Important Innovations

  BAE & Supernal Partner on eVTOL Flight Control System                                                  Source:  Supernal Developing the Technological Brains of Flying Taxis Aerospace and defense technology leader BAE Systems and eVTOL developer Supernal (owned by Hyundai) have formed a new partnership to develop a highly advanced flight control system for Supernal's flying taxis to fly autonomously. In essence, they are developing the technological brains to enable flying taxis to self-fly. The system will be a lightweight, cutting edge, fly-by-wire system usable for both eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles), advanced air mobility vehicles (AAMs) and large, regional, electric aircraft.  The architecture will directly control the electric vehicles during flight, takeoff and landing.  BAE says that it is harnessing its expertise in electrification and flight-critical systems to advance "sustainable aviation". Formidable Partnership of Flight Control

  GM & Lockheed Martin's Lunar Rover Source:  GM, Lockheed, NASA One Big Moonshot For automotive giant GM and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, their new partnership to develop a commercial lunar rover is one big Moonshot.  Their prototype looks a bit like a toy but this is not fun and games.  They intend to deliver their Lunar Mobility Vehicles (LMV) to customers by 2025.  The electric moon vehicle could prove to be an important part of NASA's Artemis Mission that will bring astronauts back to the Moon this decade, 50 years after the Apollo mission. A Big Commitment With or Without Government Funding Lockheed and GM intend to build the Moon vehicles with or without government funding.  There is no guarantee that they will win the NASA bidding process and be awarded a contract for use of the vehicle during the Artemis mission, set to launch in 2025.  The companies say they are building the LMV 100% for industrial use. They anticipate accelerating demand for lunar vehicles fr

  Big Technological Convergence                                                        Source:  Sony Sony's  First Electric Cars in 2025 There has been a seismic move in the global electric car marketplace.  Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony is teaming up with global automotive giant Honda to develop and manufacture electric cars.  The new cars will go to market and be ready for purchase in 2025.  This partnership makes Sony the latest big player in the rapidly accelerating electric car business.  And the throw-weight of the synergistic technologies that the two partners bring to the table is mammoth.   Sony EVs Sony first announced its interest in developing electric cars in 2020.  At CES 2022, it unveiled a stunning electric SUV concept called Vision-S 02.  It can carry 7 people and includes the capacity for them to play video games made for the Sony Playstation 5 console.  Rather than following the path to develop and manufacture the e-SUV alone, Sony Mobility is

  Big Global Flying Taxi Partnership: ANA, Joby Aviation & Toyota                                             Source:  Joby Aviation Electric, eVTOL Air Commuting for Japan There's a big, global development in the deployment of flying taxis. Japan's ANA - All Nippon Airways - and California-based flying taxi company Joby Aviation have formed a partnership to bring electric, vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) to Japan to serve as a network of ride-sharing, flying taxis for commuters.  Automaker Toyota is also a major partner in this endeavor and will focus on transport connections on the ground.  With the global stature of the members of this partnership, it has all the appearances of a game-changing deal for the deployment of flying taxis. The Japanese Market for Flying Taxis The Japanese market is fertile for flying taxis.  92% of the Japanese population live in cities. Some like Tokyo are among the most congested in the world.  The first deployment of the Job

  Boeing & Porsche Partner on Flying Porsches                   Source:  Porsche & Boeing Flying Car Concepts Multinational Research Effort Porsche and Boeing are combining their respective sports car and aircraft expertise to create a flying Porsche for your personal commuting.  An international team of experts from Chicago based Boeing and German based Porsche are coming together to work on the development project in three R&D locations: Germany, Switzerland and the United States.  Porsche will design the vehicle's body.  Boeing will engineer and develop the airborne vehicle's capabilities.   Air Traffic Control and Regulatory Environment The two global companies are also taking on a much wider challenge to ensure the eventual rollout of their new flying car technologies and other flying cars and urban air mobility systems.  They intend to focus on air traffic control and the regulatory environment for flying cars, including a new air traffic management system.  N

