Porous, 3-D forms of graphene developed at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) can be 10 times as strong as steel but much lighter.
A team of researchers at MIT has designed one of the strongest lightweight materials known, by compressing and fusing flakes of graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon. The new material, a sponge-like configuration with a density of just 5 percent, can have a strength 10 times that of steel.
In its two-dimensional form, graphene is thought to be the strongest of all known materials. But researchers until now have had a hard time translating that two-dimensional strength into useful three-dimensional materials.
The new findings show that the crucial aspect of the new 3-D forms has more to do with their unusual geometrical configuration than with the material itself, which suggests that similar strong, lightweight materials could be made from a variety of materials by creating similar geometric features.
The findings are being reported today in the journal Science Advances, in a paper by Markus Buehler, the head of MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the McAfee Professor of Engineering; Zhao Qin, a CEE research scientist; Gang Seob Jung, a graduate student; and Min Jeong Kang MEng ’16, a recent graduate.
A team of MIT engineers has successfully designed a new 3-D material with five percent the density of steel and ten times the strength, making it one of the strongest lightweight materials known.
Other groups had suggested the possibility of such lightweight structures, but lab experiments so far had failed to match predictions, with some results exhibiting several orders of magnitude less strength than expected. The MIT team decided to solve the mystery by analyzing the material’s behavior down to the level of individual atoms within the structure. They were able to produce a mathematical framework that very closely matches experimental observations.
Two-dimensional materials — basically flat sheets that are just one atom in thickness but can be indefinitely large in the other dimensions — have exceptional strength as well as unique electrical properties. But because of their extraordinary thinness, “they are not very useful for making 3-D materials that could be used in vehicles, buildings, or devices,” Buehler says. “What we’ve done is to realize the wish of translating these 2-D materials into three-dimensional structures.”
The team was able to compress small flakes of graphene using a combination of heat and pressure. This process produced a strong, stable structure whose form resembles that of some corals and microscopic creatures called diatoms. These shapes, which have an enormous surface area in proportion to their volume, proved to be remarkably strong. “Once we created these 3-D structures, we wanted to see what’s the limit — what’s the strongest possible material we can produce,” says Qin. To do that, they created a variety of 3-D models and then subjected them to various tests. In computational simulations, which mimic the loading conditions in the tensile and compression tests performed in a tensile loading machine, “one of our samples has 5 percent the density of steel, but 10 times the strength,” Qin says.
Buehler says that what happens to their 3-D graphene material, which is composed of curved surfaces under deformation, resembles what would happen with sheets of paper. Paper has little strength along its length and width, and can be easily crumpled up. But when made into certain shapes, for example rolled into a tube, suddenly the strength along the length of the tube is much greater and can support substantial weight. Similarly, the geometric arrangement of the graphene flakes after treatment naturally forms a very strong configuration.
The new configurations have been made in the lab using a high-resolution, multimaterial 3-D printer. They were mechanically tested for their tensile and compressive properties, and their mechanical response under loading was simulated using the team’s theoretical models. The results from the experiments and simulations matched accurately.
The new, more accurate results, based on atomistic computational modeling by the MIT team, ruled out a possibility proposed previously by other teams: that it might be possible to make 3-D graphene structures so lightweight that they would actually be lighter than air, and could be used as a durable replacement for helium in balloons. The current work shows, however, that at such low densities, the material would not have sufficient strength and would collapse from the surrounding air pressure.
But many other possible applications of the material could eventually be feasible, the researchers say, for uses that require a combination of extreme strength and light weight. “You could either use the real graphene material or use the geometry we discovered with other materials, like polymers or metals,” Buehler says, to gain similar advantages of strength combined with advantages in cost, processing methods, or other material properties (such as transparency or electrical conductivity).
“You can replace the material itself with anything,” Buehler says. “The geometry is the dominant factor. It’s something that has the potential to transfer to many things.”
The unusual geometric shapes that graphene naturally forms under heat and pressure look something like a Nerf ball — round, but full of holes. These shapes, known as gyroids, are so complex that “actually making them using conventional manufacturing methods is probably impossible,” Buehler says. The team used 3-D-printed models of the structure, enlarged to thousands of times their natural size, for testing purposes.
