GM TO ADD AT&T’S 5G CONNECTIVITY TO VEHICLES Spotlight on Innovation Head lines G eneral Motors announced plans to sell vehicles with 5G cellular connectivity provided by AT&T starting in 2023. BEDROCK’S ELECTRIC SUBMARINES HELP DEVELOP OFFSHORE WIND POWER B edrock, a Richmond, California start-up, wants to help them map the seafloor using electric autono - mous underwater vehicles (e-AUV) that can launch
right from the shore. Bedrock’s electric submarines run on a lithium-ion battery that can be swapped out for a freshly charged one when needed. They run for 12- or 24-hour missions, typically at a speed of 2 to 3 knots (or less than 5 miles per hour) to conduct surveys up to 300 meters in depth. With the Departments of Energy, Interior and Commerce pushing for U.S. offshore wind capacity to hit 30 giga- watts (GW)by 2030, companies like Bedrock will help developers and operators to figure out where it’s safe to install offshore wind farms and pursue permits. THE NFL WANTS TO GROW DATA AND ANALYTICS TO DRIVE REVENUE T he National Football League has more than enough data around its product, but it wants to use it more effectively. Now, it’s hired another executive to help on that front. The NFL named former Ford Motor Company execu- tive, Paul Ballew as its chief data and analytics officer. Ballew will oversee the NFL’s advanced metrics and help clubs capitalize on fan engagement, in-stadium experi- ences, improving player health – all of which will help drive revenue as the NFL looks to recoup some of the $4 billion in lost revenue as the Covid-19 pandemic cut into ticket sales last season. Entering a post-Covid environment, companies are leaning more on data metrics that collect actual activity from consumers, rather than simple demographic data like their age.
The higher speed network is expected to enable greater connectivity for in-vehicle systems such as infotainment, navigation and most importantly, over-the-air software updates. The remote updates are a critical part of GM’s growth plans, especially for electric and autonomous vehicles.
MAERSK INKS DEAL TO HELP REDUCE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT M aersk released it has secured a supply of “green” e-methanol for what it described as “the world’s first container vessel operating on carbon neutral fuel.” In an announcement, the world’s largest container shipping firm said Denmark’s European Energy and its subsidiary, REintegrate, would set up a facility to produce carbon neutral e-methanol for use in a vessel designed to operate on it. With major economies around the world attempting to cut emissions in order to meet net-zero targets, the shipping sector will need to find new ways of reducing the environmental footprint of its operations.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
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