  Microsoft, GM and Cruise Partner on Self-Driving Cars                                                  Source:  GM's Cruise A New Vision for Autonomous Driving This is a brand new vision of the future of autonomous driving.  A new partnership among Microsoft, GM and Cruise.  San Francisco based startup Cruise just received a huge infusion of cash to develop autonomous cars.  Microsoft has joined GM, which is Cruise's majority shareholder, along with Honda and other institutional investors to pump $2 billion worth of investment into Cruise and its autonomous technology.  Their intent is for Cruise to take their self-driving vehicles to market for widespread commercialization. The investment infusion brought Cruise's market valuation to $30 billion. That is very close to Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Google's parent Alphabet, valued at slightly over $30 billion. Microsoft Tech and the Big Picture Cruise will use Microsoft's cloud computing platform Azure

  Talks Now Underway on Autonomous, Electric Car                                        Source: Hyundai Concept Car Target for Apple E-Car 2024 Hyundai has confirmed that it is talking with Apple about joining forces to develop an autonomous electric car.  The talks are in the early stages but there are indications that Hyundai would manufacture the Apple designed electric car.  Hyundai may also develop batteries for it.  Today's confirmation shot up Hyundai's share price 20%. Apple's Project Titan Apple's e-car Project Titan has a target date for producing the car by 2024.  Apple has recently added a number of former Tesla executives to the development team.  Apple brings tremendous technological innovation to the table for self-driving electric cars.  The highly advanced technology includes 3D lidar sensors, cameras and an inexpensive, long range breakthrough battery.  Should the Apple-Hyundai partnership be forged, Hyundai will add to the mix global automotive design

  Partner to Develop Self-Driving Semi Trucks                                                            Source:  Daimler Trucks and Waymo Driverless Big Rigs Daimler and Alphabet/Google Waymo announced today that they are collaborating on the development of self-driving Class 8 semi trucks.  Specifically, they plan on incorporating Waymo's automated system into Daimler's Freightliner Cascadia semi trucks.  These are very big rigs capable of hauling 33,000 pounds. Big Win for Waymo This is a big win for Waymo which has been trying to collaborate with major, established automakers.  Waymo CEO John Krafcik, during a conference call about the deal, said it will take some time to develop the braking, steering and other technologies needed to bring fully self-driving semi trucks to market in high volume.   Highly Competitive Traffic with Tesla Daimler and its competitor PACCAR control more than 70% of the Class 8 semi truck market in the US.  But, the competition is heating up.  In

  SpaceX & Microsoft Tie-Up to Win Space Customers                                                  Source:  Tesla Starlink Starlink and Azure Cloud Computing This technology combination between Elon Musk's SpaceX and Microsoft is fascinating.  Microsoft is expanding its Azure cloud computing platform into space through a partnership with SpaceX's growing constellation of low earth orbiting satellites for inexpensive, global broadband internet - Starlink.  Starlink is a big space-based internet opportunity and is already being beta-tested in the northern US, in tribal communities and in southern Canada.  Starlink can give Microsoft's Azure a potentially big edge over rival Amazon's cloud computing platform for business. Cloud Business Demand Is Soaring Because of the restrictions of COVID-19, demand for cloud services are soaring as adults and children work from home.  Microsoft has tested its Azure cloud with satellites in space and established a space venture addr

UAE Tech & 2 Israeli Co's Partner to Fight COVID-19 Source:  COVID-19 Tech Fight Source:  Abu Dhabi Group 42 Signing Deal  Rare Arab-Israeli Big Partnership An astonishing example of Arab-Israeli cooperation has just emerged to fight the COVID-19 virus.  Two Israeli defense contractors, Israel Aerospace Industries and Raphael, and an Abu Dhabi based technology company Group 42, are joining forces to develop technologies to fight COVID-19.  This despite the fact that Israel has no diplomatic relations with a Gulf Arab nation.  The partnership has been forged by the urgent, common humanitarian concerns over the vicious nature of COVID-19's threat to every human being. Arab-Israeli Tech Partnership The three companies reached their remarkable agreement via video calls this weekend.  Abu Dhabi based Group 42 specializes in AI and cloud computing. It is led by CEO Peng Xiao.  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has a portfolio of both defense and civilian businesse

