Is any country ready for an automated world?

First of its kind Economist study ranks countries’ vulnerability to automation

Per ardua ad astra

There has arguably never been a better time to explore space, thanks to technological breakthroughs.

Uncertainty: a certainty in 2017

The tone of the 2017 WEF annual meeting reflects a generalized fear of instability and uncertainty. In Europe and the US, the two places I spent most of this year, 2016 will not be remembered fondly for reasons that probably don’t need to be spelled out. However, from a personal point of view, this has […]

Solar Impulse: a comms conundrum

Weighing up the opportunities and challenges, where a highly experimental project has a big comms potential but no guarantee of success.

My video about ABB’s activities in Silicon Valley

My video about ABB’s activities in Silicon Valley, featuring #bertrandpiccard and pizza-making robots! https://youtu.be/dwtmUZWcAMc

My Furniture Is Talking About Me. Should I Care?

Get used to a world in which virtually everything in the physical world is tagged and identifiable on the internet. Not just white goods like fridges or dishwashers, but tables, chairs and other everday objects…all talking to each other and creating more efficiency in business and daily life. This is the vision of a planet […]

Warning: Driving Kills

So let’s imagine branding for cars is outlawed. Flashy logos or bright colours are banned. Go-faster stripes (which might encourage young would-be drivers) are, of course, out of the question. “Extra Strength” diesel models are sold only in unattractive mould green packaging. Bumper stickers with official warnings (“Air pollution kills more Americans than breast and […]

The Swiss Apprentice: You’re Hired

“Exceptional” is how the World Intellectual Property Organisation has described Switzerland’s record in the area of innovation. You can find more about the Swiss ranking here. The correlation between the quality of the workforce and economic performance is persuasive, particularly with regard to the apprenticeship system. The photo above shows the Stadler workshop in Bussnang, […]

The Bitter Taste of Climate Change

Is industrial agriculture really to blame for around half of all greenhouse gas emissions? A 2013 UNCTAD report suggests that if the whole chain is included (from land-use and deforestation to processing, packaging, transport and sale of agricultural products) we’re looking at the sector being to blame for between 47 to 53 per cent of […]

Immigration And The Threat Multiplier

I’ve had the image of this lorry in my head since last week and I can’t get it out. I know I’m not the only one. Over the last few months, there have been many mass murders associated with people smuggling but this one seems to have seems to have seared itself into popular consciousness. […]

Conor Lennon

Communications Consultant

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