Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, we witnessed a general impulse towards open innovation. Companies, universities, governments, and startups working together to win business makes more and more sense. Creating value through shared expertise, skills, and means is the core purpose of the Thales startup acceleration program, AI@Centech. …

A guide towards frugal innovation for corporations We learned in the past that companies who have invested in innovation during uncertain times delivered superior growth and performance post-crisis. 2020 showed us that the COVID-19 situation is not different. …

Dealing with the cognitive burden of clinical teams According to a 2018 report, medical errors caused more than 250,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, making it the third leading cause of death. …

The solitude of the seaman is now a myth. With the exception of a handful of long-distance sailors with a fondness for navigating without GPS, radio or Argos beacons, the overwhelming majority of civil and military vessels now move in a connected universe, even in the middle of the ocean. — In a globalised economy characterised by “just in time” practices and perpetual cost optimisation, merchant ships, which transport 80% of world goods(1), now operate in a dense transit system, and have to meet strict deadlines and stringent regulatory requirements. Because the slightest unforeseen event is liable to generate additional costs…

As a result of their increasing reliance on shipping for international trade, which goes hand in hand with globalisation, states whose economies are increasingly dependent on the sea are attaching much more importance to control of the oceans. The safeguarding of maritime links, exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and coastal waters has become a particularly key issue as flashpoints have multiplied. —

In the last two decades, states have become increasingly reliant on shipping for international trade. This process is rich in economic promise, but poses equally serious threats and challenges that naval actors are having to face. In the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the seas around China and Japan, a race for naval weaponry is under way between emerging powers. This not only raises the prospect of tensions between the states concerned. It is also likely, in the medium term, to hinder the actions of western navies.

Mines are still strategic weapons for navies: easy to deploy, formidable and inexpensive. The mining of coastal approaches, to guard against enemy intrusion attempts or, conversely, to keep a fleet in port or hinder ships’ freedom of movement in narrow straits, is naturally a concern for any navy seeking to protect its vessels’ ability to manoeuvre on and beneath the surface. Admittedly, while minefields were laid intensively during World War Two, it happens far less frequently nowadays. But mines remain a legitimate source of concern for many states.

States rely increasingly on shipping for international trade, but have never faced as many varied threats to their coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). — The list of risks and dangers that nations have always faced now includes the trafficking of drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods, illegal immigration, piracy and shipping accidents and all that they entail — shipwrecks, environmental disasters and so on. With tensions between states also rising, particularly due to their need…

Next generation ticketing is already here. To find out more, see the demonstration on the Thales stand. — Ticketing plays an important role in intermodality for both long and short journeys. Depending on price, comfort and simplicity, travellers may choose to take their car and park it, take a bus, tram, metro or train, or ride a bike and then walk. Tomorrow’s trips will be intermodal and ticketing…