Important Innovations

  Surfing With No Waves Needed, Anytime of Year                                                                                Source:  Awake Surfboard Can Hit 36 MPH Sweden-based Awake has developed a powerful electric surfboard that can hit speeds of 36 mph.  It can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in just 4 seconds.  The Ravik S 22 electric surfboard is able to surf on any body of water any time of year including on snowy winter days.  And, it doesn't need waves to surf! It provides an extreme surfing ride, developed by an award-winning surfboard company. Tech Specs The e-board is powered by a 12-kW brushless motor.  The motor has three speed settings and three throttle sensitivity modes.  It has a wireless speed control system that cuts throttle response time down to .02 seconds.  The quick response time makes it much easier for the surfer to time turns and jumps.  A 1.9-kW battery provides a ride time of 15 to 20 minutes. That version of the board is priced at $15,000. An extended

  Surfing With No Waves Needed, Anytime of Year                                                                                Source:  Awake Surfboard Can Hit 36 MPH Sweden-based Awake has developed a powerful electric surfboard that can hit speeds of 36 mph.  It can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in just 4 seconds.  The Ravik S 22 electric surfboard is able to surf on any body of water any time of year including on snowy winter days.  And, it doesn't need waves to surf! It provides an extreme surfing ride, developed by an award-winning surfboard company. Tech Specs The e-board is powered by a 12-kW brushless motor.  The motor has three speed settings and three throttle sensitivity modes.  It has a wireless speed control system that cuts throttle response time down to .02 seconds.  The quick response time makes it much easier for the surfer to time turns and jumps.  A 1.9-kW battery provides a ride time of 15 to 20 minutes. That version of the board is priced at $15,000. An extended

  Sweden's Hot Personal Flying Machine Source:  Jetson Jetson One - A World First in Aviation A Sweden based company - Jetson - has invented the world's first commercially available, eVTOL personal flying machine, Jetson One.  The EV is so hot that the company claims it's getting an order for Jetson One every 15 minutes.  Vehicles for 2022 are already sold out by buyers in the US and Europe.  It can be ordered for delivery in 2023 at a price of $70,000.  Jetson One is fully electric and can hit speeds of 63 mph.  It is lightweight and so highly maneuverable it can vertically takeoff and land from a garden or driveway.  Flight range is 20 minutes. Tech Specs Jetson One is made of aluminum and carbon fiber and weighs 190 pounds.  It has a race car inspired spaceframe, safety cell design. There are 8 electric motors that power the single-seat aircraft.  The battery is a high discharge lithium-ion battery.  Flight controls include a 3-axis joystick and throttle lever.  For safe

  Sweden's Hot Personal Flying Machine Source:  Jetson Jetson One - A World First in Aviation A Sweden based company - Jetson - has invented the world's first commercially available, eVTOL personal flying machine, Jetson One.  The EV is so hot that the company claims it's getting an order for Jetson One every 15 minutes.  Vehicles for 2022 are already sold out by buyers in the US and Europe.  It can be ordered for delivery in 2023 at a price of $70,000.  Jetson One is fully electric and can hit speeds of 63 mph.  It is lightweight and so highly maneuverable it can vertically takeoff and land from a garden or driveway.  Flight range is 20 minutes. Tech Specs Jetson One is made of aluminum and carbon fiber and weighs 190 pounds.  It has a race car inspired spaceframe, safety cell design. There are 8 electric motors that power the single-seat aircraft.  The battery is a high discharge lithium-ion battery.  Flight controls include a 3-axis joystick and throttle lever.  For safe

   Plowing Through Waves at 35 MPH                                                   Source:  Radinn Zero Emissions Jet Boarding Swedish company Radinn is a big name in surfboards and jet boards.  The company has now created a tough, hard wearing, electric, motorized jet board called the X-Sport.  The board is sleek and hydrodynamically designed to smoothly cut through the waves.  Its 3 kWh battery pack powers the board for up to 45 minutes of fun cruising the waves with zero emissions. New Form of Riding the Waves The board is six feet in length.  It has a core of polystyrene that is reinforced and strengthened by layers of fiberglass and polymer.  The inventors say it is strong enough to have "impact durability" if it hits something or is dropped. The board also has ultra-resistant and lightweight hull technology that can handle rough water conditions. The company says it can be enjoyed on any body of water and by anyone.  It is designed to be easy to operate.  X-Sport has

