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After skipping the event review in this episode – due to a lack of events attended – we will devote ourselves for the third and final time to the “Future Of Nature And Business”-Report of the World Economic Forum. According to the topics Food production and land and ocean use as well as Infrastructure and urban development This time it's about resources and energy.
There is also significant economic potential in this area, according to the report. Transforming the resource and energy industries could create 87 million jobs and generate annual revenues of over $3.5 trillion globally by 2030. This contrasts with annual damages of $9 trillion, or approximately 10.5 percent of global gross domestic product, caused by the energy market through air pollution, CO2 emissions, and the destruction of ecosystems, for example, through open-pit mining.
The World Economic Forum has identified four sets of measures for the transformation, which we examine in more detail in the podcast. Before we turn directly to the energy industry, we first look at the section "Circular Economy and Resource-Conserving Models" (minute 3:40), which deals with the transformation of the economic concept itself. Instead of the traditional linear economy, in which raw materials are mined, products are manufactured, used, and finally discarded, a circular economy is to be created. Here, products are manufactured to be long-lasting and easy to repair. At the end of their life, they are then completely recycled. We will discuss another area of the circular economy, namely the optimized use of resources, using the example of the Munich startup. Delicious Data.
Raw material extraction and supply chains
Naturally, the extraction of raw materials also plays an important role in the energy industry, which is why the World Economic Forum report dedicates a separate section to it (minute 7:15). Whether oil, gas, copper, or gold, numerous raw materials are mined to keep the economy running. And this entails environmental damage – keyword open-pit mining. The report does not call for a halt to resource extraction (although it would be greatly minimized in a circular economy), but rather for the resulting damage to be minimized and compensated for once the raw materials have been exploited. There are many startups in this field – just not in Munich. The majority of them are based in the USA, India, and Australia, where mineral resources are still being mined on a large scale.
Once the raw materials have been mined, they must also be transported – and this brings us to the next topic at minute 8:55: sustainable material supply chains. This isn't about the supply of sustainable or renewable raw materials, but rather about transparency and traceability. Illegal mining, in particular, significantly damages ecosystems – and also massively violates human rights. Therefore, it is necessary to make global supply chains more transparent in order to detect and prevent the entry of illegally mined raw materials or conflict minerals at an early stage. The Munich-based startup Riskmethods has developed a solution for this, which we will present in more detail.
New power plant concepts Made in Munich
There's not much to say about energy production: It's about decarbonizing the energy industry to achieve the goals of nature, environmental, and climate protection. And this is true regardless of the means. In addition to alternative energies from solar, wind, and water, the World Economic Forum also addresses solutions that utilize renewable biofuels or capture the released CO2 (carbon capture and storage systems).
In Munich there are numerous Startupsthat deal with the topic – we have selected three, which we will present in more detail from minute 12:55: Sinn Powerwho are working on a wave power plant and thus developing a new energy source; Kite powerwho rethink the concept of the wind turbine and rely on flying kites; and Electrochaeathat develop and operate power-to-gas plants, which can compensate for the supply gap during periods of calm or at night.
Smart Reporting acquires Health Data Pioneers
Afterwards we will focus on the takeover by Health Data Pioneers through Smart Reporting (minute 22:15). We introduce Health Data Pioneers in more detail (you may already know Smart Reporting from Episode 1) and explain how the acquisition helps Smart Reporting founder Wieland Sommer move closer to his vision of better using data in medicine.