For actual synthesis, the researchers say, one possibility is to use the polymer or metal particles as templates, coat them with graphene by chemical vapor deposit before heat and pressure treatments, and then chemically or physically remove the polymer or metal phases to leave 3-D graphene in the gyroid form. For this, the computational model given in the current study provides a guideline to evaluate the mechanical quality of the synthesis output.
The same geometry could even be applied to large-scale structural materials, they suggest. For example, concrete for a structure such a bridge might be made with this porous geometry, providing comparable strength with a fraction of the weight. This approach would have the additional benefit of providing good insulation because of the large amount of enclosed airspace within it.
Because the shape is riddled with very tiny pore spaces, the material might also find application in some filtration systems, for either water or chemical processing. The mathematical descriptions derived by this group could facilitate the development of a variety of applications, the researchers say.
“This is an inspiring study on the mechanics of 3-D graphene assembly,” says Huajian Gao, a professor of engineering at Brown University, who was not involved in this work. “The combination of computational modeling with 3-D-printing-based experiments used in this paper is a powerful new approach in engineering research. It is impressive to see the scaling laws initially derived from nanoscale simulations resurface in macroscale experiments under the help of 3-D printing,” he says.
This work, Gao says, “shows a promising direction of bringing the strength of 2-D materials and the power of material architecture design together.”
The research was supported by the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, and BASF-North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials.
| A MITNews release | January 10, 2017 |
Architects certified in either the USA, Australia or New Zealand are now able to gain reciprocal licenses in all of the three countries thanks to a new agreement.
The Mutual Recognition Arrangement between the trio of architectural licensing authorities came into effect at the beginning of 2017.
Spearheaded by the USA's National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the arrangement was signed by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) and the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB).
"The arrangement is an exciting opportunity for architects seeking to expand their careers internationally," said NCARB president Kristine Harding.
"NCARB Certificate holders have been able to pursue licensure in Canada and Mexico for some time, and this arrangement represents a significant step in providing additional benefits to these architects."
So far 29 of the 54 licensing boards in the US have accepted the arrangement, including those in California, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
To be able to take advantage of the opportunity, architects must hold a current NCARB Certificate and meet a list of requirements.
They need to hold citizenship or lawful permanent residence in the home country, a license to practice architecture from a US jurisdiction that has signed the arrangement, and 6,000 hours (approximately three years) of post-licensure experience in the home country.
The arrangement is similar to the USA's current agreement with Canada and Mexico, and came about after research showed that the paths to licensing in Australia and New Zealand parallel US requirements.
On the other side of the world, the Brexit vote has thrown into question the current reciprocal licensing arrangement between the UK and other EU member states.
The UK's licensing body, the Architects Registration Board (ARB), has told Dezeen that the future situation is unclear.
"At the present time and in relation to ARB's remit we know little about what the UK's future relationship with the EU might be and understand that it might indeed take some time to resolve," the organisation said.
"We are continuing to deliver our statutory obligations on a 'business as usual' basis and is this is likely to remain the position until we are advised to the contrary or there are changes in legislation."
| A deZeen story | January 10, 2017 |
European Union leaders have talked up the prospects of a free trade agreement, saying it would send a strong political signal as protectionism takes hold elsewhere. They have even suggested it could be completed within three years.
Bill English arrived in Brussels today on his first official overseas trip as Prime Minister.
After meeting English, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said they expected formal negotiations for the long-awaited free trade agreement between the EU and New Zealand to begin soon.
Tusk said it would further strengthen relations and made an apparent reference to the election of US President Donald Trump, the Brexit vote in the UK and the rise of Marine Le Pen's Front National party in the looming presidential elections in France.
"Such an agreement would not only boost sustainable economic growth, investment and job creation on both sides, it would also send a strong political signal of economic openness and trade at a time of protectionist pressures are on the rise not only on our own continent but also round the world."
Juncker also said he was "very eager" to conclude a trade agreement, but pointed to "difficulties" within the EU and globally.
"At least we are hopeful we will be able to make the progress we need. There are remaining difficulties, but we will solve these problems, like others, because New Zealand is a very strong ally of the European Union and we want to continue in that vein.
