.

To some car manufacturers, the introduction of this law poses a logistical challenge, as it would require a 55% cut in carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles over the next decade, and eventually a 100% cut, effectively banning the vehicles that comprise most of their product ranges. As a result, many are turning towards the production of electric cars as a viable alternative to keep their companies afloat, and existing electric vehicle manufacturers are receiving financial boosts.

The exhaust fumes and other particulates released in the combustion of petrol or diesel are widely believed by scientists to be a major factor in global warming – carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides are three of the most harmful gases released. As these then move into the atmosphere, the pollutants can cause direct harm to people who breathe them in or are simply close to them. These health problems range from skin irritation and allergies to respiratory problems, and some evidence suggests that long-term exposure to particulates can increase a person’s risk of lung cancer.

Source: www.msn.com

In 2021 we will see rapid changes in top technological and business innovation - all based on people's experience during the pandemic. Here are a few technology and business trends we will see in 2021.

Drug development revolution with advanced Covid-19 testing and vaccine development

Covid caused a major shakeup in the drug industry, making it quicker and easier to trial drugs. Researchers have put many traditional clinical trials on hold, or they have shifted to a virtual structure by performing consultations online and collecting data remotely.

Continued expansion of remote working and videoconferencing

This area has seen rapid growth during the pandemic, and it will likely continue growing in 2021. 

Zoom, which grew from a startup in 2011 to going public in 2019, became a household name during the pandemic. Other existing large corporate tools such as Cisco's Webex, Microsoft's Teams, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, and Verizon's BlueJeans are also providing state-of-the-art videoconferencing systems, facilitating remote work across the globe.

Many new ventures are emerging in the remote working sector. Startups Bluescape, Eloops, Figma, Slab, and Tandem have all provided visual collaboration platforms enabling teams to create and share content, interact, track projects, train employees, run virtual team-building activities, and more. 

These tools also help distributed teams keep track of shared learning and documentation. Users can create a virtual office that replicates working together in person by letting colleagues communicate and collaborate with one another easily. 

Contactless delivery and shipping remain as the new normal 

No-contact delivery is the new normal. DoorDash, Postmates, and Instacart all offer drop-off delivery options, reportedly borne from customer desires to minimize physical contact. Grubhub and Uber Eats also grew their contactless delivery options and will continue to do so in 2021. 

China is not the only country looking to push robotic deliveries into its next phase. U.S.-based startups Manna, Starship Technologies, and Nuro are tackling this problem using robotics and artificial intelligence-based applications.

Telehealth and telemedicine flourish 

Institutions, especially in health care, are working to lower the exposure of Covid-19 to patients and workers. Many private and public practices have started implementing more telehealth offerings such as doctor-patient video chats, A.I. avatar-based diagnostics, and no-contact-based medication delivery.  Beyond telehealth, in 2021 we can expect to see health care advancements in biotech and A.I., as well as machine learning opportunities (example: Suki AI) to support diagnosis, admin work, and robotic health care.

Increased development of 5G infrastructure, new applications, and utilities

There is no doubt that demand for higher-speed internet and a shift toward well-connected homes, smart cities, and autonomous mobility have pushed the advancement of 5G-6G internet technology.

Many telcos are on track to deliver 5G, with Australia having rolled it out before Covid-19. Verizon announced a huge expansion of its 5G network in October 2020, which will reach more than 200 million people. In China, 5G deployment has been happening rapidly. But Ericsson is leading the charge globally. There are more than 380 operators currently investing in 5G. More than 35 countries have already launched commercial 5G services. 

Development of 5G and 6G technology will drive smart-city projects globally and will support the autonomous mobility sector in 2021. 

A.I., robotics, internet of things, and industrial automation grow rapidly

In 2021, we expect to see huge demand and rapid growth of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and industrial automation technology. As manufacturing and supply chains are returning to full operation, manpower shortages will become a serious issue. Automation, with the help of A.I., robotics, and the internet of things, will be a key alternative solution to operate manufacturing. 

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies usage rises

Augmented reality and virtual reality have grown significantly in 2020. These immersive technologies are now part of everyday life, from entertainment to business. The arrival of Covid-19 has prompted this technology adoption as businesses turned to the remote work model, with communication and collaboration extending over to AR and VR.

