Ahead in Time

Innovations in Steel, Agriculture & Real Estate

Changes in society and technology impact how we develop and invent new ways to tackle challenges across the world. True innovation however, lies in not only looking into the future but understanding the past.

We have highlighted some game-changing innovations in the following industries

Innovations in Steel

The common misconception of the steel sector is that it’s extremely commoditised and hence little innovation takes place. This is the exact opposite – steel manufacturers need to be constantly at the top of their game, developing new products while staying cost-conscious.

Optimisation of Water Consumption

Water is used as a cooling agent in steel production. With the development of environmental awareness, industrial processes are trying to shift towards an eco-friendly way to produce steel — thereby reducing water consumption. Technologies and machinery such as different kinds of heat exchangers, additional air-condensing modules, air exhausts and air recirculation for bubbling are being continuously improved to meet this requirement.

Automation Solutions for Packaging Steel Tubes

Aside from the technical specifications of the product, steel manufacturers also need to innovate on requirements such as labelling, packaging, transportation and so on. For instance, creating hexagonal packages that ensure the tubes don’t accumulate and get intertwined was a big innovation in steel packaging. This was done by strapping the packages with plastic foil or burlap. Even though packaging solutions are in place for most companies, there is always room to do better and reduce labour cost by introducing smart solutions.

Smart quality control of laminated steel bars

In order to convert traditional factories into smart ones so the establishment can operate autonomously and make efficient use of its resources, it’s imperative that steel companies automate activities and processes that are manually performed. Some of these processes are related to quality control measures at the end of manufacturing. Companies are now working on finding solutions that performs quality control while avoiding halts that cause a 3-5% productivity loss. A challenge in the quality control activity is to perform a 90º tipping to measure the straightness of the steel bar. The bar is tipped, information is gathered and an alarm is generated in case of non-conformity. A system based on laser and electromagnets has been proposed to tackle this step.

Innovations in Agriculture

Agriculture is another sector that constantly needs to innovate on its processes and methods. Since there are many levels and players in agriculture, improving efficiency at every level is imperative. This industry has already gone through a substantial technological shift over the years. Drones, sensors, environmental controls, big data, different agricultural techniques, smart packaging are all a huge leap in the right, digital direction.

Robotics in Agriculture

Robotics is mainly focussed on improving productivity in the field. This would extend to spraying or weeding robots, fruit picking robots and most importantly plant translating robots. The robots are being programmed towards tasks that are intricate and more complex, having to be performed with precision. The excessive need to adopt robotics are due to factors like the rising cost of labour, shortage of labour and the inability to meet the growing demand for food globally.

Genome Editing

Genome editing; primarily using site-directed nucleases such as the CRISPR system, has rapidly progressed across the industry. The editing of crops can significantly speed up the progress of breeding programs. This essentially drives the developments of traits in new crops that allow them to build pest resistance, yield more, adapt to climate change and more. Agricultural scientists have begun engineering crops that can thrive on less water and eventually yield more food all due to the possibility of genetic editing. There are some environmental challenges that could arise with genome editing and so it’s imperative to keep at finding solutions for these unforeseen problems as well.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

These innovations in the industry facilitate intelligent food production and aid the development of effective business models. These models enable food produce to become climate resilient as well as traceable. The integration of Machine Learning and Deep Learning are both being abundantly used to manage agri data and predict trends. What’s fascinating is that this data is generated even before planting the seed — Machine Learning now gives tips on the genes and traits that are best suited for that particular crop’s production. This results in farmers picking breeds of crops that are best suited to the environment well in advance, thereby demising the possibility of a failed yield.

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Innovations in Real Estate

Technology and innovation have remained a driving factor for the real estate space, globally. There have been advancements that can improve efficiency in development, operations, improve planning and governance and the overall customer experience. Due to the large shift towards a digital world, it’s becoming more important that the real estate sector provides a vibrant platform for innovative tech-oriented operations and services to adapt to the changing environment.

Virtual Tour Innovations

From flipping through property pictures in a book to flipping through slideshows on the computer, the real estate industry has seen a tremendous change in its operations. The next big move is virtual tours. There are many kinds of virtual tours that companies are integrating in their systems. Some companies create a complete three-dimensional tour that allow you to click through a model home, zooming in and out to see all details. Other companies use technologies such as Oculus for a complete virtual reality experience. This means a potential buyer can get the experience of walking through the entire home as though they were there in person. These tours get more and more advanced with the application of Artificial Intelligence.

Smart Homes

In the last couple of years, technology giants have shown interest in investing in and acquiring smart home technologies.  Two examples of this are Google’s development of the Nest thermostat into a series of smart home projects and Amazon’s acquisition of the smart doorbell company, Ring. Amazon’s partnership with Lennar to put doorbells, smart locks, Wi-Fi, thermostats and lights (all powered through Alexa) into homes is another example. Voice-activated technology has seen tremendous room for innovation with it’s integration in smart homes.

Big Data

Both commercial and residential real estate developers need a constant and accurate source of information on how they properties are performing at various levels – from energy efficiency to rental rates. A plethora of big data startups like Bowery, Buildium and Enertiv help property managers gather data to tabulate and turn it into useful insights. They help making smart decisions and business changes on the basis of actual data rather than projections. Big data can also be used to create 3D models and virtual reality simulations that allow developers, architects and constructors tour a building in detail before they break ground, preventing expensive mistakes.

In the 21st century, as economic growth and related consumption increasingly shift to Asia, it’s imperative that businesses in China, India, South Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian countries have to continuously innovate to stay always ahead. Unlike the last two centuries, wherein a one-time innovation was sufficient to achieve business advantage for decades. Businesses that nurture the continuous innovation spirit across their organization, popularly known as Kaizen, shall continue to have an edge over the competition.