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Bruno Lambert CEO
ICONIQ MOTORS
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MARCH 2018 ISSUE NO. 001
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GineersNow welcomes March with a new magazine as we launch Technology Leaders - a brand new digital platform where we feature different individuals, companies and organizations that are creating an impact in the field of technology. This magazine is for anyone who takes an interest in the advancement and developments of today’s machineries and equipment. For our feature stories, we are looking for stories with the drive, passion and ambition of those people who are solving the most complex problems of humanity using technology. For this month, we are featuring ICONIQ Motors and its CEO, Bruno Lambert. Get to know the man leading the company in facing a bigger change in the next decade in the automotive industry. Learn more about the ICONIQ Smart Passenger vehicle and how its paving the way towards autonomous driving.
EDITOR’S NOTE
We have also included several technology feature articles on the magazine such as the following: • • • • •
Engineers Find New Way For Electronics To Evaporate Into Thin Air Scientists Successfully Transforms Stress Into Electricity Researchers Develop A Material That Could Allow For Full Battery Charging In Milliseconds Facial Recognition Will Be Used In 2020 Tokyo Olympics To Identify Athletes Dubai Airport Will Replace Security Booths With Face-Scanning Virtual Aquariums
Lastly, we have prepared helpful articles to help you become your very own boss! Learn why engineers should work for startup companies first before having their own. Find out how you can generate ideas for your own startup company and why you should have your own blog when you decide to have it. Read our tips for engineers with side hustles while working full time and things you should know before applying for a patent. So go ahead, scroll through our pages and read the latest stories concerning technological advancements and the latest innovations. Get updated with the news and be informed with our inspiring stories that are slowly changing the way we live today. Enjoy this month’s GineersNow: Technology Leaders.
Engr. Alice Hernandez Senior Editor-at-Large
Contents The ICONIQ Smart Passenger Vehicle Paving The Way Towards Autonomous Driving
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Researchers Develop a Material That Could Allow for Full Battery Charging in Milliseconds
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Trend Micro Deepens Investment in Middle East and North Africa in 2018
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10 Ways Engineers Can Generate Ideas for Their Startup
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This Company Plans to Use Lasers to Deliver Internet
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Facial Recognition Will be Used in 2020 Tokyo Olympics to Identify Athletes
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Scientists Have Successfully Transformed Stress Into Electricity
28
Why Engineers Should Work for Startups Before Starting One
44
Engineers Find a New Way for Electronics to Evaporate into Thin Air
30
Why Engineers Should Create A Blog For Their Startup
46
Eco Solutions Business Division of Panasonic Appoints New Managing Director for MEA
32
Tips For Engineers With Side Hustles While Working Full Time
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Creative Ways Engineers Can Increase How Much They Earn
34
Things Engineers Should Know Before Applying for a Patent
50
Our partner conference including some of our management team and ICONIQ’s founder Alan Wu (fifth from right)
The ICONIQ Smart Passenger Vehicle Paving The Way Towards Autonomous Driving 艾康尼克智能乘用车为无人驾驶铺平道路 We often hear today that the automotive industry will face a bigger change in the next decade than in the last century. But will it be an evolution or a revolution? Will smart cars impact our lives even more than smart phones? The first part of the answer is technology-driven and based on the so-called CASE concept – Connectivity, Autonomous driving, Shared mobility and Electrification. The beauty of this formula is that those four trends complement each other and converge to create the ultimate mobility solution.
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Technology Leaders • March 2018
今天，我们常常听说汽车工业在未来十 年将面临比过去一个世纪更大的变化。 那会是一场革命还 是一次进化？智能 汽车会比智能手机更能影响我们的生活 吗？ 答案的第一部分是基于技术驱动和所 谓“CASE”概念（互联、无人驾驶、分 享、电动化）。在这 个公式中，4种趋 势互相补充和衔接，并形成终极出行解 决方案。
The second part of the answer is businessdriven as those new technologies pave the way to a new value chain which should be called the Digital Mobility Eco-system rather than limited to the Automotive Industry. This business will be worth several trillion dollars by 2030 so it’s attracting a lot of attention. And when internet companies and technology giants combine their strengths with the expertise of the car makers and their suppliers, the change accelerates rapidly and the first results exceed any projection made only one year ago.
答案的第二部分是基于商业驱动，因为 这些新技术形成一条新的价值链，这条 价值链应被称作数 字出行生态系统，而 不受限于汽车工业。2030年前，这个 商业将价值数万亿美元，所以非常引人 瞩目。当互联网企业和科技巨人强强联 手，结合汽车制造商及其供应商的专业 优势，这种变革迅 速加速，其首批结果 已经超出了一年前做的任何预测。
As you can see from figure 1, we attempted to forecast the development of the CASE trends (in China as a leading market) and we believe that we are, indeed, on the verge of the mobility revolution.
如图一所示，我们试图预测CASE趋势 在中国这一领先市场的发展，我们相 信，我们实际上正处在 出行革命的前 沿。
First, the race to full electrification of the car population has started between governments around the world, who are introducing new regulations and investing massively into the development of their charging infrastructure. In China, for example, from 2019, a quota of 10% of electrified vehicles will be imposed on all local production.