The immersive technologies from AR and VR innovations enable an incredible source of transformation across all sectors. AR avatars, AR indoor navigation, remote assistance, integration of A.I. with AR and VR, mobility AR, AR cloud, virtual sports events, eye tracking, and facial expression recognition will see major traction in 2021. Adoption of AR and VR will accelerate with the growth of the 5G network and expanding internet bandwidth.

Companies like Microsoft, Consagous, Quytech, RealWorld One, Chetu, Gramercy Tech, Scanta, IndiaNIC, Groove Jones, etc. will play a significant role in shaping our world in the near future, not only because of AR's and VR's various applications but also as the flag carrier of all virtualized technologies.

Continued growth in micromobility

While the micromobility market had seen a natural slowdown at the beginning of Covid-19 spread, this sector has already recovered to the pre-Covid growth level. E-bikes and e-scooters usage is soaring, since they are viewed as convenient transportation alternatives that also meet social distancing norms. Compared to the pre-Covid days, the micromobility market is expected to grow by 9 percent for private micromobility and by 12 percent for shared micromobility.

Ongoing autonomous driving innovation

We will see major progress in autonomous driving technology during 2021. Honda recently announced that it will mass-produce autonomous vehicles, which under certain conditions will not require any driver intervention. Tesla's Autopilot not only offers lane centering and automatic lane changes, but, from this year, can also recognize speed signs and detect green lights.

Ford is also joining the race, anticipating an autonomous driving cars ridesharing service launch in 2021. The company could also make such vehicles available to certain buyers as early as 2026. Other automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, are also trying to integrate some degree of autonomous driving technology in their new models from 2021. GM intends to roll out its hands-free-driving Super Cruise feature to 22 vehicles by 2023. 

The fierce market competition is also accelerating self-driving technology growth in other companies, including Lyft and Waymo. Billions of dollars have been spent in acquiring startups in this domain: GM acquired Cruise for $1 billion; Uber acquired Otto for $680 million; Ford acquired Argo AI for $1 billion; and Intel acquired Mobileye for $15.3 billion.

Challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic also presented themselves as opportunities to rise for many industries.  Businesses and advertisers have dramatically adapted their operations and marketing strategies during this time to meet the transformations in how people around the world work, spend time and shop. 


Technology companies dominated in 2020 

As countries around the world implemented coronavirus-related restrictions to limit the transmission of the virus, this accelerated people’s use of communications technologies. The utility of many big tech companies became especially apparent this year as tech enabled remote work and helped people stay connected to friends and family. That explains why many of this year’s top spots are occupied by tech companies such as Google, WhatsApp, Samsung, and Facebook.

The list also offers a mirror of how people relied on tech-enabled entertainment services such as YouTube and Netflix amid spending more time at home and seeking distractions from the reality outside. The appearance of the two tech brands within the top 10 reflects the increased amount of time people spent in front of screens amid the pandemic. 

“What we hear about tech brands in [one country] is not necessarily reflective of what is being heard in other markets.” said Amelia Brophy, Head of Account Management at YouGov. “That really points to the global nature of the list especially the brands capable of speaking to so many different audiences in a diverse global marketplace.” 

People show a renewed focus on personal care and home goods categories 

The increased consumption of home goods and personal care products is another trend that emerges from the list this year. YouGov data shows that as people limited the number of times they left their homes, in-person spending went down and led instead to a boon in online spending. This also allowed some of the world’s largest e-commerce retailers, such as Amazon and Shopee, to tap into audiences hesitant to purchase things in-person but still eager to buy them online. 

“Big tech companies have become the new utilities.” said Cath Jeffries, Strategy Director, 1000heads. "They offer tremendous value to society, globally, and this has only been heightened by the pandemic. In addition, on the surface, what they offer is often free; we all know that, essentially, their services come at a different kind of price, but the value exchange here is clear.” 