Despite that, Juncker was optimistic a New Zealand-EU deal could be finalised in three years - half the time it usually took and less than a third of the 10 years it took for Canada. He said it usually took between 5-10 years.
"But I do think two or three years would be enough because we have very similar situations. We are friends, we are allies. We know each other and I think this could be done in a shorter period of time than it is usually done."
English said there was agreement to start negotiations as soon as possible. He noted New Zealand and the EU had signed a agreement as a precursor to a trade deal last year. It takes effect tomorrow.
"I thank the President [Juncker] for his leadership and for the Commission's clear willingness to remain open for business on trade agreements despite some of the political challenges that go with it."
He said the EU was the second largest economic entity and New Zealand's third largest trading partner, so it was important to a small country that relied on trade.
"It is my expectation we should be able to promptly conclude a trading agreement that opens up opportunities for our businesses, small and large, and underscores our shared values."
New Zealand is one of only six World Trade Organisation countries that does not yet have a trade agreement with the 28 member states of the EU, but recent agreements have been bogged down.
It took Canada 10 years of talks and was nearly derailed after a member state objected. The European Court of Justice is also soon to rule on whether member states' Parliaments need to ratify the Singapore agreement - a process that would delay and possibily derail some agreements.
Brexit
English made it clear New Zealand would not take sides as Britain prepared to leave the EU, saying both were important to New Zealand.
"I strongly reaffirmed New Zealand's commitment to continue working constructively with the EU and the UK throughout this process. I noted the importance that both sides closely engage with third parties, like New Zealand, as the process evolved to minimise uncertainty."
When English was asked whether he thought New Zealand would get a better deal with the UK if it split completely from the single market of the EU, Juncker replied promptly with a "no" - drawing laughter.
English said New Zealand had a longstanding relationship with the UK and was ready to negotiate with them when the time came.
Refugees
However, Tusk also signalled New Zealand should do more to help with the refugee crisis, saying it was a "global responsibility".
"The EU will continue to work together with its partners, including New Zealand, in... } } }Continue to full article
Winners and losers in tradeoff
Exactly how a liberal government’s attempt to appease its Green Party MPs led to a declaration of war, however figurative, from the prime minister of Israel is the strangest tale yet in New Zealand’s almost two centuries of farm politics.
Exactly how this state of affairs led to a covert New Zealand taxpayer funded stock handling depot in the middle of a Middle East desert only contributes to a tale which ranks alongside anything from Arabian Nights.
The way in which it made strange bedfellows of meat packing, slaughter house, freezing works proprietors and the Greens is just another chapter in this astonishing saga of shifting and unlikely alliances.
The saga begins with New Zealand’s centrist National government giving approval to the export of live sheep to the Middle East.
Farmers, and farm export consolidators were delighted. Live sheep exports allows them to obtain a premium price for their sheep, instead of having to take the schedule price of the licensed export processing meat companies.
The meat export processors, meanwhile, who derive much of their profit from the animal by- products ranging from medicinals to pet foods via rendering were and remain singularly hostile to live sheep exports. A big chunk of their potential income sails away with the sheep.
They keep quiet about this point of view for fear of antagonising farmers.
Middle East interests, who have substantial investments in the live trade both here and overseas, appear to have been in no doubt that after years of stop-go the live trade would resume.
The Greens now launched their most successful political lobby since the anti-nuclear era. The government backed down on live sheep exports.
The mysterious New Zealand taxpayer funded depot is one by-product of this. It is designed to appease now the would be live sheep importers.
They were and still are only partially appeased.
The anti Israel New Zealand sponsored resolution at United Nations was thrown in as another sop to the Middle East importers by now threatening a Gulf-wide boycott of anything at all from New Zealand .
This byzantine power play engulfing as it does politicians, diplomats and traders from the Gulf to United Nations via the South Pacific has also enraged farmers especially in the Hawkes Bay where much of the trade in its glory days was once centred.
The centrepiece of this was the drafting, notably at Maraekakaho, where the inspecting agents acting on behalf of the Middle East importers would assess the suitability or otherwise of the stock for export.
The fury of the Middle East importers at the broken promise is understandable given the timing of the live sheep shipments with the annual haj or pilgrimage to Mecca (pictured)
All this has simmered Omerta-style under the surface of public and even the farm-politics debate for quite some time.