首先，全电动汽车产量竞争已经在世界 许多国家政府支持下启动，政府竞相引 入新的法规和针对 充电基础设施的巨额 投资。例如在中国，从2019年起，10% 电动汽车生产配额将在本土汽车制造 过 程中强制执行。 Technology Leaders • March 2018
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Mr. Bruno Lambert, CEO of ICONIQ MOTORS speaking at the Partner Conference
Some people doubt that the demand can grow from 3% today to 10% in one year but it’s realistic when you also consider the other race going on between car makers which, in the same period, will result in the introduction of 5 times as many electric vehicle (EV) models, with improved competitiveness. And this will only accelerate with the ongoing improvements in new battery technology, such as the use of graphene, which will make every EV much cheaper to operate than an equivalent internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Second, by 2020, the introduction of a commercial 5G network together with advanced Connected Vehicle platforms will create such an immersive and personalized in-car user interface that all passengers will stop looking at their phones and start interacting with the vehicle. This will be the first magic moment for the various partners of the new Digital mobility eco-system as the vehicle will progressively grow to become the biggest window of “captive” connected attention. 12
Technology Leaders • March 2018
一些人怀疑购车需求增长率能够在一年 中从当下的3%升至10%，但当你考虑到 汽车厂家之间的其 他竞争，这种预测就 变得合理了，因为在同期，汽车厂家间 的竞争将会带来5倍于现在的电动汽车 车型，并且具备更强的竞争力。 但这还只是加速了正在进行中的新电池 技术进步，如石墨烯应用，将会使每辆 电动汽车比同类内 燃机汽车更易于节省 使用成本。 其次，在2020年前，商业化5G网络的应 用与高级车辆互联平台一道，将能创造 非常身临其境和个 人定制化的车内用户 界面，所有乘客将不再低头查看手机， 而是开始与车辆互动。这将成为新数 字 出行生态圈广泛合作伙伴的第一个神奇 瞬间，因为车辆将逐渐成为“获取”互联 关注的最大窗 口。
ICONIQ L5 – Level 5 Autonomous Concept
Finally, the era of robot-taxis will come when Fully-Autonomous (Level 5 – driverless) vehicles will magically combine with the fast-growing shared mobility services. Smart phones made us stay connected all the time but the initial cost limited the speed of introduction. With smart cars, mobility becomes much cheaper, more productive, more enjoyable and faster. That’s why the smart cars revolution will be even bigger than the smart phones revolution. It will also reshape our cities - for example car parks being replaced by green areas. Delivery services will also become so cheap that e-commerce can develop much further. And again, your time in a car will become the best time to shop making the digital mobility eco-system grow larger and larger. The impact is so big (and the business potential so large) that everyone is talking about autonomous driving but often in a misleading way. The current Level 3 SemiAutonomous solutions can bring more comfort to the drivers during their commuting time but
最后，当全自动汽车（5级无人驾驶汽 车）与快速增长的分享出行服务神奇地 结合在一起时，机器 人出租车时代将 成为现实。智能手机将我们全天候联结 在一起，但是初始成本限制了普及的速 度。伴随着智能汽车，出行将变得更便 宜、更丰富、更享受和快捷。这就是为 什么智能汽车革命会 比智能手机革命 规模更大。它也会重塑我们所生活的城 市，比方说停车场被绿地所取代。快递 服 务也会变得更加廉价，让电子商务深 入发展。同时，乘客在车里的时光将成 为最佳购物场景，使 得数字出行生态系 统继续茁壮成长。 影响如此巨大，商业前景如此巨大，以 至于很多人在谈到无人驾驶时常常出现 误导。现在的3级半 自动解决方案已经 能够令驾驶员在通勤过程中更加舒适， Technology Leaders • March 2018
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the real disruption will happen only with Level 5 when cars can drive themselves all day long. This will require Smart City infrastructure and new driving regulations so we can expect the first mass production introduction of robot-taxis within five years with fast growth afterwards.
但真正的突破只能伴随5级无人驾驶技术 的成熟，届时车辆可以整天自动行驶。这 需要智慧城市基础设施和新的交通规则， 只有这些条件 存在，我们才能期待5年内 首批机器人出租车得以批量生产并在随后 迅速崛起。
Sharing this vision, Alan Wu, a Chinese serial entrepreneur who created his first business at the age of 20 and later grew his family business to the global stage, founded ICONIQ MOTORS in 2016.
基于这样的远见，吴楠先生，一位在20岁 就开创了其首个商业项目并随后使其家族 企业登顶全球 舞台的中国企业家于2016年 创建了艾康尼克汽车。
At ICONIQ MOTORS, in anticipation of the robot-taxi era, we have chosen to focus on the passenger experience right from the start with our first product, the model SEVEN. It will be the first premium electric MPV on the market and features the unique design of a talented styling team from W Motors. The founder of the Dubai-based Super-car brand, Ralf Debbas, signed a strategic partnership with
在艾康尼克汽车，因为预见机器人出租 车时代，我们选择在研发首个汽车产品 艾康尼克7时就关注 乘客体验。该车将 成为市场上首个高端电动MPV，并伴随 着W Motors天才外观设计团队的独特设 计。2013年，这个位于迪拜的超跑品牌 创始人Ralf Debbas先生与艾康尼克的吴
Technology Leaders • March 2018
ICONIQ SEVEN & W MOTORS LYKAN at Monterrey
ICONIQ’s Alan Wu in 2013. W Motors gained international fame when their first model, the $3.4 million, Lykan Hypersport, featured in the movie, Fast and Furious 7. As China is by far the largest EV market, we analyzed the segmentation of this market as shown in Figure 2. So far, this market has been dominated by the “Micro-way” - low cost and low performance EVs leveraging the benefit of government subsidies. With increasing pressure from legislation, this segment will become very crowded with most volume brands introducing small EVs. At the higher end of the market, the “Teslaway” has been the reference for all EV fans as the only high performance EV brand so far. With successful marketing and an impressive stock performance, Tesla has inspired established premium car brands and many new entrants to compete in their market with “driver-focused” design and technologies.
