Disruptive technology spurs Sustainable Energy

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Disruptive technology spurs Sustainable Energy

5 minute read
Moving forward blog 3

Sustainable Energy continues to gain momentum. But is it poised to overtake carbon energy in the years ahead? The answer may lie in the adoption of disruptive technologies such as energy storage. 

In the third study from the new Moving Forward research series, Panasonic Corporation of North America assesses how senior technology decision makers view Sustainable Energy, the technologies driving it forward, and the impact it will have on industries such as energy & utilities and building & construction. Panasonic is deeply engaged in these technologies.

That’s important because when you’re creating entirely new experiences, chances are you’ll need to combine many of these technologies into an integrated solution. Findings from this research provide insight into the investments other organizations are making and the challenges they face.

STUDY: HOW LONG BEFORE BATTERY STORAGE
OF RENEWABLE ENERGY GOES MAINSTREAM?

Renewable energy infographic

One of the leading disruptive technologies

Across all industries, moving to renewable energy is a priority among those we surveyed. In fact, out of 10 leading disruptive technologies making an outsize impact on the world today, renewable energy is one of the most highly adopted – along with mobile devices, apps & commerce, the cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Almost half of the companies in our study have already invested in renewable energy technologies, and almost three in five intend to do so in the near future.

Producers bracing for greater demand

Energy and utility companies, which made up a subset of the companies surveyed, expect that meeting future renewable demand will be a challenge as growing demand outpaces supply. In fact, fewer than one in three believe they’ll definitely be able to increase renewable energy production to meet consumer needs.

The number one challenge that they see? Affordable materials. Affordability and other issues will hinder growth of green energy in the short term, according to respondents, who predict that it will account for less than half the total energy produced in the next five years.

Energy storage: a transformative technology

One technology that’s widely seen as an important contributor to Sustainable Energy adoption is energy storage. It’s playing a stronger role in Sustainable Energy growth than even government subsidies. Among senior technology decision makers responsible for Sustainable Energy solutions, nearly three in five see affordable energy storage as “transformative.”

Why? Today, solar and wind energy are time-sensitive assets. Most energy produced is either immediately consumed on-site or shared into the grid. By capturing excess energy at peak times, affordable storage can make energy available any time, regardless of when it was generated. Decision makers recognize the potential of this technology and see “cost savings” as the best reason to invest in it.

Net-zero and the building & construction industry

Some 40% of energy in the U.S. is consumed by residential and commercial buildings, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and the majority of that is from carbon sources. Going green is an increasing priority in building & construction.

Historically, boosting green energy in this area has involved both a carrot (lower electricity costs and tax incentives) – and a stick (government regulation such as net-zero energy codes). Net-zero requires that buildings produce as much (renewable) energy on-site as they consume. California, for instance, has mandated that all residential buildings be net-zero by 2020 – and all commercial buildings by 2030.

While seven in 10 decision makers are interested in technologies that address net-zero, fewer than one in five believe these technologies will be available in the next five years.

Lack of expertise is holding industries back

For building & construction and energy & utilities – two industries that contribute heavily to building out Sustainable Energy capacity – lack of skilled employees is the #1 challenge to adopting disruptive technologies. No surprise then that more than three in five energy decision makers cite the need for a partner to help integrate technologies as a factor that could drive multi-year growth.

CHALLENGES TO ADOPTING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND STORAGE

Sustainable energy infographic

Partnering to overcome obstacles

For our part, Panasonic stands ready with Sustainable Energy solutions to help companies move forward. For starters, we’re focused on solving the affordable energy storage challenge. With our billion-dollar investments in the Gigafactory, for example, we’re doubling worldwide production of lithium-ion batteries in a single facility. Scale as much as anything drives savings, and we intend to continue to invest to achieve scale.

As one of the few industry leaders with expertise across the spectrum of disruptive technologies, we’re here to work the full breadth of the sustainable energy market to partner with those that have new ideas or challenges to help them take full advantage of all the benefits.

What’s next in our Moving Forward series?

In the coming months, we’ll continue to share the results from some new research studies. In the meantime, see our overview for an interactive data visualization of technology adoption by industry, and find out which tech is fueling the Integrated Supply Chain revolution.

For more on energy, explore our capabilities and perspectives on Sustainable Energy solutions.