 X-Sport E-Jet Board   Plowing Through Waves at 35 MPH                                                    Source:  Radinn Zero Emissions Jet Boarding from Sweden Swedish company Radinn is a big name in surfboards and jet boards.  The company has now created a tough, electric, motorized jet board called the X-Sport.  The board is sleek and hydrodynamically designed to smoothly cut through the waves.  The board's 3 kWh battery pack powers the board for up to 45 minutes of fun cruising the waves of the sea, smooth lake or rolling river with zero emissions. New Form of Riding the Waves The board is six feet in length.  It has a core of polystyrene that is reinforced and strengthened by layers of fiberglass and polymer.  The inventors say it is strong enough to have "impact durability" if it hits something or is dropped. The board also has ultra-resistant and lightweight hull technology that can handle rough water conditions. The company says it can be enjoyed on any body of w

  From Sweden, Candela Hydrofoil Speed Boat                                        Sweden's Candela Speed Boats Electric, No Waves, No Erosion in Venice  Sweden's Candela speed boats are an electric, no wave creation, no erosion, no emissions, electric different kind of boat.  They are being deployed in the historic Venice canals.  Historic parts of the city of Venice are in danger of sinking because of the "moto ondoso" effect of motorboats creating waves that erode and damage historical buildings.  The Candela speed boats creates no waves to erode or damage buildings or the coastline.  They operate on hydrofoils. Hopefully, they will make a strategic difference to preserve Venice. Significant New Technology Candela is a floating hydrofoil boat.  The hydrofoils on this watercraft act like underwater wings.  The wings lift the hull of the boat above the water and into the air.  They cut water friction by 80%.  The result is a boat that cruises at long distances, using

   Africa Using Solar Powered E-Bikes To Prevent Poaching                                                       Source:  CAKE e-bikes & Elephant stock image Unique Global Partnership and Program Solar powered motorbikes from Sweden are about to be deployed by anti-poaching rangers in Africa to stop poachers from killing wildlife and endangered species.  The solar powered, electric bike is called the Kalk AP and it is designed to overcome the problems African rangers face in protecting endangered species in conservation areas.  The program and the Kalk AP have been developed by an unique partnership that includes the Southern Africa Wildlife College, CAKE electric motorbikes of Sweden and Goal Zero, a portable solar panel company based in Utah. Preventing Poaching Across Africa, rangers are using motorbikes to patrol protected areas.  But the bikes run on expensive and many times inaccessible gasoline.  They are also very noisy, sounding an alarm to poachers that rangers are on thei

  Africa Using Solar Powered E-Bikes To Prevent Poaching  Source:  CAKE e-bikes & Elephant stock image Unique Partnership and Program Solar powered motorbikes from Sweden are about to be deployed by anti-poaching rangers in Africa to stop poachers from killing wildlife and endangered species.  The solar powered, electric bike is called the Kalk AP and it is designed to overcome the problems African rangers face in protecting endangered species in conservation areas.  The program and the Kalk AP have been developed by a partnership that includes the Southern Africa Wildlife College, CAKE electric motorbikes of Sweden and Goal Zero, a portable solar panel company headquartered in Utah. Preventing Poaching Across Africa, rangers are using motorbikes to patrol protected areas.  But the bikes run on expensive and many times inaccessible gasoline.  They are also very noisy, sounding an alarm to poachers that rangers are on their way.  The new Kalk AP is quiet, energy efficient and sustai

   New Science From Sweden                          Source:  Stock Image of a Monarch Butterfly Aerodynamics of Butterflies - Wing Claps This is fascinating new science about butterflies and their aerodynamic capabilities.  Swedish scientists have determined that butterflies have the ability to create jet propulsion with their fragile, but powerful, wings.  The beautiful and delicate creatures of summer clap their wings and hit the air with such force, that it thrusts the air forward, creating jet propulsion.  The scientists at Lund University in Sweden have discovered and analyzed the unique clap function of butterfly wings as being capable of generating jets of air propulsion. Very Advanced Aerodynamics From Butterflies Globally, scientists and engineers have learned a great deal from nature to create new forms of technology. The potential impact of these new findings on the aerodynamics of butterflies include unique modes of space travel, aviation and other forms of travel.  In thei