As people spent more time at home in 2020, this led to an uptick in spending categories such as groceries, personal care items and other home goods. This growth in consumer good spending is reflected by the presence of household names such as Ikea, Nivia, Dettol, Colgate, Lego, and Tylenol. The increased time spent at home has also led to more meals being cooked at home, just as observed in the United States, and around the world, elevated food manufacturers and distributors such as Almarai to the top 25 list. 

Large shares of people around the world have been using cash less often since the coronavirus outbreak and instead relied on digital payments to buy the things they needed. This trend has led to positive outcomes for financial service brands such as VISA and PayPal that benefit when consumers opt for cashless payments. 

Notably, two automotive brands make the Global Best Brands ranking amid a year when the virus presented obstacles and consequences for the auto industry. Toyota, who had a big year in store as an Olympics partner prior to the postponement of the event, responded to the pandemic by producing medical face shields in Japan. Mercedes-Benz is the second auto brand to make the list and recently made strides committing to a strategy that leverages the electrification of luxury cars. 

The webinar explores what our experts predict for some of these brands post 2020 and reveals the other names that left strong impressions on them throughout the year. The discussion also touched on topics of ethics and sustainability – especially as there has been a paradigm shift, due to the pandemic, from the environment to a focus on people, community and societal issues. 

“Consumers are using the pound, dollar, euro in their pockets to make a difference.” said Dr. Chris Arnold, Strategist and Marketing Leader, Connect2. ”They are looking to brands that take responsibility and also make a difference - not just pay lip service to ethics. Corporate purpose has to both mean something and be evident in the behavior of brands. Both societal and environment are key areas brands will be judged on in 2021. But all the evidence suggests that, doing good is good for business.” 

Source: YouGov, 2021

Globally, the leading car manufactures are competing against each other over the implementation of new technologies, such as autonomous driving, vehicle connectivity, electrification, and shared mobility.

As cars steadily become “computers on wheels”, Agile management is spreading from software development to the whole firm.

Volvo Cars has around 40,000 employees and produces around 700,000 cars per year.

The Forbes Journalist, Steve Denning asked Anna Sandberg, the Head of Continuous Improvement & Change at Product Creation, Volvo Cars in Gotherburg, Sweden about her role and Agile journey at Volvo Cars.

Anna Sandberg: My arrival at Volvo Cars in September 2017 coincided with a decision by Volvo top management to embrace Agile development in software. Initially, my job was to lead the implementation of Agile in the software community. But after six months, my assignment expanded to cover the whole product range, both hardware and software.

Volvo understood that cars were becoming “computers on wheels”. We needed methods that were suitable to that purpose. We had been trying to develop the physical car and then add the software later. We saw that to build these “computers on wheels,” we needed to develop the software and hardware at the same time in an integrated fashion. Initially it was hard to get people to understand this shift. Even today, we need to keep reminding ourselves of this necessity.

Like many companies, Volvo Cars had for some years had a bottom-up Agile movement. There were individuals and software teams that had been attracted to Agile for many years. But Volvo Cars hadn’t managed to scale those efforts. A couple of initiatives had been started, including training in Scrum. But the activity was scattered and it wasn’t happening in a coordinated fashion at scale.

The Goal Of The Agile Transformation

SD: What was the objective of the Agile transformation?

AS: At the start, we talked about speed and responsiveness. We knew that things were going too slowly compared to changes in the automotive world. The automotive industry is currently going through a significant transformation that is being driven by changing consumer behaviors, technology shifts and digitization. Furthermore, there was also a concern about quality. In one of the platforms, the quality was at a level that we had never seen before. To handle this situation, we saw that we would have to do things differently. We knew we had to implement more modern management methods to handle the future development of our cars.

Agile In The Automotive Industry

SD: The automotive industry is striking for having strict calendar cycles. The next model will be delivered at a certain date, come what may. It is decided. It is fixed. It will happen then. “The new model must come out exactly two and a half years from now, that is to say, May 5, 2022.” How prominent is that thinking in Volvo Cars?

AS: This is true of all the automotive firms. The reason is that we have to plan production starts. We have to order everything that we will need so that we are ready for the start of production. All the materials have to be in place at the right time. We have to pre-order a long way in advance even as we try to do this as late as possible. Otherwise we risk running into massive problems with supply flows.