楠先生签订了战略 合作伙伴协议。而W Motors正是因为其首款价值340万美金 的超级跑车Lykan Hypersport参演速度 与激情7而享誉世界。 鉴于中国目前是世界上最大的电动汽车 市场，我们通过图2分析下这个市场的细 分。 到目前为止，这个市场充斥着“微型化” 低成本和低性能的电动汽车，是在利用 政府补贴获利。随着政府法规压力增 加，这个细分市场将更加充斥着各种大 批量品牌生产的小型电动车。 在较高端市场上，截至目前，“特斯拉道 路”已经成为所有电动车粉丝视为高性能 电动车品牌的 标杆。伴随着成功的市场 营销和瞩目的股票业绩，特斯拉已经引 发现有的高端汽车品牌和新进者 在市场 中以“关注驾驶者”的设计和技术开展竞 争。 Technology Leaders • March 2018
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ICONIQ SEVEN VIP
Mr. Bruno Lambert at the Partner Conference
ICONIQ SEVEN Premium
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Technology Leaders • March 2018
ICONIQ SEVEN VIP Edition and Premium Edition
But the mobility of tomorrow will look very different. In the era of robot-taxis, our cities will be covered by “small box” or inner-city pods and “big box” or inter-city commuters. So, we believe there is an open space on the way to the “big boxes” and ICONIQ’s passenger focus and the development of the model SEVEN is the perfect and logical step towards this future. This unique vision to create a passenger focused MPV with the design of a supercar has attracted top talents from established car makers such as VW, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover. Many journalists have asked us why we’re starting with an MPV when everyone else is starting with a SUV. But is SEVEN really an MPV? Some people call it an SUV when they first see it from the front but, frankly, it’s simply too attractive to be a standard MPV.
但是，明天的出行却并非如此。 在机器人出租车时代，我们的城市将由“ 小盒子”（或称城区内分离舱）和“大盒 子”（或称城区间通勤舱）所覆盖。 所以，我们相信在通往“大盒子”之路上存 在广阔空间，而艾康尼克对乘客的关注和 艾康尼克7的 研发正是通往这一未来的完 美且符合逻辑的一步。 打造一款关注乘客且具备超跑外观设计 MPV的独特愿景已经从传统汽车厂家如大 众、福特、捷豹 路虎吸引来顶级人才。 许多记者都问过我们，为什么我们从MPV 开始起步，而别人都是从SUV起步。但是 艾康尼克7真的 就只是一款MPV吗？有些 人第一次从前脸看到这款车时说它是一款 SUV，但事实上，它确实比 MPV更有吸引力多了。 Technology Leaders • March 2018
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That’s why we’ve created a brand-new segment for a completely new type of car, ready for the mobility revolution - SPV – Smart (& sexy!) Passenger Vehicle. Smart like our technology developed in partnership with Microsoft and Sexy like the W Motors design!
这就是为什么我们用一个全新的车型创 造了一个全新的细分领域，只为出行革 命的SPV车型——智 能（至美）乘用 车。因与微软联合开发技术而智能，因 W Mortors超跑设计而至美。
Combining our unique purpose-built passenger focused vehicle design with Microsoft’s most advanced image recognition, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud solutions, we are creating a fully personalized passenger experience which can replace your office, your living room and even your bed room with our ultimate VIP variant with only 2 first class seats and a 37’ screen.
我们独特的关注乘客体验的车辆设计结 合了微软最先进影像识别、人工智能和 云解决方案，我们正在打造一种全定制 的乘客体验，配备了后排两个头等舱座 椅和37寸超大屏幕的VIP版车 型可以取 代你的办公室、你的客厅、甚至是你的 卧室。
Our technology also enables the most valuable after sales offer thanks to our full remote diagnostics capability. And we will showcase many more surprises on our way to mass production of the Model SEVEN by end 2019.
In parallel, we have already started the development of our Level 5 (L5) fully autonomous driving technology with the support of a major partnership which will be announced at the GenevaAutoshow on March 6 th . This project is 18
Technology Leaders • March 2018
我们的远程诊断技术还带来了最具价 值的售后服务。我们还将在2019年底 前用艾康尼克7的批 量投产带来更多惊 喜。 同时，我们已经在一位重要合作伙伴的 支持下，开始研发5级无人驾驶技术， 我们将在3月6日 日内瓦国际车展上宣 布这一合作消息。这个项目还得到了位
ICONIQ SEVEN CONNECTED CAR
37” LED Screen in SEVEN VIP
also supported by Masdar City and Safe City in the UAE and together we are planning to showcase our first fleet of L5 autonomous vehicles at the Dubai World Expo in 2020. We believe ICONIQ Motors is already on the way to creating an automotive ICON with the highest IQ. Through an outstanding combination of super car design and state-of- the-art technologies, ICONIQ will deliver its vision of a unique passenger experience to you very soon!!
Mr. Bruno Lambert in his office in Shanghai
于阿联酋的马斯达尔市和Safe City 的 大力支持，我们计划在2020年迪拜世 博会上展示第一个5级无人驾驶车队。 我们相信，艾康尼克汽车已经走在打造 一个汽车标识（ICON）且拥有最高智商 （IQ）的大路 上。通过完美结合超跑设计和尖端科 技，艾康尼克将很快呈现给大家独特的 乘客体验。 Technology Leaders • March 2018
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• W Motors is still selling today 100,000 Lykan model cars per month, almost 3 years after the movie, Fast and the Furious. • The ICONIQ-W MOTORS Alliance is one showcase project of the One Belt One Road Initiative from the Chinese Government • The SPV name was created after one American Distributor said “this car is too sexy to be called a Mini-van or MPV”
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Technology Leaders • March 2018
• 自速度与激情7电影上映后三年间，
W Motors现在每月销售10万个Lykan车模。
• 艾康尼克和W Motors的联盟正是中国政府所
倡导的“一带一路”典型合作项目。
• 一位美国代理商曾经说“这车太漂亮，不应该
叫做小型厢式车或MPV”，SPV这个名字正是 源自于此。
ICONIQ SEVEN VIP
Technology Leaders • March 2018
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Bruno Lambert CEO ICONIQ MOTORS
Bruno Lambert – CEO at ICONIQ MOTORS since March 2017, formerly Asia President at Magna Steyr. Grew up in France but with an early passion for travelling, which led him to live and work in 7 different countries in less than 20 years with the longest stay in China for the last 7 years. He has a Business Administration diploma from University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and a Master’s degree in Engineering from École Centrale de Nantes. Joined in 2004 the Society for Organizational Learning created by MIT Professor Peter Senge and discovered a strong interest for team dynamics and how to develop the collective creativity within a team. Has led several international management teams through fast growth phases. Best recruitment advice heard: “when you feel you could work for this candidate, then hire him or her” from Mark Zuckerberg’s podcast. Has worked with most established car makers as well as observed new entrants into a fast-changing industry to bring to ICONIQ MOTORS many best practices and niche ideas.