Tech Communicating Using Body Language, Sounds & Lights Source:  Volvo 360c Incorporating Origins of Human Communications  Volvo's vision of the future of autonomous driving is based on the origins of human communications, going back 10,000 years.  The Sweden based company is developing technology to enable autonomous cars to communicate with each other, other drivers and pedestrians.  The techniques include body language, basic sounds and light pulses.  Volvo said today that it believes the long term solution to avoiding accidents and safer driving is autonomous, self-driving vehicles. Volvo 360c Autonomous Car Concept The Volvo 360c is Volvo's proprietary, autonomous concept car, leading the autonomous way.  The vehicle communicates with other vehicles, bikes and pedestrians on the road.  It uses external lights, sounds and even subtle "body language" movements to communicate what the vehicle is about to do.  Volvo researchers aim to give self-driving cars a for

  Top Inventions from Europe 2020's                                       https://amazon.com/author/ekane Now on Amazon and Kindle Journalist Edward Kane's latest book "Europe: The Global Innovation Leader" has just been published on Amazon and Kindle.  In the annual Global Innovation Index, Switzerland and Sweden top the list.  8 of the 12 innovation nations are in Europe.  Ed's book showcases the fascinating new innovations behind Europe's top ranking. For a preview, go to  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08MSDR7JZ&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_kJbPFbTK8W0AJ    I co-authored the book with Ed.

  Volta Zero                                                       Source:  Volta Zero Zero Emissions, With Body Made of Flax & Biodegradable Resin Startup Volta Zero of Sweden has innovated an electric truck built for deliveries in cities.  It is a 16 ton, all electric delivery truck that's smaller than a big rig.  It has a range of 125 miles on a charge. The EV is powered by lithium ion phosphate batteries which are modular and allow Volta to customize the vehicles to the customers' specific needs.  Incredibly it is made of sustainably sourced Flax material and biodegradable resin in its exterior body panels.  Volta Zero says it will change the face of road travel. London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone The European delivery service DPD will start testing the Zero in London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone starting in the first quarter of 2021.  The company has forged significant partnerships with another 8 customers.  Experts say Volta Zero could have a significant role in

Switzerland and Sweden Leading the Way                                                                 Source:  Swiss Innovation Council 2020 Global Innovation Index (GII) The 2020 Global Innovation Index ranks Switzerland and Sweden as the #1 and #2 Innovation countries in the world.  For Switzerland, this is the 10th year of ranking number 1.  Europe has clearly become the global epicenter of innovation.  Eight of the top 12 leaders in innovation are European countries:  Switzerland #1, Sweden #2, UK #4, Netherlands #5, Denmark #6, Finland #7, Germany #9, France #12.  The US came in #3 in this year's annual ranking of 131 nations using 80 metrics to evaluate the level of innovation around the world. COVID-19's Impact The GII experts say COVID-19 is "severely pressuring" the long term build-up in global innovation, while it is also accelerating innovation in specific areas, particularly health care.  GII says the leading nations in innovation show year-to-year stabil

  Spotify Founder/CEO To Invest in European Tech Startups                                                       Source:  Spotify Seed Money For European Entrepreneurs The founder and CEO of Europe's most valuable technology company - Spotify's Daniel Ek - is building a European Silicon Valley. Speaking at a technology conference, he said he will invest one-third of his personal wealth - 1 billion euros or $1.2 billion - into European technology startups.  The highly successful entrepreneur says he will focus on "moonshot projects" in biotech, materials science and machine learning. Spotify 37 year old Ek's Spotify is a media services provider and audio streaming platform that recently offered a series of podcasts by former First Lady Michelle Obama. Spotify just announced an upcoming podcast series with Prince Harry and Megan Markle.  Ek routinely flies 17 hours from his home in Stockholm to San Francisco, which is one of Spotify's headquarters.  He says he

