Tom M

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3D Printed Pasta – Are There Limits to the Benefits of 3D Printing in the Food Sector?
Tom M
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:36 pm
While the benefits of 3D printing are gaining traction in industries like automotive parts and medical devices, the use case in the food industry is relatively nascent though companies like Barilla are striving to stay ahead of the curve.

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On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on Amazon Studios’ experiment in crowdsourcing scripts: were they right to abandon open innovation in developing new content? :

This is a very interesting topic – I had no idea that Amazon was at one point attempting to crowd source content. On the surface it makes sense as a way to cast a wide net on potential ideas, but I can also see how in an increasingly competitive market this could be inefficient. I think this project could be very exciting as a PR stunt, but I do not think that it could create a sustainable competive advantage for Amazon.

On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on Glossier Beauty: Innovating, Not Inundating :

What an interesting topic! I knew that Glossier has been extremely successful, but I did not know that much if it was due to a unique crowdsourcing strategy. So far I think they have done a great job of creating a cohesive product line, but I see your point about the risk of straying if stuck solely to customer input. The beauty space has become extremely competitive with the rise of many start up beauty brands so you are right they need to be careful to maintain their current success!

On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on Make Tonight Unforgettable with HotelTonight :

I have used HotelTonight a few times so it was very interesting to read about how they are using machine learning. If I were them, I would also be worried about other competitive threats like Airbnb or even credit card reward programs with hotel partnerships which are dramatically impacting the hotel category. Also, the large players like Expedia are getting smarter and smarter with their data, so HotelTonight will need to continue innovating and advancing quickly in order to stay top of mind with consumers.

On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on Combatting Food Shortages—Have No Fear, Machine Learning Is Here :

This was very interesting to read – what a creative way to use satellite imagery! It is very impressive that the company is able to aggregate so much data and distill the information into predictive models. I can see how this could help societies plan for potential food shortages, but I am having a harder time understanding how this technology could actually improve the food yield of farmers. The statistics you have shared about the increase in food production required for our growing population are shocking! I think that this is a very important issue that we need to solve so I am glad to know that companies like Descartes are working towards a solution.

On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on 3-D Printing and the Future of Joint Replacement: “Knee”rly There or Ready For Total Replacement? :

This was a very informative and interesting post. I have read a bit about the benefits of 3D printing in the medical device sector, so it was very interesting to learn more about a real example. My main question would be about the real driver of adoption of this technology in this space given that patient outcomes are already so high. If the existing technology is already working well, what is the motivate to invest in expensive 3D printing capabilities?

On November 15, 2018, Tom M commented on Revolutionizing an entire supply chain: additive manufacturing and the US Army :

This is a very interesting topic, and seems like a great way to take advantage of the benefits of 3D printing on a massive scale. In army operations, I think the speed that 3D printing can provide can not only save money, but also lives. If the current budget is over $34 billion, the dollar impact of the new technology could be drastic, though I wonder if the technology is ready. I imagine that the army is very set in its hierarchical structure because of the extreme importance of safety and security in the operations. I think that the new technology will need to be refined and tested extensively before it can be deployed by the government on a large scale.