Bruno Lambert先生——自2017年 3月起担任艾康尼克汽车首席执行 官，此前任麦格纳斯代尔亚洲总 裁。Bruno Lambert先生生于法国， 热衷旅行，在不到20年生涯中在7 个不同国家生活和工作过，其中最 长7年在中国。他在巴黎PanthéonSorbonne大学获得企业管理学士学 位，在École Centrale de Nantes 获得工程硕士学位. Bruno Lambert 先生2004年加入由麻省理工学院 Peter Senge教授创建的组织学习 社团，在团队动员和发展团队创造 力方面发现了强烈兴趣，并在企业 快速成长期带领过一些跨国管理团 队。Mark Zuckerberg的播客曾经如 此提出最佳招聘建议:“当你觉得你可 以为这个候选人工作时，请雇佣他 或她。”Bruno Lambert先生与绝大多 数传统汽车厂家合作过，也观察了 许多快速变革产业的新进者，这将 为艾康尼克汽车带来许多宝贵经验 和新的想法。
Trend Micro Deepens Investment in Middle East and North Africa in 2018 24
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Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today shared some of its 2018 investment and growth plans for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets. The company has positioned top executive talent to lead programs specifically designed for opportunities available in MENA. Part of Trend Micro’s recently launched corporate venture fund in partnership with Trend Forward Capital, is paying special attention to start-ups across MENA. The venture will offer companies financial backing, access to its world-class global strategic alliances, as well as its channel of more than 28,000 partners. Trend Micro is happy to welcome into its executive ranks industry leader Dr. Moataz Bin Ali, newly joining from SAP, to lead and transform the MENA region. This is a high growth region, which is a prime investment area for Trend Micro in 2018 and beyond. Dr. Bin Ali, now Vice President for Trend Micro Middle East and Africa region, is an expert leader in the digitization space, and a transformation specialist with over 15 years’ experience in the business. He has helped optimize numerous next generation enterprise companies, and facilitated many government digital transformations. With a strong track record in leadership roles at top-tier technology firms such as SAP, IBM and Microsoft, Dr. Bin Ali is also highly recognized within the industry as an author and avid speaker in national and international conferences on issues surrounding country wide digitization, industry specific applications, cutting edge technology innovations, transformational digital business models, cloud computing, IoT, information security and many other topics. “I’m happy to join the Trend Micro ecosystem that is vibrant, and focused in protecting its customers, while helping to drive innovation, forge transformational alliances, and develop regional talent,” said Dr. Bin Ali. “Our channel community is the backbone to our continued success, and finding new ways to further
strengthen our mutual businesses is also an emphasis for 2018, and beyond,” added Dr. Bin Ali. Dr. Bin Ali, has prioritized strengthening Trend Micro’s existing relations in the region, while fueling the strong growth that Trend Micro is witnessing by forging new transformational alliances with both the public and private sectors. He is also keen to drive new investments into the region in 2018, and foster new opportunities of growth. Ihab Moawad, previously heading Trend Micro in the region will now be joining Trend Forward Capital as a key executive helping to find and manage venture fund investments in MENA. Moawad’s record of accomplishment includes having led Trend Micro in the region for five years, while tripling revenue and doubling the team size. With Ihab’s involvement, Trend Forward Capital is making its first portfolio investment into the market with Egyptian grown business, Instabug. Initial success for Instabug include securing investment from Accel Ventures, a Silicon Valley investor, and reaching out to 1 Billion users. “Working with Trend Micro, and helping to secure the region has been a rewarding experience for me. In my time with Trend Micro we reached many a milestone. Today, with Trend Forward Capital, I can help business realize their true potential, and give companies a platform to grow,” added Moawad. Instabug Co-Founder and CEO, Omar Gabr stated, “We are proud of our momentum, but not taking our eye off what is needed for further growth. Trend Forward Capital is a key part of helping us reach our vision as a scalable and operationally efficient company.” Working with portfolio investments, the business can uncover insights into emerging ecosystem opportunities, identify disruptive business models, market gaps, and address skillset shortages. This will further align Trend Micro’s investments to better serve the region and allow for a higher level of impact. Technology Leaders • March 2018
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This Company Plans to Use Lasers to Deliver Internet It’s like a fiber optic cable--without the cable. X, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), has signed a deal with an Indian state to offer internet connectivity which describes as ” fiber optic cable, but without the cable.” The company hopes that this free space optical communications (FSOC) technology will be able to set the foundations for high-bandwidth internet in southeast India.
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Andhra Pradesh is co-home to Hyderabad, which is one of India’s most influential tech cities. The state offers the residents some of the cheapest broadband access in the world. However, even if India’s internet connectivity numbers have grown substantially through the years, there are still many who don’t have regular, high-speed access. This is especially true in rural populations.
Andhra Pradesh will lose Hyderabad in 2024 because of the creation of a new Indian state, which will cause lowering of its overall connectivity. The state wants to help 12 million households and thousand of government organizations and businesses to get broadband by 2019. X is working with AP State FiberNet, a telecom company that is owned by the Andhra Pradesh government. X will be building two thousand FSOC links, which will use beams of light to deliver fast and reliable connectivity over long distances. “And because there’s no cable, this means there’s none of the time, cost, and hassle involved in digging trenches or stringing cable along poles,” says Baris Erkman, FSOC lead at X according to a Medium post. “FSOC boxes can
simply be placed kilometers apart on roofs or towers, with the signal beamed directly between the boxes to easily traverse common obstacles like rivers, roads and railways.” Indian employees will be working with X to find the best possible locations for FSOC implementation. Alphabet has developed this technology while they were working on Project Loon, which is a mission to spread internet access through balloons. In the beginning, FSOC technology was being used to allow the balloons to communicate with each other. After being able to successfully transfer a copy of the 1985 comedy Real Genius over 100 kilometers between balloons by using FSOC lasers, X thought if this technology could be applied more terrestrially.
