innovation

Who says we have to choose between driving to work or riding a bike? The idea of an electric vehicle that would bridge the gap between the two is not new; in fact, it goes farther back than the rise of electric vehicles to prominence. Whether called a carcycle, a car-bike, or car-ebike, this vehicle is best described as the illegitimate child between a small passenger car and an electric bicycle.

Switzerland, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the world’s most-innovative economies, according to WIPO’s 2022 Global Innovation Index (GII), with China on the threshold of the top 10. Other emerging economies are also showing consistently strong performance, including India and Türkiye, both of which enter the top 40 for the first time.

For architects, engineers, and other designers, 3D printing is providing an opportunity to create truly innovative structures. One such project is the world’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge that has just opened over a canal in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. The new MX3D Bridge was designed by Joris Laarman Lab with MX3D, a startup founded by Laarman and Arup.

Interdisciplinary designer Iris van Herpen has partnered with Magnum ice cream to create the world’s first vegan, haute couture dress made from cocoa beans. Van Herpen is known for her integration of technology into fashion, and Magnum’s entry into haute couture is another step in the brand’s embrace of sustainability.

Waste cocoa bean husks from the production of chocolate were transformed into an organic, vegan biopolymer material. The design was then 3D printed before being finished by hand with upcycled organza, copper coating, and intricate, plant-inspired details.

The used gum is cleaned, treated with a stabilising agent, heated and remoulded to form skateboard wheels

Efforts to rid city streets of chewing gum are as old as gum itself. Modern chewing gum is made from synthetic rubbers that can take 50 years to start decomposing, making it a long-term mess. Now, two students at the School of Design in Nantes, France, have developed a plan to collect wads of used chewing gum and repurpose it into skateboard wheels.

How many times do we hear stories about how an ingenious solution to solve one challenge ends up being a perfect solution for something the inventor had never thought about? This is how South African researcher Amir Patel’s fascination with the speed and maneuverability of the cheetah led him to the health care arena. In devising methods to understand the way cheetah’s move, he has come up with a more affordable and accessible mechanism to support the rehabilitation of patients suffering injury or neurological disease.

Nespresso, the pioneer and reference-point of high-quality portioned coffee, has partnered with zero-waste fashion start-up Zèta to create RE:GROUND, a stylish sneaker made using recycled coffee grounds.

The limited-edition capsule collection was inspired by the principles of zero-waste, eco-design, and French style, with RE:GROUND set to become an instant icon of sustainable fashion.

The impact of digital technologies on the world of art has been nothing short of transformative. From online platforms that make it easier for amateur artists to connect with their audience, to virtual tours that allow us to experience historical works up close, technology has completely redefined how we interact with, understand, and appreciate art in all its forms.

Europeans throw most of their wool away before using it, a fact that has baffled Estonian textile designer Katrin Kabun for decades. Here’s her solution.

Online shopping is booming and goods are being shipped around the world. The need to protect those precious products is growing too. Most of the orders are packed in bubble wrap, but just imagine the amount of plastic that millions of online consumers produce every year.