Consumers don’t want to spend a lot of time selecting the features they want and then wait ten months to get the car. They want to be sure they get all the good stuff in the car at the outset.

So we need to rethink what we do and how we do it and how we plan our work. This is ongoing in the car industry all around the world. In the car industry, there is a tradition of having to have everything locked down a year in advance. But in the future cars, when software is totally dominating, you know it will be out-of-date when it is delivered if development takes too long

Thus when we were developing the speech functions in the car, we found that we had installed functions that people didn’t use as expected. That was partly embarrassing and partly very educational for us. We saw that we had to change our development approach.

We also have to be collaborating with our partners. We can’t do everything ourselves. We collaborate with Google for instance. But we are also steadily doing more software in-house. We are more selective about which matters are strategic that we want to keep in-house. Of course, the software code is part of a much bigger system. So our partners also have to be part of the overall system.

The Status Of Agile At Volvo Cars

SD: So overall, what’s the status of the Agile journey at Volvo Cars?

AS: We officially ended the basic Agile transformation phase in December 2019, after two and a half years of Agile transformation work. But the Agile journey continues. We now say that we are entering the phase of “continuous improvement.” We will optimize and improve the system continuously. We will build up a system as we build up the teams, identifying impediments and seeing how to fix them, or escalate them so that they get fixed at the next level.

We are putting more emphasis on Lean thinking, with continuous improvement and flow. We value flow mapping. We are continuing to evolve the SAFe system. We expect to be exploring all aspects of Agile in more detail. We will be much more data-driven. We will have more performance dialogues on where we are going and discerning trends. We understand that we have lots of challenges in front of us to optimize the system that we now have in place.

SD: Is “Agile” a good word today in Volvo Cars?

AS: My take is that “Agile” has changed from being a bad word to a word that is accepted to explain what we are doing. It’s not controversial anymore. That’s where the journey has taken us. But we still have people who have not understood, or who hesitate, or who ask questions. But the majority have accepted the change and are trying to figure out the practical implications for themselves: “How do I act in the best way in this mode of operation and then make the change?”

We are now in a phase where we see problems, that is, opportunities for improvement, all over the place. We have come to realize that these problems are not the result of Agile. It is Agile that has enabled us to see all those problems as opportunities for improvement so that we can start acting to take advantage of them. That is our challenge.

Overall, we see ourselves as having just completed the basic steps in our Agile transformation journey. We are now pursuing continuous improvement. We are on a journey and we know the journey must continue. We like to say that we have made enough progress on Agile to understand the ways in which we are not yet Agile

Source: Forbes, 2020 

The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine that provides up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness and is safe to be rolled out.

The UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the jab - enough to vaccinate 20 million people. The first doses are already on their way to the UK, with 800,000 due in the coming days.

Care homes stuff and elderly people in care homes will be on the priority list for the vaccination followed by over-80s and health and care staff.

Despite the great news and overwhelming public excitement, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged everyone not to get "carried away with over optimism or falling into the naive belief that our struggle is over".

The Prime Minister commented that while the "searchlights of science" had created a working vaccine, significant logistical challenges remained.

The Pfizer/BioNTech jab is the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality that is estimated to take only 10 months to follow the same steps that usually take 10 years.

According to Mr Hancock doses will be rolled out as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium with the first load next week and then "several millions" throughout December.

As soon as the vaccine arrives, it will be sent straight to major hospitals who have the ultra-cold facilities to store it.

From there it can be moved just once - and when it is, it must be kept in batches of 1,000.

That means sending it out to care homes, where there may be only a few dozen residents in some places, would lead to a huge amount of vaccine being wasted.

Because of that, the NHS, which is in charge of distributing the vaccine, will run clinics from hospitals at first.

This will allow NHS and care home staff to get immunised first as well as, perhaps, some of the older age groups who come into hospital.

It looks like it will not be until much more of the Pfizer vaccine is available or the Oxford University one, which is easier to distribute, is approved that care home residents will be able to get it.

The bulk of the rollout across the UK will be next year, Mr Hancock said, adding: "2020 has been just awful and 2021 is going to be better."