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Scientists Have Successfully Transformed Stress Into Electricity “This material could probably even be used to obtain energy from the human body.” Wouldn’t it be nice if our everyday stresses can produce something useful–like electricity? Well, recently, scientists have created a new organic material which can turn material stress
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to electricity. Researchers from Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, created this new material which is flexible and generates electricity when it is
on analog record players, like how the needles is guided through the grooves in the record to be able to generate mechanical vibrations. In a piezoelectric crystal, these vibrations will be converted into electric pulses, which will be amplified and converted into sound waves.
Crystals to Flexible Material Until recently, the piezoelectric effect has only been known for crystals. Being heavy and solid, the piezoelectric effect can only be used in limited applications. But now, Empa researcher Dorina Opris with her colleagues have given elastomers piezoelectric properties. The new material however, is difficult to produce. The rubber is a composite material that is made of polar nanoparticles and elastomer. Yee Song Ko, a PhD student at Empa, would first shape the two materials before connecting them. This will yield a thin, elastic film, wherein polar portions of the nanoparticles are still randomly oriented. To be able to create a piezoelectric material, Song Ko would need to introduce an internal polarization using a strong electrical field. To be able to do this, the film needs to be heated until the glass transition temperature of the nanoparticles has been exceeded and would change from a solid, glassy state into a rubbery and viscous one.Under these conditions, the polar portions are oriented by the electrical field. The orientation achieved is then frozen by cooling the material to room temperature.
Future Applications
subjected to stress. In the future, it could be used as a sensor that could be integrated into clothing or implanted in the body to power a pacemaker.
The Piezoelectric Effect This new rubber material is able to convert mechanical movements into electrical charges. The generated current comes from the internal polarization that changes when the rubber film is mechanically stressed. This effect, which was discovered in crystals is currently used in various applications such as sound pick-ups
There are a lot of potential applications for this new rubber film. For example, it can be used to create pressure sensors. Once the material is compressed, an electrical impulse is produced that can be received by devices. This can be used to create sensitive skin for robots to be able to feel pressure touches. This can also be used in clothing to monitor a wearer’s activities or generate electricity from their movements.”This material could probably even be used to obtain energy from the human body,”Opris said. “You could implant it near the heart to generate electricity from the heartbeat, for instance.”
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Engineers Find a New Way for Electronics to Evaporate into Thin Air Yup, it will self-destruct over time, without releasing harmful byproducts, using only radio waves. Transient technology is a growing field which involves devices and systems to be capable of disappearing with minimal or no remains at all over a period of stable operation. This has been the focus of researchers from Cornell University and Honeywell Aerospace, eventually discovering a new method or remotely vaporizing electronics into thin air.
chemical able to thermally react and decompose the microchip.
Techniques to facilitate vaporization in transient electronics often include water, high temperature and a power source. But in the case of the Cornell engineers, they have found another way.
“The encapsulated rubidium then oxidizes vigorously, releasing heat to vaporize the polycarbonate shell and decompose the sodium bifluoride. The latter controllably releases hydrofluoric acid to etch away the electronics,” said Ved Gund, led the research as a graduate student in the Cornell SonicMEMS Lab.
They have created a transient architecture which uses a silicon-dioxide microchip attached to a polycarbonate shell. Inside the shell which is not visible are microscopic cavities filled with rubidium and sodium biflouride, which are 30
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But it doesn’t need fire to be dissolved. All it takes for the thermal reaction to be performed is to expose the graphene-on-nitride valves, which keep the chemical sealed in the cavities, with radio waves.
Amit Lal, professor of electrical and computer engineering, believes that with the novel method,
it offers several advantages over existing transient electronics design. “The stackable architecture lets us make small, vaporizable, LEGO-like blocks to make arbitrarily large vanishing electronics,” said Lal, which means to say that their transient technology is much easier to be scaled.
Soon, we will be able to have smartphones that self-destruct. Transient electronics is the future! Photo by Getty
Application of transient technology often revolves around data protection. Those who want their devices to dissolve including the data therein can opt for this kind of electronics in the future once commercially available. But the engineers envision more. It could have its environmental applications, like integrating it into wireless sensor nodes for monitoring. Gund said, “For example, vaporizable sensors can be deployed with the internet of things platform for monitoring crops or collecting data on nutrients and moisture, and then made to vanish once they accomplish these tasks.” Technology Leaders • March 2018
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Eco Solutions Business Division of Panasonic Appoints New Managing Director for MEA Hiroyoshi Suga has been appointed as the Director of Sales for Panasonic’s Eco Solutions Business - ISAMEA region (India, South Asia, Middle East and Africa) and has concurrently taken over to serve as the Managing Director for Panasonic Eco Solutions Middle East & Africa (Division of Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa), effective February 1st 2018. Suga brings over 30 years of senior management experience into the role, having held a variety of key leadership posts at various Panasonic offices across the globe, which includes stints in US,
Japan, Singapore and China. Prior to his new role, Suga was the President Director of PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia. Suga’s new role will see him setting and driving the strategic direction of Eco Solutions business as well as strengthening the position of Panasonic as the leading innovator in electrical construction materials and eco solutions products, which is a vast portfolio of wiring devices, conduit pipes, solar panels, indoor air quality solutions and more. Commenting on his appointment, Hiroyoshi Suga said, “The region continues to be of great importance to Panasonic, and we are committed to help our customers meet their objective of sustained business growth.” “The regional construction industry poses dynamic growth prospects and shows substantial progress in adopting sustainable and eco-friendly solutions. Our business objective to strengthen Eco Solutions in the region dwells in line with the local demands and augurs well for us and the construction sector; as we aim to support the industry patrons to strive for further success and reinforce Panasonic’s Eco Solution Business presence.” The appointment of Suga, with his proven track record of driving business transformation, is expected to create a stronger foundation for growth in Panasonic’s Eco Solution Business.
