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June
2017 |
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| Brace Yourself for the Next Big Wave of Disruption | |
| If you've been wondering why the
rate of worldwide innovation has been subpar for the past decade or
so, there's a reason for that. The 2008 US housing crisis and
subsequent market crash and recession which spread through the world
economy, triggered a major market and innovation contraction. Industry froze
or drastically cut spending on research and development unsure of
future earnings and profitability. The ensuing malaise, characterized by the weakest
economic recovery in history, was exacerbated by a flurry of regulations
which protected existing inefficient players and stifled new players
by raising the bar of entry and the cost of compliance.
Every major market disruption is followed by a period of massive rejuvenation. Between 1929 and 1932, the market lost over 85% of it's value. It took a decade to rebuild after the crash. The period following the Great Depression of the 1930s was one of great discovery and innovation. Dozens of new materials like nylon and polyester were developed. The transistor was invented, revolutionizing electronics and marked the beginning of the computer revolution. Nuclear fission was discovered and nuclear energy was harnessed for power production. Many smaller inventions during the 1940s and early 1950s improved life for the masses: super glue, the first video recorder, flash cameras, radial tires, Saran Wrap, non-stick pans, the first solar cell, the first optic fiber, the microwave oven, Scotchgard, Velcro, and let us not forget, the Hula Hoop and Mr. Potato Head. Today, a decade after the Great Recession, we're on the cusp of a new era of radical change and disruption. The world economy is poised to lurch forward unleashing innovation and disruption at an unprecedented pace. It's a good time to be alive and a good time to be part of this new chapter of transformation and disruption. Our kids will enjoy a better and smarter world that's more connected and convenient. So, you're probably wondering why we're so excited about this forthcoming boom in innovation. To be frank, it's one of self-interest. You see, just about every disruptive technology needs us one way or another. And we need them. While Amazon, Tesla, Google, Apple, and others tussle over the future of the self-driving car, they all need sensors that can see in the rain and snow. We sell the device that measures the efficacy of hydrophobic and even icephobic coatings. Electric cars also need massive power storage. We sell the tools used to develop new battery technologies. The use of electrospinning techniques for biomedical applications has blossomed at an exponential rate just in the past couple of years. Researchers making nonwovens (for medical and other applications) buy our tools to measure wetting properties. We also benefit because we are the world's number one producer of coaxial and triaxial spinnerets used in electrospinning.1 Screens on smartphones, tablets, and kiosks all need to be more oleophobic, scratch-resistant, and yet remain touch sensitive. We sell tools to measure oleophobicity and other surface properties that are optimal for touchscreen coatings. There are countless other new innovations that will require careful surface analysis - computational medical devices, robotic prostheses, renewable energy technologies, dental fixtures made with 3D printers, delivery and people-carrying drones, virtual reality, devices controlled by AI (artificial intelligence), and many more. We can't tell you about them all because they haven't all been invented yet. But they will be. And many of them will surface sooner rather than later as we are on the precipice of a large and mighty tidal wave of innovation. Ready or not, the upcoming explosion of technological disruption will reverberate through every crevice of your world. Like it or not, it's coming. We like it. 1 Check out our website for spinnerets here: www.customspinnerets.com. And for more detail on medical applications that use electrospinning, see our Spring / Summer Spinneret Newsletter here: http://www.ramehart.com/newsletters/2017-spring_spinneret_newsletter.htm. |
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Product of the Month: Lab Services |
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| Some of our customers only need
occasional testing and don't have sufficient need to justify the
purchase of a new instrument. For these customers, we offer
fee-based lab services. We can measure all types of contact angle -
static, dynamic, advancing and receding. We can also measure surface
energy, surface tension, and interfacial tension. Testing is
available at ambient temperatures and, on request, we can conduct
tests at elevated or chilled temperatures as well.
The standard turn around is one week. But we offer an expedite option which provides the results for small jobs by the next business day after receipt of your samples and order. We can accept payment by credit card, check with the samples, or purchase order from rated firms. Please visit http://www.ramehart.com/lab.htm for more details on our lab services. For a no-obligation estimate or quotation, please call or contact us today. |
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Regards,
Carl Clegg |
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