In today's rapidly evolving world, the challenges we face are unprecedented, particularly when it comes to climate change and misinformation. The World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risk Report starkly highlights this, ranking "Misinformation and Disinformation" as the top global risk, closely followed by "Extreme Weather Events." The report predicts that in a decade, climate-related risks such as "Critical Changes in Earth's Systems" and "Biodiversity Loss and Ecosystem Collapse" will dominate the global risk landscape.
As one of our esteemed partners once said, “In exponential times, if you improve your performance incrementally, you fall back exponentially.” This truth resonates deeply with us as we witness the exponential growth of Greenhouse Gases and the rapid rise in global temperatures. At the Enterprise Development Group, with a presence in Palo Alto US, the EU, and India Pacific, we are committed to tackling these global challenges head-on through disruptive innovations. Our innovation network is ever-expanding, thanks to the vision and efforts of our founders and collaborators, Herman Gyr and Lisa Friedmann. Last year we organized "Silicon Valley meets Digital Public Infrastructure Thinking" and DPI has become an integral part of our DNA. Following a groundbreaking meeting with Pramod Varma, Sujith Nair, Bala Parthasarathy, and our expert team. This meeting rekindled the spirit of innovation reminiscent of our early days in the Palo Alto garage—a place where magic happens. We welcome you to drop by and experience it firsthand!
Recent Milestones and Collaborations
Over the past few weeks, our journey has been marked by several significant achievements:
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United Nations Climate Change Global Innovation Hub: We are proud to have our work recognized by this prestigious platform. As partners, we are in the early stages of co-creating a UN City Climate Cup, an Open Transaction Network that connects cities' demand for climate solutions with the global supply of such innovations. This initiative is driven by Massamba Thioye a visionary leader in climate action.
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Academic Partnerships: Collaborating with the Swiss University of Applied Science Muttenz Basel, we have developed a dual-focus strategy on "Digital Health and Green Chemistry." Additionally, we are exploring private data sharing for the greater good with the German University of Passau. Academia plays a crucial role in our efforts, providing trustworthy content and engaging the youth in our mission.
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European Digital Innovation Hub Adriatic: With the invaluable support of the Beckn Team in Bangalore, we are proposing a Renewable Energy Value Chain as partners of this EU initiative. This pan-European project, involving Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and the Netherlands, will be powered by the Beckn Backbone, developed under the lead of Automicle. Building on top of the existing collaboration of Automicle, we are building with the Arcadis Group, led by Venkata Subbaro Chunduru we are also creating smart traffic management solutions for the US, Europe, and India.
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Empowering Smallholder Farmers: We introduced our US and Indian partners from Xylo/ Hasten Regeneration to the DPI approach and they are now utilizing the Beckn Protocol to enable smallholder farmers in India to plant native trees, enrich soils with biochar, and connect directly with carbon buyers. The efforts of Sheeba Sen and Peter Coughlan, and the mentorship of Rajeesh Menon is fantastic. We are now in the PoC phase, check them out as they are members of OAN as well.
5. Autonomous Driving and Farming: We are honored to be part of the journey of, Swaayatt Robots a Level 4 Autonomous Driving Startup from Bhopal, India. Under the leadership of Sanjeev Sharma, we are exploring the use of autonomous tractors in agriculture. Please check out Autonomous Driving on Indian Roads and Indian Road Conditions- —a true testament to the idea that "if you can do it in India, you can do it everywhere."
6. AI in Circular Economy: Addressing food waste in the food production is another critical focus for us. Together with VCG, we are developing an AI-driven Circular Economy model for one of the largest food retail chains in Portugal and the US.
The Future of Water Harvesting out of the Air
If these initiatives weren't inspiring enough, we recently connected with Atoco, a company that has developed a revolutionary technology for decentralized water harvesting in arid climates. Utilizing minimal or no electricity, relying mostly on natural ambient energy, Atoco innovation is a game-changer, offering a solution to the growing global water crisis. Founded by Prof. Omar Yaghi, who personally understands the challenges of living with limited access to drinkable water, this technology is poised to make a global impact.
What's Next?
As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation, I want to express my deep gratitude to my partner and friend in India, Jose Jacob Kalayil, , who welcomed us into his Advisory Board of The India Advantage Summit and invited us as strategic partners.
The next exciting edition of the summit will take place on September 25-26 in Bangalore. It’s an incredible opportunity to exchange ideas and make tangible progress. Many of the projects and solutions I've described have their very roots right here, and we invite you to join us in bringing them to life.
There’s so much more to do, and the time to act is now.
Remember,” In exponential times, if you improve your performance incrementally, you fall back exponentially!”
Yours in Innovation,
Jan Kuenne
“Nomad for Innovation”