Dealing with climate change has been a top priority for many world governments with numerous countries opting to curb energy usage from traditional carbon-based, high-emission sources such as coal. Industry white papers have shown that coal, the most polluting fossil fuel with the highest CO2 emission, has seen a decline in usage globally with only India and China being the sole exceptions. By 2050 it is expected US coal-fired power stations will only account for around 700 TW hours of energy. An energy producer that is dependent on coal must account for this projected decline in coal power use to have a modicum of a chance to survive in the imminent energy landscape.

EarlyBirds has established a framework to help CEOs and organisations seeking to become self-learning organisations, where everyone in the organisation is expected to contribute knowledge and have a direct and measurable impact by helping solve problems proactively. The framework developed by EarlyBirds is based on their concept of Edzlity, which is a combination of Edge and Agility.

EarlyBirds is asking governments to create plans to treat the coronavirus as a long-term threat that is as synonymous as the common flu. The pandemic was just the beginning of the introduction of the deadly strain of viruses into the human ecosystem and measures have to be taken to deal with its effects with the same vigor and vitality that governments reserve for other far more common and seasonal infectious diseases. This onus of preparedness also has to extend to the private sector too as it is not immune to the effects of the pandemic.

InsurTech and digital innovations have been disrupting the current state of the insurance industry and transforming the habits and needs of insurance customers. The insurance industry has been changing very slowly but now, insurance professionals will need to adopt new technology if they want to progress or remain ahead of the competition.

The Internet of Things describes a network of physical objects, the aforementioned ‘things,’ that each feature a number of sensors, software and other forms of technology that allow them to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems via the internet. A ‘thing’ can be as simple or commonplace as toys, household appliances and cars or as complex and unique as a specialised industrial manufacturing unit. If it is able to connect with other devices through the internet, it is considered part of the network in the IoT.

EarlyBirds wants businesses to realize that they need not always focus inside their organisation when looking for innovators who can help speed up innovations. Startups and scaleup companies typically are already developing disruptive solutions, which means that companies that want to pursue continuous innovation, need not “reinvent the wheel.” They only need to find those innovations that startups and scaleups have developed that are applicable to their business. This is where the EarlyBirds open innovation ecosystem can help with the continuous innovation pipeline.

The EarlyBirds Cybersecurity Innovation Map offers a dynamic view of cybersecurity and is broken down into easy-to-follow core cyber themes and subthemes. The definitions of the themes and subthemes are based on generally agreed and well-known industry terms and definitions. The purpose of an EarlyBirds Innovation Map is to provide a continuously updated view, with supporting data, of the discoverable global Innovators within each technology group and their logical themes. Data supporting each Innovator, identified in the map, is collected and aggregated from multiple data sources and updated daily. The type of information available in an EarlyBirds Innovation Map includes the total number of Innovators in a cohort within the technology group, details to identify the company and their offering, commercial maturity, their location and much more.

EarlyBirds delivers progressive learning throughout all business functions while exploring disruptions for solving critical business problems through solutions based on disruptive technologies, processes, and models. Currently, the EarlyBirds platform has a huge swathe of data of more than 1 million innovators, including start-ups, scale-ups and mature organisations, along with more than 100 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and more than 500 organisations registered on the platform. 

Achieving “net zero” is important as a way to counteract global warming, which scientists claim can lead to more intense and more frequent drought, heat waves, storms, and rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans. This, in turn, can directly harm animals and destroy the places they live, and may negatively impact people's livelihoods and communities. Furthermore, as greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere, dangerous weather events become more severe and more frequent.

EarlyBirds suggests that hybrid actionable solutions can be used to open a country and avoid any further impact on its economy. Hybrid solution means a country is operating while managing the society effectively and this kind of solution can be achieved using trial of innovative solutions in different areas. EarlyBirds cofounders Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose said, “We know this is a wicked problem to solve while we are working through the vaccination programs and various evolving strains but unfortunately many states governments and countries have not been looking at how disruptive innovation could assist us. While we know this will be a challenging task, EarlyBirds is open to explore this with a right partner who can collaborate with us on this journey”.

Both  Kris  and  Jeff  believe  that  there  is  much  to  do in  their  roles  to  achieve  their  vision  and  goals.  Kris adds  that some  of  the  more  important  things  to  do  include  engaging  with  true  Early  Adopters  who  fully  understand  the  benefits  of  being  innovative.  This means moving on from ‘business as usual’, challenging yourself  and  your  organisation  to  actively  work  on gaining a business Edge and defining what it means to be truly Agile.

A smart home and building is equipped with sensors, microchips, and actuators, in order to gather data and manage it according to the homeowner’s preferences or a business’ functions and services. The result is that property owners and facility managers are able to boost asset reliability and performance, which minimizes energy use, decreases the environmental impact of buildings, and optimizes how space is used.