Another unacknowledged and unmentioned element to this is that for the farmers, live sheep exports allow them to command a premium price for the stock – and to get paid.
The reason why the few established meat exporting processors have such a command on procurement is that they are big enough in terms of resources to ensure that they actually get paid at the other end.
In the meantime, the Middle East will fill its live sheep shipments from South America, notably Uruguay.
Live sheep exports gave farmers premium price plus guarantee of payment.
It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.
So in this modern riddle of the sands, who are the winners?
Who are the losers?
The winners:-• The Greens• The meat processors, freezing works.• Uruguay• President Obama
The losers:-* Farmers* NZ Taxpayers* State of Israel
The Lesson:-The episode which began with live sheep and then made the transit of a lame duck US President Barack Obama still has a long way to go. But what is the lesson so far. Here we must touch down on Greece, classical epoch, in order to heed Aristotle who declared .......
A friend to all is a friend to none
| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk | Wednesday 11 January 2017 |
∩ The Opportunities Party to Register
∩ Ingram Micro’s new owners, HNA Group also snapped up UDC Finance
∩ Rocket Lab’s launch hopes rest on upcoming legislation
∩ While you were sleeping: Nasdaq hits record high
∩ Yahoo to cut board after sale to Verizon, change name to Altaba
∩ Gold hits 5-week high after slide
∩ NZ Binxi land purchase for Oamaru expansion approved
∩ 2016 'a stunning year for new vehicle sales'
∩ Bapcor stake in Hellaby tips over 50%, potentially turning takeover offer unconditional
∩ Rockets on the Mahia Penninsula with The Wall Street Journal
Special guests have always been a part of the AMCN Island Classic fabric, and the 2017 event at Phillip Island from January 27-29 will be no different with two stars of the race track making their way across from New Zealand – the awesome home-built Britten V1000 and now retired racer Andrew Stroud.
The just turned 49-year-old Stroud, a nine-time NZ superbike champion, enjoyed a huge amount of success with the V1000 during the 1990s in New Zealand, Australia, America and Europe, with the summit reached in 1995 when ‘Team New Zealand’ won the inaugural World BEARS (British European American Racing Series) event.
The BEARS win came just three weeks before the impossibly gifted John Britten, who designed and constructed the V1000 in his home workshop, passed away at the age of 42.
Just 10 V1000s were manufactured, with three remaining in New Zealand. The V1000 that Stroud will perform demonstration laps on at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from January 27-29 is the same one that he raced at the Assen BEARS race in 1995. It’s owned by New Zealander Kevin Grant.
| Continue to full article on MCNews | January 11, 2017 |
ANZ today announced an agreement to sell UDC Finance, the asset finance business of its wholly owned subsidiary ANZ Bank New Zealand, to HNA Group, a global company focused on tourism, logistics and financial services.
The sale reflects a continued focus by ANZ on simplifying its business and capital efficiency.
ANZ New Zealand CEO David Hisco said: "The sale of UDC is consistent with our strategy to simplify the bank and is a good outcome for customers and staff. HNA Group is one of the world's largest asset finance and leasing companies, and it intends to preserve UDC's operations including offering continued employment to all staff."UDC Transaction and Financial Summary
Sale Price
~NZ$660m
Premium to Net Assets (30/09/2016)
~NZ$235m
Price-to-Book Ratio (UDC net assets 30/09/2016)
~1.6 times
}}} Continue to read full release | January 11, 2017 |
REUTERS STR NewIn just a few decades, Vietnam has undergone a dramatic transformation, from an agrarian society to one that has embraced the modern era. Its youthful population and growing middle class have helped drive solid growth—and opportunities for many global investors. This up-and-coming market hasn’t fully embraced capitalism—it remains a Communist state—but it has managed to achieve an interesting balance. There has been a bit of buzz about Vietnam among investors in the past few years, but given the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, the Trans Pacific Partnership TPP , of which Vietnam would have been a key beneficiary, seems even less likely to move forward. However, new trade deals are in the works—including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership RCEP , which Vietnam has joined along with nine other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand. And, there could be new, bi-lateral trade deals in the future.
Nevertheless, I believe Vietnam remains an attractive destination for both investors and tourists, and we think its future looks bright. I recently had the opportunity to visit Vietnam and see the latest wave of changes taking place.