About the research

This research was commissioned by Panasonic Corporation of North America and fielded in the U.S. and Canada. The survey included 200 CTOs and other senior technology decision makers in organizations with at least 200 employees.

Authors
Dan Silver - Vice President, Panasonic Eco Solutions North America

Reinventing the customer experience, from store to stadium

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Reinventing the customer experience, from store to stadium

5 minutes

 

Download the study now

 

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Increasingly, consumers are defaulting to online experiences for shopping, sports and entertainment events, even learning. Organizations that have invested in physical venues to attract shoppers, fans, entertainment seekers and students are now convinced they need to step up their game to compete. Today, these Immersive Experience organizations are enhancing physical spaces with digital information, adopting a wide range of disruptive technologies in the process. And that adoption will only accelerate.

In this fifth article in the Moving Forward research series, Panasonic Corporation of North America assesses how senior technology decision makers view the technologies driving us forward and their impact on customer experience in industries like Retail, Education, and Sports, Media and Entertainment.

By 2025, 10 disruptive technologies are expected to generate trillions of dollars of economic impact. Our new study reveals that Immersive Experience industries have already adopted just under five of these technologies on average. And four technologies appear to be at the top of their innovation agendas – artificial intelligence, robotics, 3-D printing and energy storage. Panasonic is deeply engaged in each of them.

How organizations see digital tech enhancing physical spaces

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Artificial Intelligence: a critical technology

Along with the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as the technology most critical to the future success of experience-oriented organizations. Four in five have either adopted or plan to adopt AI in the near future. Why? It will enable them to enhance the customer experience through:

  • Better customer insights and new products based on those insights
  • Better ability to predict customer behavior and the operational advantages this foresight enables
  • The opportunity to design for customers in a more seamless, personalized way

Personalization vs. privacy

While organizations (especially retailers) see the importance of personalizing content – in part through insights from AI – they also see the need to strike a balance between personalization and privacy. When asked to choose between protecting consumer privacy and using consumer data to develop better products, slightly over half prioritize privacy.

In fact, consumer privacy/security concerns are the biggest obstacle overall to adoption of disruptive technologies, ahead of stagnant budgets, lack of skilled employees and government regulation.

Three technologies poised for growth

In addition to AI, a trio of technologies – robotics, 3-D printing and energy storage – also have great potential in Immersive Experience industries. Each shows a gap of around 30 points between current and near-future adoption, indicating strong opportunities for technology solution providers in these areas.

Intent to adopt varies among industries. Retailers expressed strong interest in robotics and energy storage. Educators also have robotics on their tech adoption shopping list, along with 3-D printing.

9 in 10 customer experience-oriented
organizations expect to invest in advanced
display technologies within three years.

Combining physical and digital worlds a near-unanimous priority

If there’s one area where almost everyone sees potential, it’s enriching physical environments with digital information. An overwhelming 19 of 20 organizations focused on customer experience believe it’s important.

Retailers especially see this capability as a must-have, with seven in 10 considering it very important. They identified a number of game-changing benefits, including:

  • Visualizing merchandise as it would appear in real life through applications like digital mirrors and digital space design 
  • Viewing inventory or alternate product options (e.g., sizes, colors, materials)
  • Securely dropping off and picking up merchandise for servicing after hours
  • Purchasing merchandise at the point of display, eliminating the need for checkout

Digital’s impact on live events

Sports, media and entertainment organizations think integrating digital and physical worlds can get customers off the couch and into their venues. They envision an enhanced experience that may include:

  • Previewing and pre-purchasing merchandise, food and beverages, and premium services prior to arrival 
  • Providing turn-by-turn wayfinding directions in the venue
  • Allowing access to behind-the-scenes data and information that enriches their audience’s perspective, such as augmented reality projections of player stats

Panasonic recently brought a lot of this technology together in the Atlanta Braves’ new baseball stadium, SunTrust Park.

Advanced displays are key to immersive experiences

To bring immersive experiences to life, nine in 10 customer experience-oriented organizations expect to invest in advanced display technologies within three years. The most interesting of these, in their view, is a display that projects not only images but information. Panasonic’s LinkRay solution uses visible light to transmit content to mobile devices and has been embedded in mobile apps for venues like the iconic Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Other advanced displays of keen interest to customer experience experts are screen sharing between displays and mobile devices, virtual reality, projection of 3D images and augmented reality.

