Innovation follows a cyclical nature. The governance of technology, however, is shaped by humans — the ultimate decision makers in how technology is developed, deployed, and managed. Today, after several decades of unfettered innovation, we are witnessing the outcomes of letting tech run its course. Unequivocally, the digital age has improved the lives of citizens […]
“It’s really important to look at blockchain technologies separately because they all bring different benefits…and they can be implemented separately.” In this talk, presented at our 2018 Digital Transformation Summit, Hanna Halaburda from the Bank of Canada untangles three elements commonly grouped together under the umbrella term, blockchain technologies: encryption/cryptography, “smart contracts,” and distributed ledgers. Hanna […]
“We need to adopt blockchain technology. It’s going to solve all of our problems!” How many times over the past two years have you heard a colleague say this when exploring options for solving some core business problem? Blockchain, mostly due to the hype surrounding Bitcoin, has become the “go to business strategy.” Fueling the […]
This article originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review. We’ve included an excerpt here. Blockchain technology has the potential to do amazing things. It can provide an immutable, digital audit trail of transactions, and can be used to cheaply verify the integrity of data. It can help businesses and individuals agree, on a global scale, […]
“It’s so funny that we were able to build, for example, the pyramids without the blockchain and manage supply chain. And now all of a sudden, everyone is claiming without the blockchain, nothing can get done.” In this flash talk, presented at our 2018 Future Assembly, Professor James Mickens from the Harvard John A. Paulson […]
When most people think of urban tech and the rise of “smart cities,” elite metros like Boston, London, or Tokyo come to mind. However over the past decade, technology has also made substantial inroads—and contributed to rapid development—in emerging markets. Cities like Bangalore, Nairobi, and Bogota are poised to take advantage of unprecedented access to […]
In this interview, Professor Tarun Khanna discusses his new book, Trust: Creating the Foundation for Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries. Khanna stresses that on top of specializing in a particular area, entrepreneurs working in developing countries must construct the conditions for success. How do you create these conditions? He encourages entrepreneurs to start by building a foundation […]
View the full report, “Inclusive Digital Transformation in India: Improving Digital Financial Services for the Poor Through Human-centered Design.” Gandhali, a farmer living in rural Bihar, India, doesn’t own a mobile phone; she borrows her son’s to talk with her brother in the next village. She has a bank account, but resents the half-day trip […]
While satellites may be some of our most impressive technology, they are bogged down by a single bottleneck — data. Satellites orbiting Earth routinely struggle to relay data back down to Earth in a timely manner, with sizable implications for the real world, on the ground economy. This is why companies like Analytical Space are hoping to tap into the big data space revolution that is just waiting to happen.
Space missions today are an increasing mix of public and private ventures. But what happens when the worst happens and something goes wrong? Who pays for the costly damage? Take a look inside a surprisingly important piece of the space sector puzzle — insurance.