  Sweden Based EV Maker Expanding Globally                                               Source:  Polestar Taking on Tesla Polestar, the premier EV manufacturer based in Sweden and owned by China's Geely, is expanding its market penetration into Asia and the Middle East and doubling the number of showrooms it has in current markets.  It started producing the Polestar 2 EV sedans in China in 2020 and is selling them in the US, Europe and China.  The 5-door, Polestar 2 electric fastback starts at $59,900. Polestar Technology Polestar 2 has two electric motors, front and rear and gets 275 miles on a single charge.  It goes from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and has power of 300 kw/408 hp.  This EV adjusts itself to the owner.  It recognizes their voice via their smartphone and adapts by implementing their favorite home screen apps and preferred seating position. Plans Going Forward Polestar is designed to take on Tesla.  CEO Thomas Ingenlath wants to double the number of global markets t

  Zero Emission, Electric Trucks Source: Sweden's VOLTA ZERO Electric Truck with zero emissions  Next Growth Industry for Electric Road Travel Swedish startup Volta Trucks has unveiled its 16 ton electric truck, the Volta Zero.  The company says it will start manufacturing it in the United Kingdom in 2022.  With the tremendous success of electric cars led by Tesla, automakers now are also turning their attention to electrifying big rigs, which are the worst polluters on the road.  A number of companies including Volvo, Daimler, Rivian and Nikola have electric, big trucks under development. Greener Highways Volta's goal is to have 500 of its zero-emissions, electric trucks on the road by 2022.  And it is about to enter the customer testing phase.  The British parcel delivery company DPDgroup and other companies in Europe will be testing the vehicles on their routes in 2021.  Meanwhile, Volta is in a capital raising phase to bulk up for mass production of its vehicles.  This time

New Hydrofoil Technology From America's Cup Racing Source:  Artemis Racing Innovation from Germany & Swedish Startup in Belfast A Belfast startup is deploying hydrofoil technology to create faster and greener water travel technology.  The technology being used was developed for America's Cup racing yachts.  The Swedish co-founder of the oil trading group Gunvor - Torbjorn Tornqvist - and  2-time Olympic Gold Medalist Iain Percy are behind the effort.  They believe their hydrofoil technology can revolutionize the boating industry.  Mr. Tornqvist's Artemis Racing produced one of the world's fastest boats for the 2017 America's Cup using hydrofoils that lifted the yacht above the water to "fly" at high speeds.  Mr. Percy led the America's Cup yacht team for Artemis.  They are now applying their sailing technology expertise to water transportation. Triple Hull Hydrofoils for Fast Freight Transit Meanwhile in Germany, the Tandem-Wing

Daimler and Geely Source:  Daimler Global Tie-Ups To Create New EVs German luxury automaker Daimler and China's electric automaker Geely are exploring ways to deepen their cooperation in the research and development of electric vehicles.  The two companies have formed a China based venture to build electric Smart cars.  They've also joined forces to build a premium ride hailing venture.  And, among their projects, each has invested in Volocopter, a state of the art, electric multirotor helicopter/flying taxi service, based in Germany. Geely Operations and Expansions China-based Geely is a global automotive force.  It owns Volvo, Lotus and Terrafugia, the US based flying car company.  It also owns Lynk & Co. based in Sweden. Geely Chairman Li Shufu says he plans to roll out Lynk & Co. cars in Europe sometime in late 2020.  Lynk & Co. says it offers a new kind of mobility: simple pricing, flexible ownership and car sharing.  The vehicles are electric

Organic Proton Battery with Sustainable Storage Source:  Uppsala University From Sweden, New Battery that's Good for Environment Scientists at Sweden's Uppsala University have invented a proton battery that is composed of organic  materials and is based on protons rather than  ions.  The organic compounds are called quinones,  which are used by plants in photosynthesis and are  plentiful in nature.  This is a proof of concept, small button cell battery with outstanding performance. And, it's a first of its kind. Climate Smart Battery The Uppsala scientists call this a climate smart battery  with sustainable energy storage.  It reaches a full  capacity recharge in seconds (100), using a solar cell.   It can be charged and discharged more than 500 times  without any loss of capacity. The battery is free of any fire or explosion hazards.  And, unlike standard batteries, it is unaffected by ambient temperatures. Big Green