Creative Ways Engineers Can Increase How Much They Earn How can you increase your value at work to be able to earn more? Everyone wants to earn more. However, most of the time working hard has little effect on how much you earn. It may seem harsh, but most of the time it’s true. No matter how much overtime hours you render at work, will have little or no effect on your current salary. In our society, what you earn is usually based on the value of what it is you do. 34
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Dollar amounts are placed on everyday tasks, and payment is offered based on who can give the desired outcome. Payment is also related to supply and demand. For example, lots of people are capable of scrubbing toilets, but not everyone can manage a construction project.
you to earn more for yourself. Do some research and look for different parties that are willing to pay for that role.
Choose long term jackpots Learn to be patient. No one becomes an instant expert at something overnight. Even those who are innately talented still have a lot to learn through experience. Once you’ve chosen a role don’t just focus on short term raises, focus on long term jackpots instead. As you are still in the lower end of the learning curve, continue to prove yourself and improve your abilities. Forget asking for extra pay for the extra 2 hours you’ve spent at a certain task. When you’re still starting, it’s better to focus on quality, as well as connections. Instead of asking for that extra 2 hours pay, ask your client to introduce you to someone that you could add to your connections. This will help you ladder up your success to your next projects. Master your craft while making connections.
Don’t tell people why they should pay you more. Show them.
So, as engineers who want to improve in their field and earn more, what can you do? How can you increase your value to the point where you are earning more than what is considered average for your responsibilities?
Research and Absorb Do some research and learn what is most valuable about your role. You can try rereading your job description that was given to you when you first started your job, and from the list of responsibilities find out which one is of most value. Or if you currently don’t have a job, find a strong characteristic that you have that can help
Action speaks louder than words. We all know this. If you’re an engineer who is currently employed, then show everyone (especially your bosses) that you deserve to be paid more or be given a promotion. If you have a business on the side, show your clients that what they are paying for is so worth it that they will want to come back again. Stop telling. Start showing.
Ask Not everything will be served on a silver platter for you. While there are bosses who suddenly call you up and give you that raise you deserve, most aren’t like that. If you feel that you deserve to be paid more, in whatever you are working in, it’s your responsibility to ask. Talk to your boss. You may need to be prepared for a “no”, but don’t be disheartened. Explain to them what value you provide that makes you believe you deserve those earnings. Technology Leaders • March 2018
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Researchers Develop a Material That Could Allow for Full Battery Charging in Milliseconds No more long charging time! It’s undeniable how smartphones have shaped our lives today with all the revolutionary technology available. A vast majority of the world population are already connected thanks to smartphones, using them on a daily basis. But if there’s one thing that is universally agreed upon to be the greatest setback of the device, it is its batteries. Because charging them consumes a lot of time. Nanomaterials researchers at Drexel University have recognized this problem and provided a solution: they developed a material suitable for smartphones which fully-charges in only a few 36
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seconds or even less. Called the MXene, it is a two-dimensional material composed of a hydrogel and an oxide metal. While it’s structurally dense to shield radiation and filter water, it is also highly conductive, making it an ideal material for battery membranes. MXene has a chemical makeup that allows for a smooth flow of electrodes – where energy is stored in batteries for charging – through it. There is what they call the “redox active sites” which are ports where the ions in batteries are held. The number of these ports in a battery is
directly proportional to the amount of charge it can hold. In MXene, there are lots of paths for the ions to travel through, something that is uncommon in battery membranes used today. It helps that this material is also highly conductive because that allows for the quick movement of the ions. That’s why the effective recharge rate is much faster than present systems. One of the researchers, Maria Lukatskaya, said, “In traditional batteries […] ions have a torturous path toward charge storage ports, which not only slows down everything, but it also creates a situation where very few ions actually reach their destination at fast charging rates. “The ideal electrode architecture would be something like ions moving to the ports via multilane, high-speed ‘highways,’ instead of taking single-lane roads. Our macroporous electrode
design achieves this goal, which allows for rapid charging — on the order of a few seconds or less,” she added. The estimate of the charging time for this battery is at “tens of milliseconds,” far from the current which takes hours. Yuri Gogotsi, a materials science and engineering professor, said that using low-dimensional and electronically conducting materials like battery electrodes could pave a way to a much fasterworking batteries. “Eventually, appreciation of this fact will lead us to car, laptop, and cell phone batteries capable of charging at much higher rates — seconds or minutes rather than hours,” he added. The technology has to mature first before it hits the commercial stores. The researchers believe that it will take at least three years before it is mass-produced. Technology Leaders • March 2018
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10 Ways Engineers Can Generate Ideas for Their Startup If you’ve ever thought about creating a startup of your own but don’t know what your company will be, this may help you Startup companies are now taking the world by storm. There are a vast amount of people from all walks of life creating their very own businesses that fits their very own personality. If you’ve ever thought about creating a startup of your own but don’t know what your company will be, here’s a few tips on how to generate ideas for your startup.
Think of a problem Yes, you heard that right. It’s best if you think of a problem that you want to solve rather than 38
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thinking of something cool that you’d want to try out. You’d have more success building up a business model to solve a specific problem rather than building on off a cool idea you got off the internet. Businesses are there to solve problems. If your business does not solve a problem, you wouldn’t have a market to work with. That said, your business will thrive depending on how big the amount of people affected by the problem is. Every business has a problem they’re solving, that’s why yours should too.
You don’t have to be “original” A lot of successful businesses didn’t even create the idea from scratch. It’s not a matter of generating an idea that revolves entirely on a concept YOU created. It can be an existing idea that you’d want to re-imagine into your own creative version. Take Facebook as an example; It’s a huge and successful Social Media Platform but it’s not the FIRST Social Media Platform. Facebook took the idea of a Social Media Platform and transformed it into their own intricate design.
people in your community will benefit from your upcoming business and if it’s really what your target market needs.