Vietnam has seen strong economic growth, with gross domestic product GDP growth averaging just shy of 7 from 2000–2015.1 This economic boom has also boosted consumer buying power. In 1990, gross national income GNI per capita was US 910, but by 2015, it had risen to 5,690.2 During my recent trip to Vietnam, I found tremendous opportunities in the consumer sector as a result of this rise in income levels.
For example, we visited a dairy company and learned that while per-capita milk consumption in the United States has been above 100 liters per person per year, and in China it was 30 liters, in Vietnam it was only 16 liters. However, that number has been growing very quickly, and it’s no wonder the milk company we visited in Vietnam has seen profit growth every year for the last five years. The company produces fresh raw milk from local cows as well as reconstituted milk from powder, condensed milk, baby formula and yogurt. The company exports its products not only to its neighbors in Asia but also to some markets in the Middle East.
Many companies in Vietnam are government-majority owned, but privatization is expanding with plans to publicly list shares of a number of companies in the future. Some will initially be listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange’s secondary exchange, the UPCoM, which has less stringent disclosure requirements, but we think eventually many companies will likely be required to list on the main board and institute broader disclosure. We believe the sale of some state-owned enterprises should help lower Vietnam’s rising national debt, but foreign direct investments are strong, and industry and exports are doing well. As services including tourism represent more than 40 of Vietnam’s GDP, it is the area we are most interested in.3
Phu Quoc Island
To study Vietnam’s tourist industry, my colleagues and I flew down to Phu Quoc Island off the coast of southern Vietnam. We landed at a new, modern airport capable of handling a growing influx of both local and foreign tourists. Local tourists can fly from Ho Chi Minh City for the equivalent of only US 30 to US 50 one way on Vietnam’s low-cost airline. While travel regulations can be tricky and ever-changing, today, foreign tourists can stay between 15 to 30 days without a visa in Phu Quoc, which is a unique concession not available for visitors to other parts of Vietnam.
During our stay, we drove and cycled from one end of the island to the other and found a construction boom under way with new hotels, apartments, villas and a spectacular cableway under construction linking the island with other smaller islands. Phu Quoc itself is a large island 574 square kilometers compared with Singapore’s 719 , and Vietnam’s government has designated it for tourist development.
REUTERS STR NewWe drove to our hotel on a new four-lane highway, and as we toured the island we saw construction of a new north-south four-lane highway under way as well. The government has spent over US 1 billion thus far for infrastructure on the island, including more than US 700 million on the airport where we arrived. According to regional news reports, through summer of 2016, the government had approved and licensed more than 160 projects involving a total investment of more than US 6 billion.
As a microcosm of the country as a whole, Phu Quoc has seen quite a transformation when we consider its history as a place of refuge. The island was also once a prison camp used during various regimes, from the French colonial period through the Vietnam War. One of the tourist attractions is a prison camp museum, complete with barbed wire, guard towers, and models of guard soldiers and prisoners. The island is also famous for its fish sauce and for peppercorns; which we saw growing on vines around the island.
Tourism is transforming the island’s economy, which had previously subsisted on fishing and the aforementioned peppers and fish sauce. A major Vietnamese developer constructed a huge complex at the northern part of the island, including 1,000 hotel rooms, 1,000 villas, a safari park apparently one of the world’s largest , a water park and an amusement park featuring many types of roller coasters and other stomach-churning rides. There is also a 27-hole golf course, an international hospital and facilities for what could become a major casino.
Another developer is building a complex on the southern part of the island, which includes a spectacular cable car that crosses the sea to neighboring islands. We also saw other new hotels being built along the beach.
A pearl farm has also been introduced, so we saw a number of shops promoting the local pearls. Touring the villages around the island we noticed there was still a dire need for better roads and facilities. The influx of tourists and construction of high-end facilities to accommodate them have brought good-paying, steady jobs to many locals who had been suffering a low standard of living before.
For example, one of the Vietnamese cooks at our hotel told us that he had been a fisherman, but now he was doing better financially. As a fisherman, he said life was dangerous and uncertain because he never knew if he could catch enough fish to earn a living. Now, with his wife also working, they are living a better life.
