The robots aren’t just coming, they’re here! However, technology need not be a threat to our jobs, in fact, it can open up our potential to take on much more interesting challenges, the kind of challenges that only a human can do (for now). Google is essentially a robot. Just think of all the things you can now do because Google exists. Previously you’d have had to research everything in a library or outsource to external researchers. With access to so much data, anything is possible. With the right robot doing the tasks that CAN be automated, sourcers can work on being truly strategic and recruiters can really start to partner with the business and not just the hiring manager. Would this first iteration be perfect? Of course not! But […]

We visit Panama, where on an 83-acre jungle locale, 90 to 120 planned homes will be insulated by thousands of plastic bottles which have been recovered from the waste stream. The individual behind the scenes of this eco-village named Plastic Bottle Village is Robert Bezeau, a Canadian with a passion for managing and cleaning the waste left behind from the ubiquitous plastic bottle. On his website, we learn a staggering quantity – 22,000 – of plastic bottles are discarded every second. Without trying too hard, one can always find a bottle which has been tossed. Examples include the trash vortex in the Pacific Ocean, which contains billions of plastic bottles and is far larger than the state of Texas. Bezeau well understands the challenge of cleaning up discarded plastic bottles. He took on the task in […]

Sonaca 200 is a two-seater, single-engine aircraft designed by Sonaca Aircraft for pilot training and leisure flights. It is the first aircraft assembled in Belgium, to be exhibited at the Aero Friedrichshafen show in April 2016. The aircraft is designed and developed for the general aviation market and is currently undergoing tests in Belgium and other neighbouring countries for type certifications. Sonaca 200 is designed to obtain type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Sonaca Aircraft initiated the process for both Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) for the aircraft as per European norms. Sonaca Aircraft is planning to introduce a four-seat version of the aircraft in future. Sonaca 200 orders and deliveries Sonaca Aircraft received 14 pre-orders for the Sonaca 200 aircraft form European […]

There is ever-increasing evidence that from early in life our biology, the events we encounter, and the choices we make leave deep imprints on our minds and bodies that impact our future well-being, health, longevity—every aspect of our lives and our communities. Yet our scholarly understanding of this “bio-behavioral complex,” this rich set of feedback effects between biology, behavior, and environment, remains surprisingly incomplete here at the beginning of the era of big data. As scientists working today, there is no escaping the fact that we lack some of the most basic longitudinal data about the bio-behavioral complex in domains ranging from education to finance to health. We have made radical advances ranging from the Human Genome Project, to the revolution in cognitive neuroscience, to the development of predictive psychological […]

Imaginé par le designer néerlandais Joris Laarman, le projet MX3D Bridge a pour objectif d’imprimer en 3D un pont d’acier réservé aux piétons dans le centre historique d’Amsterdam. Premier du genre, l’édifice devrait s’achever au printemps 2017 et pourra compter sur des partenaires de renom tels que Lenovo, Autodesk ou Air Liquide. La passerelle d’acier sera conçue à l’aide d’une imprimante 3D un peu spéciale, la MX3D Metal, capable de déposer des tiges d’acier à l’aide d’un bras mécanique multi-axe. À la frontière entre un fer à souder géant et un robot industriel, la MX3D préfigure le futur de la construction urbaine, capable d’imprimer en temps réel et sans intervention humaine des ouvrages de grande taille. Le robot MX3D Metal permettra d’imprimer en 3D le pont « Avec nos robots qui peuvent ‘dessiner’ des structures d’acier en […]

The automotive and energy sectors will have to move closer together to make best use of electric vehicles in the energy grid Electricity is at the focus of several of the most pressing debates facing the engineering sector at the moment: the technologies used to generate it and how best to deploy those to reduce carbon emissions and conserve reserves of fossil fuels as they begin to dwindle and the costs of extracting them rise ever higher; distribution, and how to direct its flow in the best way to reduce waste and ensure that supplies always meet demand; and its increasing use in transport. EV battery technology is still developing, with further generations of technology expected; the Energy Futures Lab has research projects on new battery chemistry, including one where […]

As the saying goes, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” In the case of succession, an unexpected CEO vacancy can throw even a healthy organization into disarray. A smooth transition from one CEO to the next is essential in maintaining the confidence of stakeholders, particularly during a time of vulnerability. Smooth succession, or lack of it, has increasingly been a litmus test for a strong board. Effective planning allows momentum to continue and changes to be made swiftly. Additionally, it results in greater employee confidence and retention of senior talent. As proven by Apple, Microsoft and GE, life goes on. McDonald’s has long been an example of successful CEO succession planning. The board was able to quickly and decisively replace two CEOs within eight months […]

Sallie-Ann Allen, Head of Operations at Networks First Finding and attracting the right candidates to fill vacancies has always been a challenge for businesses regardless of size; but, up until recently, it has always been a sellers market – vacancies would typically have dozens of applicants, all vying for that one position. However, things are changing, and fast. The 2014 employment landscape is now very much a buyer’s market. For example, by Q2 of this year, CV-Library found that, on average, there were only six applicants per job in the pharmaceutical and scientific jobs sector. Unemployment is at its lowest since 2008. We think the digital branding, social media and the ‘hive mind’ mentality of online conversation is helping to drive this change. To remain competitive, UK employers are, subsequently, […]

The director of Medecins Sans Frontières Spain’s Technical Task Force for Ebola talks about the role that engineering is playing in the battle against West Africa’s devastating Ebola outbreak. The global number of cases in the Ebola outbreak has exceeded 10,000, with 4,922 deaths. Three countries with shared borders – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea – account for all but 10 of the fatalities The global number of cases in the Ebola outbreak has exceeded 10,000, with 4,922 deaths. Three countries with shared borders – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea – account for all but 10 of the fatalities Ebola is now like a forest fire. It is burning too intensely at its centres – the places where the disease first struck – so we are really working to contain […]