Think practically There’s a lot of ideas which sound really good on paper but not in actuality. You’d have to check time in again if your business idea is something you or your partners can do. If you got a couple of ideas, sort through them first. Think whether it’s really needed or whether it’s actually doable. If your current idea pool gets drained, take a step back and check for more.
If you can’t think of a problem, ask your friends or family There’s nothing better than asking the consumers themselves. Are they bothered by the issues with the environment? Is it something you can create an idea from? Do you have a way of solving this issue? If you said yes to any of it, then asking around did you good. Sometimes, it’s good to take a good look at your surroundings. It’s a good way to see how the
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A business has to be practical to start with, if you think you’d be setting yourself up for something really risky, think twice before you plunge right in.
If you’re boggled about an idea you have, ask questions from people who know or take it to yourself to learn more about it.
Go with what you like
Let your brain rest
If you’ve already gathered the ideas needed and you’re having a hard time choosing which one you’re going to go with, here’s a question you should ask yourself: “Is this really what I want to go with?”
If you’re stuck creating an idea, take a breather. It’s not good to continuously squeeze ideas out from a tired brain. Let your brain cool down and think about it tomorrow. No good idea comes overnight.
If you answered yes, then go with it. This way, you’ll love it when it booms and it you’ll regret it less if it fails. Always consider where your heart lies since it’ll allow you to focus more and give more to the startup you’re planning to grow.
Thinking of too much and not allowing your brain some rest means new and fresh ideas might not come to you. Always make sure that your brain gets some rest. Who knows? Your dreams might just inspire you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice
Go to new places
If you have a friend or someone who has a business background (having a startup is a plus) then don’t hesitate to ask them for advice. If you don’t have anyone near you who can help, try searching online or try reading a book about business ideas.
A little exploration won’t hurt anyone. If in any case you can’t find anything in your community, try reaching out to new places. You can try going overseas or just travel within your country, it’s completely up to you. New environments inspire your brain to think outside of your comfort
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zone, allowing you to see things from a different perspective. They say traveling helps calm the mind and soul. It also helps your brain by exposing it to new things which broaden your mind and increase the chances of developing creating and innovative ideas.
confusing or is something that the audience has little knowledge of, it’s best to rethink your plan. If your customers are unaware of the subject you’re trying to do, it’s going to be extra work for you to convince them that your business is actually worth it.
Know how big you want your startup to be It will surely help your mind in generating ideas if you know how big the startup company you’re making should be. If you plan to make a smallscale startup, it’s best to let go of ideas that are too grand or are too costly. Consider the amount of manpower your idea would need for it to work. If you’re planning on a large-scale startup, see if your idea’s risk factor is worth taking.
The idea should be relatable A good business idea should take their market into consideration. If your business idea is too
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Facial Recognition Will be Used in 2020 Tokyo Olympics to Identify Athletes It will be used at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will be making use of facial recognition technology for the smooth entry of athletes, officials and journalists into the game venues according to sources close to the organizing committee. The games’ organizers plan to strengthen the security as well as prevent those involved in the 2020 Games from lending or borrowing ID cards. Digital verification will make it difficult to use stolen or forged cards, and will reduce waiting times. This technology, however, will not be used on spectators. The spectators will be asked to show their tickets and submit to luggage checks just like in the
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previous Olympics, according to Japan Times. The organizing committee will be distributing the ID cards that have facial photos for those who are involved in the games. The total number including athletes and media representatives is expected to reach around 300,000 to 400,000. Once they enter the venues via the competition entrances or media facilities, their faces will automatically be scanned and checked against the registered photos for discrepancies. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be help from July 24 to Aug. 9, while the Paralympics will be from Aug.
25 to Sept. 6. Since these days are Japan’s hot and humid summers, the organizers are also studying on how to get people into the venues quickly. The facial recognition technology has been designed by NEC Corp.. They are known to have one of the world’s most accurate systems, and are capable of recognizing those who have undergone cosmetic surgery and also distinguishing between identical twins. The committee believes that the system will be able to identify each person immediately. It tested the technology when it was managing the flow of media personnel entering the Japan House information center during the 2016 Rio Games.
Why Engineers Should Work for Startups Before Starting One Planning to build your own startup? Make sure you’re ready!
many of them desire to create their own startups. Unlike in the past, we now have countless tools like the internet and social media at our disposal that can help us to create our own business easier than ever. But even if it is easier to build your own startup nowadays, it is also true that being your own boss isn’t for everyone. Being your own boss means that you’ll be responsible for everything. The burden of the entire world can feel like it’s completely on your shoulders, and it can be very stressful when things aren’t going quite according to your plan.
Millennials are known nowadays for being innovative and having a great desire for creating solutions to today’s world problems. This is why 44
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If you feel that you are fully equipped with the right skills and ready for these challenges, then go ahead and give it a go. If not, then it’s alright. You can learn so much from working for other startups that have a similar cause as you do. Give it your
all, and reach towards the startup’s goals. Maybe once you are equipped with all the needed skills, you can then build your startup. Here are some skills you will gain from working in a startup
Business Development This is the skill for networking and meeting people. These are one of the main skills for a startup to be successful. In a startup, you will be trained to meet new people, create partnerships that can make a massive impact on both your companies, and find out how working together can benefit both companies.
Marketing When working for a startup, you will learn how to market the startup’s products and services. It is a crucial skill since every startup needs to be seen, and every unique voice needs to be heard above everyone else in the same industry.
Engineering and development While we already have engineering and development skills, it’s also important to understand how the manufacturing process is done, from design to finished product. By doing so, you will have a better understanding on how the startup’s products are manufactured. You will also be able to find improvements in the process and find a better solution. There are many skills that you can learn while working in a startup. Find your niche and try it out. After a few years of experience, you can weigh if you’re ready to build your own startup. What’s important is that you were able to contribute to a cause that you are interested in, and were able to gain experience in that field. Combine that experience with leadership skills and you’ll soon be ready to build a successful startup!
