Important Innovations

  DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                  By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane PORSCHE'S LUXURY CAMPER - "GLAMPING"                                                                      Source:  Airstream & Porsche VW's iconic, luxury automaker Porsche has partnered with top US travel-trailer maker Airstream to create the ultimate in luxury, glamorous, camping British newspaper "Daily Mail"...

  Zuri 2.0 Could Be an eVTOL Travel Gamechanger Source:  Zuri Highly Advanced Hybrid Electric Flying Machine Prague, Czech Republic-based, urban air mobility startup Zuri has unveiled a long distance, unmanned eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle. The aircraft has a big range of 435 miles which could make it an industry gamechanger.  To date, most eVTOLs have had very limited range: many in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 miles.  Zuri extended the vehicle's range by using a hybrid electric powertrain.  Zuri 2.0 is designed to carry 4 to 5 passengers for regional travel.  The company has also unveiled a cargo version of the eVTOL.  Both versions fly by autopilot.  All phases of the flight are unmanned. Technology Details Zuri is a hybrid eVTOL with eight tilting electric motors (4 propellers in the front and 4 propellers in the back) for vertical takeoffs and landings.  There's a turboprop engine for forward flight.  It ca...

  Zuri 2.0 eVTOL Has 435 Mile Range Source:  Zuri Highly Advanced Hybrid Electric Flying Machine Prague, Czech Republic-based, urban air mobility startup Zuri has unveiled a long distance, unmanned eVTOL (electric, vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle. The aircraft has a big range of 435 miles which could make it an industry gamechanger.  To date, most eVTOLs have had very limited range: many in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 miles.  Zuri extended the vehicle's range by using a hybrid electric powertrain.  Zuri 2.0 is designed to carry 4 to 5 passengers for regional travel.  The company has also unveiled a cargo version of the eVTOL.  Both versions fly by autopilot.  All phases of the flight are unmanned. Technology Details Zuri is a hybrid eVTOL with eight tilting electric motors (4 propellers in the front and 4 propellers in the back) for vertical takeoffs and landings.  There's a turboprop engine for forward flight.  It can fly 435 mi...

US & European Regional Travel on the Rise Source: Cape Cod Summer Tourist Destination Marriott CEO's Global Hotel Perspective The pandemic was particularly inhospitable to the global hospitality industry.  As Covid-19 cases soared, air travel ground to a halt, lockdowns forced people to shelter at home and bookings at global hotel chains plummeted.  At Marriott, room occupancy rates dropped to 5% in some US hotel properties and to 7% in Marriott hotels in China.  The rates have rebounded in China to 40% and in the US to 20%.  CEO Arne Sorenson says he's starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel for global hotels:  a pickup in personal and business travel. Profound Economic Impact Sorenson says the impact of the pandemic on Marriott's global business is worse than 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis combined. He doesn't expect global occupancy to return to the average of 71% for a few years.  But there are positive signs....