While some may criticize development in naturally beautiful places like Phu Quoc, it’s important to look at the issue from many angles. For the 100,000 natives on the island, prospects are now brighter. Hopefully, development in Vietnam and elsewhere can come with the right intentions and the right balance of interests. With their kind, hospitable nature and happy dispositions, the residents of Phu Quoc, in my view, will make their island a tourism success. We are excited about the potential for further growth and transformation in Vietnam.
Mark Mobius’s comments, opinions and analyses are for informational purposes only and should not be considered individual investment advice or recommendations to invest in any security or to adopt any investment strategy. Because market and economic conditions are subject to rapid change, comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as of the date of the posting and may change without notice. The material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region, market, industry, investment or strategy.
Important Legal Information
All investments involve risks, including the possible loss of principal. Investments in foreign securities involve special risks including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in emerging markets, of which frontier markets are a subset, involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with these markets’ smaller size, lesser liquidity and lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets. Because these frameworks are typically even less developed in frontier markets, as well as various factors including the increased potential for extreme price volatility, illiquidity, trade barriers and exchange controls, the risks associated with emerging markets are magnified in frontier markets. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions.
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1. Source: IMF World Economic Outlook database, October 2016.
2. Source: World Bank, data as of 2015. GNI per capita is expressed in purchasing power parity dollars to adjust for price level differences across countries.
3. Source: CIA World Factbook, data as of 2015.NOW WATCH: Here's what happens to your body when you stop eating sugar
| An iStackr release | January 9, 2017 |
Britain should secure trade agreements with former colonies ahead of Brexit, MPs argue. On Politico By Esther King
The U.K. should reject the customs union and embrace trade with Commonwealth countries post-Brexit, according to a report by the Free Enterprise Group of Tory lawmakers released Tuesday.
Brexit is an opportunity to return to the U.K.’s “free trading principles” and pursue an agenda of “independent, worldwide trade liberalization and tariff elimination,” according to the report, which is co-authored by Conservative MP James Cleverly and Royal Commonwealth Society policy director Tim Hewish.
The Free Enterprise Group also includes Brexit hardliners such as Andrea Leadsom, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, and Conservative members of Parliament Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Britain, the group’s report said, had neglected the Commonwealth in trading terms and should consider “the benefit of trading with nations that share a common language and culture.”
The Commonwealth’s share of global GDP overtook the EU’s in 2004 and the gap is set to grow post-Brexit, according to data cited in the report.
While trade with Commonwealth countries accounts for only 8 percent of U.K. exports, Britain is the largest export destination for Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. This provides a strong incentive for these countries to form trade deals with the U.K., the report argued.
Trade deals will have to go hand in hand with liberal visa reform for skilled migrants from the Commonwealth, the report added.
As a first step, the U.K. should secure free trade agreements with Australia, Canada, Singapore and New Zealand in time for Brexit, the report said. It also urged Britain to start negotiations with India and with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to “mirror or better existing EU options.”
As the world’s second largest service economy, the U.K. should also join the Trade in Service Agreement (TiSA) initiated by the U.S. and Australia.
The Commonwealth market, which includes 2.3 billion people, is “too big an opportunity to ignore,” said Cleverly.
LSE professor and former Business Secretary Vince Cable has argued that Britain’s current ministers have not taken on board that the attempted EU-India agreement foundered not because of the rest of the EU but in substantial part because Britain rejected it.
| A Politico release | January 10, 2017 |
All over the world, ageing populations and changing attitudes are making it harder to hold on to workers, believes Dr Rodney Brooks. Brent Balinski spoke to Brooks, founder of Rethink Robotics, about some demographic and technology shifts to watch out for and why it’s best to be realistic.
In the markets where Rethink sells its collaborative robots, ageing workforces and a shortage of younger workers available to replace retirees are a combination troubling manufacturers, according to founder, chairman and CTO, Dr Rodney Brooks.
It’s a problem that’s been brewing for many years, and an issue in China which he picked up on early in the millennium as co-founder of iRobot (which still produces its Roombas there, at a rate of around two million annually). The same goes for Adelaide-born Brooks’s adopted home of the US, he said. Ditto for Europe.
[Continue to full article on Manufacturers'Monthly]
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242