Embracing disruption is essential

Many customer experience-oriented organizations have already experienced the disruption of e-commerce retailers and media streaming services. Not surprisingly, six in seven agree that “embracing disruptive technologies is not a ‘nice to have.’ It’s the price of doing business – and staying in business.”

A large number of these organizations realize they need a strategic partner to get the most out of disruptive technologies. As partner to many of the world’s best entertainment experience organizations, including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and the Olympic Games, Panasonic can be a great resource for those looking to bring together our digital and physical worlds.

About the research

This research was commissioned by Panasonic Corporation of North America and fielded in the U.S. and Canada. The survey included 100 CTOs and other senior technology decision makers in organizations with at least 200 employees.

Authors
Ron Martin - Panasonic Hollywood Lab

 

Can you afford not to adopt these technologies?

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Can you afford not to adopt these technologies?

6 minute read
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Much has been written about the leading 10 disruptive technologies that are expected to generate trillions of dollars in economic value in the decade ahead. Panasonic is deeply engaged in most of these technologies. 

We believe that shaping them into integrated solutions is the key to creating entirely new experiences. But how do Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and other senior decision makers view these technologies? Which do they intend to adopt? And what are the barriers to adoption?

To find the answers, Panasonic Corporation of North America recently commissioned a research series, Moving Forward, on how disruptive technologies are impacting businesses, government agencies and entire industries. We’re pleased to be able to share some of our findings with you now.

Study: Adoption of 10 disruptive technologies by industry


Already adopted

 

Intend to adopt

 

Critical to future success

 
3-D printing

45%
Advanced
materials

44%
Artificial
intelligence

47%
Autonomous
vehicles

20%
Cloud

80%
Energy storage

43%
Internet
of Things

74%
Mobile devices,
apps and
commerce

80%
Robotics

52%
Renewable energy

58%
 
 

Disruptive technologies are drawing investment

Our study shows that many companies have made investments already. Breaking it down by technology, more than four in five have adopted mobile devices, apps and commerce and the cloud, and three in five have adopted the Internet of Things (IoT). Senior tech decision makers believe these three technologies are most critical to their future success. 

But interest is strong in all 10 disruptive technologies, with one-third of companies planning to use seven or more in the near future. Renewable energy, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), 3-D printing, advanced materials and energy storage are each expected to be a near-term investment for two in five companies. One in five plans to invest in autonomous vehicles.

Big gaps between current and future adoption suggest rapid growth for AI, IoT, 3-D printing and energy storage.

Failure to adopt disruptive technologies is risky

Senior decision makers clearly understand the risk in failing to adopt disruptive technologies. Across the board, they realize that their businesses could be hit hard if they do not embrace them.  

  • Nearly four in five believe industry competitors will pull ahead if they do not adopt or invest in these technologies.
  • Seven in 10 are concerned competitors outside their industry could disrupt them. 
  • And these decision makers see a wide range of consequences, from falling revenue to unsustainable pricing to an inability to meet consumer demand.

Our net, net: disruptive technologies are not a nice-to-have – they’ve become the price of doing business…and staying in business.
 

The biggest barriers to adoption

Topping the list of obstacles are complying with government regulations and consumer privacy/security. A lack of skilled employees and lack of expertise for effective implementation are also major concerns. In fact, half of the companies surveyed believe they might need a partner to guide them on how best to adopt and integrate these technologies into their business.  
    
That need for guidance rings true with our own experience here at Panasonic. With our wide range of expertise, Panasonic is uniquely skilled at bringing together these technologies. We’ve seen more and more companies reach out to our technology and industry leaders, seeking our expertise in how to integrate these technologies into the products and experiences they’re developing for the consumer of tomorrow.

What's next in our Moving Forward series?

In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be taking deeper dives into this research, with the goal of increasing understanding of how disruptive technologies are impacting Sustainable Energy and Integrated Supply Chain solutions. Stay tuned. 

About the research

This research was commissioned by Panasonic Corporation of North America and fielded from December 4, 2017–January 30, 2018 in the U.S. and Canada. The survey included 200 CTOs and other senior technology decision makers in organizations with at least 200 employees.

Authors
Lauren Sallata - Chief Marketing Officer, Panasonic Corporation of North America