Consequences of The Sharing Economy on Real Estate

 

The sharing economy is shifting needs and desires. And this proliferates along industries.

The invasion of technology in real estate has unveiled a whole new world of possibilities and disrupted the traditional way of using real estate. The new trends are all related to “co-something”:

1) Multifamily: Co-living
2) Office: Co-working
3) Hospitality: Co-hosting
4) Industrial: Co-warehouse

The taste of sharing brought us Uber with car sharing, Airbnb with dwelling sharing when travelling, WeWork with working space sharing, and Common with shared living spaces. Also, Flexe with industrial spaces sharing and Storefront with retail sharing. And the implications for real estate are enormous.

Prices for residential properties have raised

In popular tourist destinations, attracting rental dwellings to short time rentals on sharing principles affects long term residents. And increases their cost of life, as this practice adds to housing crises, reduces offer and consequently long-term rent cost grows.

Shared offices save costs and space

Globalization has become reality for worldwide entrepreneurs and small businesses. Startups can now consider expanding globally thanks to shared office spaces and co-working. Serviced offices are gaining popularity, as they come fully furnished and with an array of available services. It’s an option that allows to control and cut costs, which is particularly important in start up phase.

Even if sharing principles have been embraced primarily by freelancers and small businesses, corporations are joining in. More frequently they choose outsourced serviced and furnished offices rather than renting their own. Trending industries companies, such as those in technology or media, find more efficient and cheaper to employ co-working spaces.

Finally, all reduces to resources optimization. Currently when renting an office building, it is not used 24/7 and obviously the space is not used at its full capacity; this situation has to change.

Practices of sharing economy may have a negative impact on the demand of office spaces. Preferring flexible, fully equipped working spaces that are shared, may reduce the need of classical office spaces.

Shared warehousing maximizes space efficiency

Taking into consideration that warehousing sector experiences peaks and lows several times a year, measures to cover short term seasonal fluctuations are very welcomed. Nowadays commercial real estate technology permits warehousing sharing, through software based sharing solutions, for not used or underused warehouse capacity at a certain moment.

Specialized platforms bring together and put exceeding short time capacities at the disposal of other enterprises, that need temporarily space for their inventory.

Shared economy offers diversification to real estate investors

Shared economy has implications for real estate investors also, but more like a portfolio diversification. When investing in real estate development entities, investors should closely check on the portfolio they have to manage and be opened to new trends. Now the trends are suggesting shared offices and accommodation will gain momentum. Thus, new opportunities are showing, and investors should consider them accordingly.

Change is inevitable and is the only constant in our lives, shared economy has lots of immixtures in real estate, if they can be correctly implemented. And promises more flexibility, cost efficiency and investment diversification. It’s just a matter of time of how far and fast things will evolve in a foreseen horizon.

Silicon Valley Innovation Center design Silicon Valley Inspiration Tours to learn powerful lessons about Unique technologies and rising trends of real estate.

 

What Will The Car Of The Future Look Like: Cars That Are Worth To Wait

Apparently, future brings us large change in all areas. One of the biggest changes will happen in transportation. Cars of the future will look like totally different than today. An advanced transportation technology will give us cars that are worth to wait.

Take a look what will the car of the future look like.

No more diesel and petrol cars

Some countries have already announced ban sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2040. Others will follow them for sure. The main reason for such decision is to decrease pollution. We are already seriously endangered by air pollution because of CO2 emission. What would be for a decade and even later?

For this reason, governments already are taking actions to prevent an even worse situation than it is now. Similarly, automotive companies look ahead and start to produce eco-friendly cars. Tesla is the leader in this area. It introduced first electric cars and disrupted the whole industry. Now when is known that cars can go on electric power, who needs gasoline?! Following the innovators in this field, other car giants also are turning out to the production of new, electric or hybrid cars.

Yes, electric cars are still expensive, but as advanced transportation technology is developing, the price will go down. But not too much. Cars will be a luxury in the future!

Autonomous cars and carsharing

In this regard, in future, we will rather share cars than drive ours. No more car traffic jams, large costs for car servicing or sitting around of cars out-of-use in the yard. There would be car-sharing, ride-sharing and bike-sharing service companies to transport you wherever you want. Some of these services already exist. Zipcar, for example, offers cars for use, while Uber and Lyft provide on-customer-demand transport.

Cars will be autonomous as well. Uber and other companies have already invested a lot in their development, while in Europe are already tested autonomous vehicles for the purpose of public transport. They used virtual maps for navigation and reached the speed of 15mph. Yet, a driver was inside, just in case of emergency.

Future autonomous cars will have a computer board with sensors, cameras and will use a lidar system that is similar to a radar system, but will use laser lights. There are still many things to improve to the level that the vehicle can go without a driver. For now, driverless vehicles are still in the starting phase of development.

New car features for smart cities

In line with the transition to smart cities, in future, cars will use a technology that is currently used in other sectors, but also will be developed the new advanced transportation technology. For example, instead of a classic key, cars will use a fingerprint sensor. You will open windows with touchscreen controls, while smart advanced computers on the board of the vehicle will be connected with networks of smart cities. You will be able to communicate with streets or other cars, while you will get all necessary information on the board instantly. Instead of buttons, there will be a voice assistant. Cars also will be autonomous, so you can just sit back and enjoy riding. After electric charging at the nearest station, a car will be ready for the next ride. Indeed impressive, isn’t it?! Mercedes has already represented one such model.