Why Engineers Should Create A Blog For Their Startup Blogging enables you to deliver your content to your customers and it also makes your online marketing life a breeze. Startups nowadays rely heavily on online marketing when it comes to connecting with customers. This mostly comes in the form of Social Media Marketing, advertising, and many others. Those tools however require lots of research and planning in order to become effective; you may even have to hire someone to do it for you. There’s one other way to market your business on the internet though and it’s very simple to use unlike the prior methods: Blogging. 46
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Blogging enables you to deliver your content to your customers and it also makes your online marketing life a breeze. So why write a business blog? We’ve gathered together 10 reasons why you should choose blogging as your online marketing tool. Everyone’s on the Internet. Any business would probably want to be recognized by the masses, and the best way to reach the masses is through the internet. Almost everyone has online access
make you more visible, it also saves you some money which you can then use for something else.
and putting your content on the web is a surefire way to get a lot of viewers. Startups nowadays rely heavily on online marketing when it comes to connecting with customers. More viewers = More Customers. Getting your content out there is sure to get you noticed by more people who can potentially be your future customers. You can use it to show what your business is all about. This gives you the ability to tell them why you’re in the industry and what you can do for them.
It lets you know who your customers are. Blogging allows you to check the user trends with Analytic Tools. You can see what your customers read, what topics they like, and what they click on. This would enable you to gear up and find out what content is best for your online readers. It’s free advertising. If your blog contains useful information, there’s a high chance of people reblogging it or even sharing it to social media sites like Facebook. Not only does it
Anyone can use it. Whether you’re a fresh face in the industry or whether you’re already a business veteran, blogging is for you. You don’t even need graphics design knowledge to create a blog. Blogging platforms like WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr offers a user-friendly interface which doesn’t require you to be tech savvy. It lets your customers know what’s going on. Real time updates or news regarding your brand is sure to leave a good impression to your customers. It makes you think about your business, your customers, and everything else around you. A good content gives good rewards and good rewards makes you and your business reach better heights.
It sets your brand’s ‘character’. An effective blog will show your customers who your brand is and it defines whether you’re a brand to look out for. It builds relationships with your customers and gives them confidence with your brand. Getting information through properly formulated content gives customers reason to trust your brand and your products.
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Tips For Engineers With Side Hustles While Working Full Time Learn to balance working full time alongside your side businesses. Why Did You Choose This? Find your reason for choosing this passion. Your answer may be, “well, because it’s my passion”. Yes, that’s true. However, the “why” needs to be clearer as you continue on with your new business.
Millennials nowadays love side hustles even when they are working full time. For them, it’s not all about the money. It’s the happiness they get when they are able to do their passion, and money is just the small part of that happiness. While having side jobs alongside working full time has been an ongoing trend, it’s important to note that this isn’t something anyone can do off the bat. It can be tiring, and could ruin your full time job if you haven’t planned well enough. So here are some tips on how you can balance working full time alongside your side hustles.
Start With Your Passion Knowing what you are passionate about can help you find the right niche for your side hustle. Remember,
you’re going to be spending your 8 working hours at your full time job already, so find a side hustle that you are willing to spend your after hours to wholeheartedly. This gives you the chance to open your heart to what you’ve always wanted to be other than being an engineer. You could venture into writing a blog, creating videos, recording music on YouTube, painting, or even cooking! By identifying your passion, you will be able to find that extra strength you need to pursue your side business. It will be your motivation to keep your endurance during the first few difficult months of starting your business. So, What is your passion?
For example, you may want to start a blog because you want to feel more fulfilled, and you wanted an outlet for your daily frustrations and opinions on different events. It could also be because you want to pursue your lifelong dream without having to sacrifice your work.
Plan Your Schedule Carefully Remember that time is of the essence. Don’t make time your enemy, make it your friend. Define your priorities and schedule your time efficiently. Make sure your hustle hours are outside of your regular work hours, so you won’t be distracted from completing your tasks for your full time job. Make a schedule and stick to it. These are just tips on how you can follow to balance your side businesses with your full time job. I hope these help.
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Things Engineers Should Know Before Applying for a Patent With so many innovations coming out these days, it can be very difficult to get your patent approved. More and more engineers nowadays are looking for ways to make the world a better place, and they do so by developing groundbreaking innovations that seem fit with their vision. Once the technology has been built, the next step would be always to get a patent. Patents are important because they can protect you from competitors who plan to use your ideas for their own benefit. Patents are also a business asset as it increases your value. This can help you build licensing partnerships in the future. However, with so many innovations coming out these days, it can be very difficult to get your patent approved, so here are some things you should know before you apply for a patent.
Find good attorneys This is a very important tip especially if it’s your first time applying for a patent. When applying for a one, hire an attorney who is knowledgeable with the subject area. Also look for one who understands your vision and has the same view towards your innovation.
Expect things to go wrong Yes, things may go wrong in the process, but don’t give up. 50
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While you can have the best attorneys in the country, it can still be a challenging and difficult process. Applications can get rejected again and again on different conditions, and the long process can get very frustrating. But if you really believe in your innovation, then don’t give up. Work together with your attorney, solve the necessary issues– and maybe do some needed revisions–then try to appeal once again.
Over budget for the process When budgeting for the fees for your patenting, it’s always a better option to over budget for the process. As said in the previous topic, the long process can take numerous revisions. This means an increase in your attorney’s hours, thus increasing your legal fees.
Laws could change Patent laws change over time– and unexpectedly, this is why it’s important to have an attorney with updated knowledge on patent laws. And while your attorney knows how the new processing goes, it won’t hurt to do some research as well.
Understand what you’re getting into During the whole patenting process, it’s important that you understand everything that is going on. While your attorney will be doing most of the legal work, it’s also good to learn the whole process. Also, have a good understanding on why you are applying for a patent in the first place. The process can be long and frustrating, but it will be extremely gratifying once it gets approved.
Good luck !