Half-Time Scorecard

As we approach the halfway point of 2024, these are the year’s most innovative companies so far – and why – according to Fast Company:

1. Nvidia – “For bringing the chips to the AI party.”

2. Novo Nordisk – “For unlocking the full potential of Ozempic.”

3. Microsoft – “For making artificial intelligence real for the business world.”

4. United Auto Workers – “For electrifying the labor movement.”

5. National Women’s Soccer League – “For resetting the value of women’s sports.”

6. Gensler – “For remodeling abandoned office spaces into homes.”

7. YouTube – “For winning the living room.”

8. Taco Bell – “For showing the world that tacos are a state of mind.”

9. OpenAI – “For building on the boom it generated.”

10. KinetX – “For charting a path to distant asteroids – and back again.”

Smart Move

As a new generation reconsiders mobility, public transport is emerging as an increasingly popular alternative to vehicle ownership. This shift has in part been driven by technological advancements in the sector that have made these modes of transport more appealing.

Kylie Gorham, NEC Smart Transport’s Senior Product Manager, says her company’s technology plays an important role in this change. “Cost-of-living pressures propel people to alternative transport, particularly for younger people,” she says.

Ensuring public transportation options are safe, reliable and accessible is vital to support this trend. “NEC’s Smart Transport technology delivers information to riders through real-time information about bus and train arrivals, and our journey protection capabilities help ensure transfers between services within a journey are secure.”

It’s not just for passengers either. NEC’s Turn-By-Turn bus navigation system means new drivers are trained faster than ever and includes multilingual features to enable a range of people to work as drivers.

“This addresses an urgent need in the sector and has the added benefit of increasing diversity in the workplace,” Gorham adds.

Driving Seat

Google Cloud and Mercedes-Benz have strengthened their collaboration to enhance customer experiences using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform. By harnessing Google Cloud’s advanced AI capabilities, the German car manufacturer is out to personalize various aspects of the customer journey, from call center interactions to marketing campaigns and vehicle recommendations.

“With Google Cloud, Mercedes-Benz is building new ways to deliver the most intelligent vehicles to our customers and to create personalized, intuitive experiences,” said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, at the time of the announcement. This deeper partnership signifies a strategic alliance between the two industry leaders.

Put a Lid on it

Swedish circular sanitation company Harvest Moon has unveiled the Luna, a revolutionary compost toilet system designed to meet the needs of the modern household.

Departing from traditional perceptions of compost toilets as rustic or impractical, Luna integrates sleek design with eco-friendly functionality, offering a chic solution for environmentally conscious homeowners – as well as savings of up to 35,000 liters of drinking water a year.

Luna’s innovative design features odor-free composting technology to turn human waste into soil fertilizer. Its compact footprint makes it suitable for any living space, from urban apartments to suburban homes, and allows individuals to reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing comfort or convenience.