INDUSTRY NEWS
Global megatrend predictions
Several ‘ megatrends ’ affecting manufacturers and the world at large will begin unfolding in coming years . University of Cambridge Judge Business School Dean , Dr . Mauro F . Guillén , made this prediction during a presentation at the recent Manufacturing Leadership Council ’ s “ Manufacturing in 2030 : The Shape of Things to Come ” event .
“ Three kinds of trends … are coming together to produce a very different situation by the year 2030 ,” said Guillén , the author of “ 2030 : How Today ’ s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything .” He categorised them as “ population trends , trends about emerging markets and technological trends .”
The National Association of Manufacturers ( NAM ) in the U . S . breaks down some of the highlights from these three umbrella trends as follows :
1 . Durable-goods demands will start earlier — and extend later : Owing largely to immigration patterns , large durable-goods purchases will , on average , start to come earlier in life , Guillén said . Therefore , in coming
Dr . Mauro F . Guillén on-screen at the MLC event .
years , durable-goods manufacturers can probably expect their customer demographic to broaden to include younger people . At the same time , Guillén said , given that people are living longer and better , consumers will wield purchasing power for longer than they did in decades past . This will mean greater demand for certain goods , such as robotics capable of caretaking , later into people ’ s lives .
2 . Purchasing-power centres will shift : Currently , the U . S . and Europe are the world ’ s largest consumer economies but , by 2030 , those distinctions will belong to China and India , Guillén said . By 2040 , India will have eclipsed China in this regard , due to population growth . While older people will hold onto their purchasing power , younger consumers will hold sway for larger buys as they spend their money on homes , cars and other major purchases . Meanwhile , wealth accumulation will continue to grow everywhere in the world , he said , fuelling the appetite for manufacturers ’ goods .
3 . Emerging markets will overtake developed ones : Manufacturers can soon expect to see emerging markets become larger than developed ones , Guillén said . That trend will mean a shift in manufacturer focus away from the U . S . and Europe and towards Africa and India .
The last word and Guillén ’ s main point of advice for manufacturers ? To “ identify the wave that you want to surf and take that opportunity , go with that wave . It ’ s so much better than going against the prevailing winds . You ’ ll be aligning yourself with the global economy .” n
Business aviation pledges |
net-zero carbon by 2050 |
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Business aviation leaders have pledged to achieve net-zero
CO 2 emissions by 2050 as they expanded on a set of bold climate commitments made a decade ago , marking the latest in a string of new sustainability announcements at their main event of the year .
At the National Business Aviation
Association ’ s 2021 Business Aviation
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Pete Bunce . ( Image : Matti Blume ,
CC BY-SA 4.0 , Commons Wikimedia .)
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“ I ’ m incredibly proud to say that the industry is on track to meet or exceed those goals ,” NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said at a media breakfast kicking off the convention . “ This is a testament to the value of a unified partnership among operators , manufacturers , fuelers , service providers |
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Convention & Exhibition ( NBAA-BACE ) in October 2021 ( USA ), the heads of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association ( GAMA ), International Business Aviation Council ( IBAC ) and NBAA also said the industry would continue its goal of increasing fuel efficiency 2 % per year between 2020 and 2030 .
These new ambitions build on the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change ( BACCC ) made in 2009 , when the industry said it would reduce carbon emissions 50 % by 2050 , increase fuel efficiency 2 % per year from 2010 to 2020 and achieve carbon-neutral growth by 2020 .
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and many others . With our collective focus and determination , we can achieve carbonneutrality in our lifetimes .”
General Aviation Manufacturers Association ( GAMA ) President and CEO , Pete Bunce , said that technology advancements would be a key component to reaching the BACCC ’ s milestone . He pointed to lighter materials ; reduction of parts through additive manufacturing ; propulsion innovation ; alloys ; skin coatings and active winglets as just some of the many areas where further improvements will have impact .
“ As higher blends of SAF [ Sustainable
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Aviation Fuel ] become approved for production , we will be able to further optimise fuel efficiency through technological advancements to achieve our environmental goals ,” Bunce said . “ Our industry also has a proven track record of capitalising upon innovations in the air traffic control infrastructure to further reduce emissions . Additionally , dramatic improvements in avionics and data communications capabilities will increase operational contributions to reducing emissions . When merged with the exciting new designs employing electric distributed propulsion , hydrogen and SAF hybrid aircraft , we are confident that innovation will keep us marching towards our net-zero goals ”
IBAC Director General , Kurt Edwards , also highlighted the other key focuses of the updated Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change : increased production , availability and use of SAF , and the adoption of new market-based initiatives .
“ SAF and initiatives like carbon-offsets will continue to be a key piece of the puzzle in carbon-emissions reduction ,” Edwards said .
The NBAA-BACE convention ’ s new carbonoffset programme made it one of the world ’ s largest carbon-neutral events , and nearly 100 exhibitors signed a Green Pledge to limit their environmental footprint for the convention . n
12 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR February 2022