Internet of Things enabling increased visibility into what drives agriculture.
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Interesting article! I wonder if the future of farming is something we can predict. You mention that being able to predict, or even set, the weather in the future will provide an opportunity for growth. What if the future of agriculture has nothing to do with weather? What if our practices begin to transcend the whims of nature and thrive in a precisely controlled and fine tuned man made environment?
An indoor vertically integrated farm would provide many advantages in a dense urban setting. Perhaps it never goes past a specialty use, but in areas with limited land, such as Japan, the VIF is an interesting concept.
Cool company. Ripe for an HBS Case! There are so many fascinating questions to ponder about this company. The way they have inserted themselves into an existing supply chain has created many opportunities, but also many directions from which to be squeezed out by incumbents. If you had to pick just one area for the company to improve in, what would it be and why?
Interesting post. I like the idea of banks pushing this technology to ranchers. The banks can provide some incentive scheme for ranchers to opt in when they seek financing. BIXS will have to prove the value add to the supply chain to the banks and also show how the banks can capture that value. Not an impossible task, but a hurdle nonetheless.
BMW, you bring up what may be a valid point. However, I think that BSE is an example of one of many applications along the value chain. You would be surprised what kind of programs can be set up to incent small operations to comply with seemingly arduous regulation. For example, many organic and fair trade labels demand a high fixed and variable cost to participate in. Part marketing and part operations, these labels can come to carry considerable weight with consumers. Imagine a distinct label, contingent on BIXS certification throughout the cattle lifetime, placed upon a package of meat that signifies quality and safety to a consumer. If executed well, this can create considerable product differentiation and increase value of a product.
I beg you not to think this way. This type of thought keeps humanity from progressing in a logical way. Just because a human has done a job in the past does not mean that a human should continue to do a job into the future. Yes, there does exist a far away future where humans are not needed for a majority of the jobs they do today. Technology has created value far beyond our financial instruments and will continue to do so into the future, if we allow it. This is not a future we should be afraid of, but rather one we should work to shape to be fair and equitable for all.
Cyber security is no different than a road side IED – a constant threat that we work diligently to deal with. Those with evil intentions are present whether or not we adopt this technology…
Looking at the 10K for Tesla http://ir.tesla.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1564590-16-13195&CIK=1318605#TSLA-10K_20151231_HTM_CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_OPERATIONS
We can see a net operating loss of $888MM. Based on what we have learned about corporate valuation, investors must really be confident in the company potential to value it at a market cap of $30B.
Are investors confident in Tesla? Or is there support of the company more of an expression of their desire for a change in our automotive culture?
What is the likely hood that new areas will become suitable for coffee bean growth once climates have shifted? Could we see coffee bean growth in North America once the traditional areas are too hot and over utilized?
I think the solar roof tiles that Elon Musk showcased recently got investors excited again about Solar City.
I wonder how much that project increased the value of Solar City to Tesla investors? Or is it more a function of the synergies that both Tesla and ISS claim.
A great example of how data on each component of a complex system can be aggregated and used to improve the operations of that system. We can apply these same principles to a host of other situations to great benefit, the main barrier is the suite of sensors necessary to do so. This is essentially why IoT is receiving so much attention lately at large technology companies.
In my opinion, HEI needs to move forward with renewable energy that can provide net clean water in the long term. As the water sources are compromised by climate change, which is inevitable at this point, the need for desalination and other water treatments will go up and are inherently energy intensive. HEI needs to leverage the abundant sun and wind if it wants to power such water solutions. Water can be generated during days of intense sunlight and stored for later use, matching energy surplus to potential water production.
Interesting article. I wonder Mattel has considered offering discounts on future purchases with the return of used toy. Moving forward I think it is the responsibility of the companies that create consumer products to promote product recycling through discount programs. There is a path to implement such a program that would net value for both the supplier and the consumer, rather than having the product end up in a landfill. This principle is worth further study since it can be applied to a wide variety of industries with varying levels of waste and recycling opportunity.