Boeing & Porsche Developing Electric Flying Car Source:  Porsche-Boeing flying car Artist Rendering Moving into the 3rd Dimension of Travel Aerospace giant Boeing and luxury sports car maker Porsche have teamed up to create a premier electric flying car.  They say that they are exploring the premium urban air mobility market through the extension  of "urban traffic into the airspace." The car-plane combination is clearly targeted at big city commuters who would relish a lift above traffic snarled streets. Electric VTOL Their goal  is to create a fully electric vehicle that is capable of vertical takeoff and landings - a VTOL.  Both companies view this as a potentially key market segment of the future.  They expect the flying car market to take off in 2025. VW Going Electric Germany-based Porsche is owned by Volkswagen, the world's largest automaker.  VW has committed to building 22 million electric vehicles across its brands over the nex

Porsche & Boeing's Strategic Partnership to Develop Flying Cars Source:  Porsche AG 2020 Prototype:  Electric VTOL The decision by Boeing and Porsche to form a strategic partnership to jointly develop flying cars underscores the growing importance of the "personal mobility" market.  Flying cars/vehicles are expected to start creating crowded skies from 2025 and onward.  The Boeing Porsche team says they will present their developed prototype of an electric, vertical takeoff and landing vehicle in 2020.  For a great news blog on this by fellow journalist Ed Kane, go to Important Innovations Collection: Boeing & Porsche Flyng Car : New Partnership for 2020 Prototype Source:  Porsche AG Electric VTOL Vehicle US airplane manufacture Boeing and VW's luxury spor...

BMW Jaguar Land Rover Partner to Accelerate Development of Electric Cars Source:  BMW Factory in the US The automotive giants are teaming up to accelerate the development and reduce the costs of electric cars.  They're focused on state of the art electric motors, transmissions and power electronics.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: BMW Jaguar Innovation Alliance : Jointly Developing Electric Car Parts Source:  BMW Assembly Line Goal: Cut E-Car Costs Jaguar Land Rover and BMW are teaming up to j...

New Technology Partnership Source:  State of Washington signing ceremony with Norway Environment & Maritime Focus This is a very long distance technology partnership but their mutual interest and expertise in the environment, technology and the ocean closes the mileage gap.  Norway and the state of Washington have just signed a two year agreement to develop the next generation of maritime technologies and clean energy innovations.  Their results will benefit both regions of the world. Clean Energy Focus The MOU was signed by Washington State officials and Innovation Norway.  Norway's Ambassador to the US The Hon. Kare Aas was there.  Their collaboration is focused on innovation in clean energy, particularly for maritime vessels, innovation for the oceans, electric vehicles, data analytics and to promote economic and trade relations.  Additionally, they want to modernize and cut the environmental impact of the fishing and seafood industries through new technology and

New Partnership on Streaming Games, Chips and AI by Two Tech Giants Source:  Microsoft - CEO's of Sony and Microsoft Shake Hands on New Partnership The Cloud and the Consumer This is a new and important strategic partnership to develop new innovations.  Two global technology giants Microsoft and Sony are joining forces.  Sony will use the Microsoft cloud to stream games and media.  And the two will work together to develop new image sensors and further the use of Artificial Intelligence in Sony products. Major Consumer Interactive Entertainmen t The purpose of the collaboration is to advance interactive content.  Both have major interactive entertainment businesses:  Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation, that in some cases have been business partners and in other cases competitors. Win-Win This is a big competitive win for Microsoft's Azure cloud computing business particularly over Amazon's cloud market leader, Amazon Web Services.  Sony and Micros