Future transportation will be entertaining, no doubt. With the new advanced transportation technology, cars will be pollution-free and autonomous and will look more like spaceships than like today’s cars. They will have digitalized boards and many other new features adapted to smart cities infrastructure. Thus, buckle up, we’ll ride them soon!

Silicon Valley Innovation Center design Silicon Valley Innovation Tour Guide to gain  knowledge about new technologies and rising transportation trends.

Five Renewable Energy Growth Trends to Watch in 2018

Energy Storage

While the market of renewable energy has been growing steadily throughout the last decade, industry experts agree that energy storage has been underestimated in its importance in sector for too long. Millions of solar panels and wind turbines have been constructed, yet we are still without a way to mass-produce storage that will allow us to harness these energy sources while the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. Energy markets in 2018 will definitely see an uptick in attention on energy storage production, particularly those created to hold energy from renewable energy sources. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projected the storage market will double six times between 2016 and 2030, making it a prime choice for investors. As state, federal, and international policies mandating the use of renewables continue to increase, this energy storage will become increasingly indispensable as it grows to be the backbone of green energy technology.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology will be a driving force in the growth of global renewable energy construction, changing the role of consumers and supplies across the world. Blockchain’s unique technology allows for safe, documented, peer-to-peer transactions that eliminate the need for a third party intermediary. We’ve already seen this type of platform allow single-home solar power producers in the areas of the US to sell their excess solar energy directly to their neighbors, disrupting the status quo of energy sale transactions as we know it. Blockchain technology has also tempered hesitations from solar energy companies about working in impoverished and corrupt countries in developing nations. Given that blockchain helps to mitigate currency volatility and records transactions between two parties across borders permanently, it offers financial security that previously was unattainable in certain regions. This significantly lowers the risk of documents and dollars being lost in the process of construction and operation, and opens up new markets for green energy technology companies.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The connection of more and more technology through IoT will continue to boost the efficiency rate of the green energy sector’s most popular energy sources, wind and solar. As utility-scale wind and solar power generation continues to reach grid parity, and price is no longer a competing factor for conventional fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, IoT will aid in decreasing the price of these alternative sources by increasing their energy output. Moreover, as the wind and solar industry continues to spread, demand for suitable locations to generate these alternative sources will take companies to more remote locations. IoT will minimize the burden of distance by allowing digitized machinery and remotely based employees to be connected 24/7. Distributed generation (our next trend below), will only further increase the spread of IoT usage in the energy industry.

Distributed Generation

Distributed generation allows generated electricity to be consumed at or near the site at which it is produced. This type of distribution saves millions in otherwise wasted energy that travels long distances to arrive at its end consumer. Distributed generation and is most commonly implemented in tandem with renewable resources like wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal, etc. This type of alternative generation technology can also be connected with energy storage systems and coordinated through smart grids, bringing in our other market trends of energy storage and IoT and into the play. Given that distributed generation creates smaller environmental impacts and improves security of supply, its very functioning follows the increasingly green trend of energy consumption. As some of energy companies’ largest inefficiencies come from distribution losses, distributed energy will be continue to rise globally alongside renewable energy generation. Installed capacity of distributed renewable energy resources has been projected to trips between 2015 and 2024, with a predicted total investment of nearly $2 trillion over the decade alone.

Drones

Drones, once known as only high-tech tools used in military operations, are now becoming the idyllic solution for dozens of industries, particularly those dealing in the maintenance of operations in remote areas. Since the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision in 2015 to allow hundreds of companies to operate drones in the US, dozens of industries are chomping at the bit to incorporate this cost-saving technology into their business strategies. Drones will continue to play and increasingly large role in the renewable energy market, from increasing efficiency of maintenance routines at offshore wind sites, to reducing fixed costs for solar panel farms through the use of robotic cleaning drones and solar trackers. Drones can also play a role in assessing potential resources and building sites for less-conventional renewable sources like hydroelectric and geothermal plants. While growth will undoubtedly surge in the US in 2018 and beyond, global drone usage will depend on varying states’ alterations of their respective aviation policies.

 

 

Driving Digital Transformation: New Skills For Leaders

Since digital transformation has become our reality and necessity, we all need to adapt to it. Even if you start with partial digital transformation by applying some digital solutions, for example, big data analytics, eventually, you will need to conduct a full digital transformation. Not only that you will thus use a full potential of digital technologies, but this is a condition to keep pace with your competitors or if possible to be better than them. In both cases, such a large change needs a full support of all employees. However, first leaders need to develop new skills for driving digital transformation.

After all, how employees would know what to do if you don’t lead them properly, and how you would lead them if you don’t have skills for that?!

Take a look which skills you need to develop.

Leaders need to have a digital literacy

If you want to conduct digital transformation, first you need to possess digital literacy. This means that you need to be capable of using information and communication technologies with your cognitive and technical skills. However, this does not mean that you need to be a digital expert, but you simply need to understand solutions that you apply. In this way, you will be also able to recognize advantages of their implementation and share them with your employees.

