TechHub: Lockheed’s Supersonic Jet, Ending Water Insecurity & More

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Lockheed Martin & NASA’s Supersonic Plane

Lockheed Martin and NASA have partnered to develop a new supersonic plane that will be the quietest supersonic aircraft yet, aiming to overcome the challenge of typical supersonic booms created.

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Digital Transformation Day 2018

The world is in transformation mode. The winners of its Industrial Revolution will master data and insights made possible through the power of digital industrial transformation. Join us in Pittsburgh, Orlando, Arlington, Chicago, Denver and Toronto to see the details behind transformations of companies like GE Transportation and Joy Global in action. We’ll take you behind-the-scenes of Brilliant Manufacturing and teach you powerful lessons like how to build an OT cyber strategy.

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How the Fourth Industrial Revolution Could End Water Insecurity

There’s an expected 40% gap in global water supply and demand by 2050 — just over 30 years away. 4.5 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation services, and billions of dollars are still needed to finance water infrastructure. The water crises has ranked among the top global risks in terms of potential impact seven years in a row, according to the World Economic Forum.

Innovating in this domain is no longer an option, but a necessity. Harnessing the rapid advancements in technology and data by the Fourth Industrial Revolution holds great promise for improving the way we manage global common challenges, including water.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Water Initiative has consulted water policy experts, entrepreneurs and technology innovators to discover five examples on how to end water insecurity:

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One: Blockchain for Improved Water Resource Management

Providing a secure, transparent and distributed ledger to record transactions between parties, blockchain-based technology could transform the way water resources are managed. Everyone from households, industry consumers, water managers and policymakers would have access to the same data on water quality and quantity to make more informed decisions. The transparency would help inform consumer decisions around conserving or using water, and prevent corrupt behavior when there may be an incentive for local authorities to tamper with or withhold water quality data.

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Two: Decentralized Water Reuse Systems

By 2050, 7.3 billion people will reside in cities. More than 90% of this urban growth is projected to occur where large-scale, centralized water infrastructure may not be feasible or advisable. Decentralized solutions can play a critical role in these settings to complement traditional approaches and expand access to safe water and wastewater services. “Water reuse, partly driven by the falling cost and improved efficiency of membrane bioreactor technology over the past 10 years can become common practice in a city’s built environment and industrial zones,” said Scott Bryan, President of San Francisco-based NGO Imagine H20.

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Three: Basin-level Insights to Manage Water Risk

Water basins throughout the world are increasingly stressed due to climate variability, population growth, industrial use and other drivers of water insecurity. This is evident in South Africa’s Cape Town, which as recently narrowly avoided a “Day Zero” scenario that would shut off its taps due to a long drought and debilitating depletion of its water. Yet, our ability to track and mitigate water-related risks has never been greater thanks to satellite imagery, remote sensing, IoT, AI and other advanced technologies to enable us to detect water basin risks earlier. These tools also allow us to quantify the risk and identify and implement solutions.

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Four: Advanced Materials for Producing New Sources of Water

Only .05% of the earth’s water is readily available for consumption, and increased demands need to be met with new sources of supply. New forms of graphene-based membrances could revolutionize the desalination market, which has grown over the past several years. Other advancements are enabling scientists to harvest water from air easier without relying on humidity, which could be beneficial in water scarce regions.

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Five: Water and Sanitation-smart Cities

Combining IoT, AI and other advanced technologies will positively disrupt the provision and maintenance of water and sanitation services in cities. Whether retrofitting cities to become more resilient or designing basic service delivery systems to meet the needs of expanding urban areas, these technologies are generating new insights and economic opportunities.

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