The logic is simple – if you don’t understand what you are implementing, how you will explain to your employees why this change is needed and what they will get with this change? You are their role model, don’t forget that. What you do, they will do as well. If you accept the change, they will also. If you have developed new skills, they will do the same.

Visionary transformational leadership approach

Before you start a digital transformation, you need to have a vision what you will gain with this change. A vision will also guide you through the path of digital transformation. Yet, this is not enough. You need to have a transformational leadership approach and inspire your employees to follow you in accomplishing that vision. Therefore, you first need to believe that your vision is achievable, and then transfer the same thoughts to your employees. They will be motivated in this way, while your job to drive digital transformation will be much easier and more efficient.

In this regard, you need to develop change management skills as well. You need to clearly communicate all advantages of digital transformation to employees, allow them experimenting and provide them training to easier accept this large change. For example, you may use reverse mentoring, when younger employees who are usually more digitally native become mentors of those who are not so familiar with digital technologies.

This first phase is crucial and must be conducted properly and later, implementation of additional digital solutions will be much easier because you have set a digital base.

Creativity, learning and adaptability skills

Given that digital transformation requires changes in work tasks and switching from routine to less routine and more cognitive tasks, as leaders you need to develop skills to creatively find new organizational solutions that will help employees to accept this change. Usually, digital automation replaces human work at lower organizational levels and employees are often scared that will lose their jobs, so they often show resistance to change. Assure them that there are no reasons for fear, encourage them and enable them to gain new skills through training.

In addition, you also need to create an atmosphere of constant learning and improvement within the organization. Explain to employees that adaptability is the condition for survival in today’s business environment. Assure them that digital transformation will bring benefits to all.

As a leader and their role model, you are showing employees how to behave to successfully conduct digital transformation. Therefore, in one word – you need to develop a digital mindset and be the first who will accept a digital change. When you develop needed skills for driving digital transformation, you need to transfer the same mindset to your employees. After that, you will go smoothly through your digital path to success.

Most Important Areas AgriTech Startups Are Innovating In

Recent developments in agriculture, innovations and latest agricultural techniques are decided to transform a traditional industry in a highly technologized one. New concepts like precision farming, smart farming, vertical farming, biogenomics, crop efficiency, are arising and promising to bring the agriculture in a new era.

Among the most innovative areas that will decide the future of agriculture, we count:

Precision Farming

Precision farming aims to provide superior control and accuracy to growing crops activities and those of raising livestock. Information technology agriculture is a key element together with sensors, drones, control systems, GPS enabled soil sampling, software and hardware automatizations, telematics. All these technologies are used in the purpose of mitigating risks and reinforce sustainability.
AGERpoint is such a startup activating in the precision farming area. Based on satellite data their orchard management application provides granular data like individual tree information, canopy dimensions or diameter of a certain trunk.
Agrobot is another relevant precision startup that offers manipulation robotic systems for selecting strawberries. It can analyze individual fruits, sort them upon their size and ripeness degree, guaranteeing accuracy and sensitivity in their treatment.

Smart Farming

Smart Farming is a crop management system based on observations and measures, big data analytics, process automation and optimization devices that allows better decisions, using less resources and obtaining superior results. Its essence is to target an increased efficiency. Smart farming and its tools enable precise and detailed decisions in every phase of the crop cycle, identify in due time negative factors that impact yields, take immediate action, reduce inputs, costs and maximize crops and profits.
Spensa Technologies is a solution offering farmers the possibility to closely observe their fields, track disease or pests in crops.
CropX provides cloud enabled applications integrated with sensors that function wireless, boosting crops and preserving energy and water resources. The software generates irrigation maps and automatically directs the needed water quantity in various parts of a field.

 

Robotic Farming Equipment and Machinery

Various monitoring solutions and sensor technologies are creating an automation process on the traditional farming. Together with other creative alternatives like vertical farming, the purpose is to replicate the land environment through irrigation systems, lighting conditions and gases supplements to generate output in spaces inaccessible till now to agriculture.
An example is NeoFarms, a German startup which grows crop automatically through aeroponics in vertical building farms. It drastically increases the efficiency of a small area and diminish logistics costs.
Another example is the Irish startup MicroGen Biotech who deals with soil remediation, ameliorating soil quality and fertility, maximizing yields in stressful conditions. They use innovative biotechnologies like “high throughput screening” and “functional microbiomes” to ameliorate oil impacted soils and other type of damaged fields.

Maximize Crop Efficiency

Today farmers are able to use satellite images and integrated drones to gather granular information about their fields and crops in real time. They are able to track a large number of metrics from number of seeds on square meter to weather conditions, soil parameters and take the according decisions based on real data. Applications are also ready to provide analytics and make automated recommendations to streamline business operations.
Granular is a software application that based on data tracks all the activities of a farm allowing farmers to prioritize resources, monitor revenues and make forecasts.
These are just some areas where major improvements are already visible, many more are under the siege of innovations and will bring sooner or later ameliorations that farmers and growers will benefit of.