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blackswaneuroparedux · 1 year

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Anonymous asked: What do you think of David Beckham?

As a footballer or as a brand? I find David Beckham more interesting to observe as a brand than as a footballer simply because he paved the way as a modern pioneer of inventing one’s own personal brand. And in turn he influenced how we all, in varying degrees, curate our social media identities as a part of developing our own brand (whether we do so consciously or not, it’s the lens the world sees us through).

I thought your question worth answering as a result of having a fascinating series of conversations with an old school friend over drinks and dinners who works as a luxury branding whizz here in Dubai. She’s followed the Beckham brand ever since she did her MBA and specialised in marketing luxury brands - she also happens to be a mad Manchester United fan (and even consulted for the club on commercialising their global brand outside of Europe). She was giving me a master class in branding the wine my cousins and I have been producing on our old creaky vineyard back in France. I don’t always buy her arguments but I do listen to her as she’s incredibly smart and brilliant in her job - no wonder she is sought out by many luxury brands to help them capitalise on their marketing and image.

As a huge sports fan I do admire David Beckham’s sporting achievements and I have always thought he was was underrated as a football player. I’m saying this not as a Manchester United fan but as a footballing fan. The only team I religiously follow is a local team many, many divisions down, and well away from the big leagues and play on a boggy pitch and the spectator stands leak from the roof down when it rains. So I’m not being partisan, as I know how deeply tribal football fans can be, which is part of the beauty of the beautiful game. I only knew of David Beckham as a little girl watching others watch him and the famed Manchester United football team play on satellite television when I was living overseas across South Asia and the Far East.

People even to this day in the West don’t fully understand how popular not only football is but also how well supported Manchester United football club as a brand really is in those parts of the world, including Africa too. It’s a cliché to say talking about football is an ideal ice breaker between cultures and day to day interactions on the streets and markets. It’s hard for Americans to understand especially how football - the real football that we Brits invented - is the international lingua franca of cultures.

Even here in Dubai where I am enjoying going to the World Cup matches in nearby Qatar. The ‘water cooler’ talk around the office and out in the hotel bars and cafés has been about football, and nothing else. Because I work in the corporate world I’ve gone to my share of many World Cup champagne events and receptions sponsored by corporates and FIFA. Amidst the glitz and glamour, you realise football is seriously big business on a global scale.

Sorry, I digress. But I guess it’s related as Beckham has come under harsh criticism for his ongoing role as an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar. Beckham has been one of the most high-profile stars to support the tournament, appearing in several promotional videos, and has received a hefty sum of money for his work. It was reported in 2021 that former England legend Beckham signed a deal worth £15m-a-year for a 10 year deal, therefore making a £150 million in total. Beckham - as part of his brand - has long been considered an icon in the gay community. So his involvement in the tournament as the Qatari face of the World Cup has been met with upset and dismay by many in that community, which is their right of course.

As my luxury branding whizz friend put it, it’s hard to separate Beckham the footballer and Beckham the brand simply because from almost the beginning the two were entwined as Beckham’s football star shone.

It’s worth recapping that Beckham's distinguished playing career has been spent mainly with two of the most recognisable professional football teams in the world, Manchester United (his boyhood club) and later, Real Madrid. He built his reputation playing for Manchester United in the English Premier League when the English game, drunk on sponsorship money, began to grip the attention of the entire world. During his 10 years at the club, Manchester United dominated the English Premier League, which both then and now is widely recognised as one of the best and most competitive soccer leagues in the world - and of course the most watched.

During his tenure with Manchester United, Beckham won six English Premiership titles, and was a pivotal member of the Manchester United team that won a unique football treble in 1999, garnering the Premiership, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions league in the same season. Though a midfielder, Beckham scored 86 goals for Manchester United. Beckham's fame, though, was less from his goal-scoring prowess than his ability to deliver pinpoint crosses, strike 40-yard penetrating through balls with unerring accuracy, and bend his signature free kicks around and over defensive walls. ‘Bend it like Beckham’ became a catchphrase made famous of a cute romcom movie of the same name.

Beckham's international career has been luminous. In March 2008, Beckham represented the England national team for the 100th time, making him a member of a very exclusive club. Only four other Englishmen, Peter Shilton (125), Bobby Moore (108), Bobby Charlton (106), and Billy Wright (105) had reached this milestone before Beckham. Beckham's stellar international career has included representing England in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cup final tournaments, and he holds the distinction of being the first-ever English player to score in three successive World Cups. He served his country as its talismanic captain from 2000 through the 2006 World Cups. As captain, Beckham led his England team through example, including some at-times virtuoso performances such as his last-minute bending free kick goal against Greece that secured the England national team's qualification for the 2002 World Cup Finals.

Such performances for the national team endeared him to the English public and Beckham's right foot was even referred to as one of Britain's "national treasures" by Hugh Grant's character, in the 2003 film Love Actually. This and other game-changing performances propelled Beckham mania to unprecedented levels, even prompting The Sun tabloid newspaper to call for Beckham to be knighted. Popular support was there, and in 2003, Beckham was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's birthday honours list for services to football.

His importance to the national team was highlighted when a broken metatarsal bone in his foot, two months before the 2002 World Cup, bumped the death of the Queen Mother from the front pages of several popular newspapers. Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly implored the nation to be optimistic and the press, both English and foreign, urged their readers to pray for his swift recovery so that he could play for England in the tournament. Beckham recovered in time to be featured in the 2002 World Cup Finals, and scored the winning goal against England's arch-rival, Argentina, before the team was eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals. In the same year Beckham was selected as the 33rd greatest Briton of all time by the BBC, the highest position attained by any sports figure.

Although Beckham is perhaps the epitome of the successful postmodern global sport celebrity, his soccer career has had its downtimes, during which he has endured much hostility from England's football fans and severe criticism in the press. Such occurred in the 1998 World Cup finals, when, against arch-nemesis Argentina, with the game delicately poised, Beckham was given a red card and sent off from the field of play for retaliating against an Argentine player. This meant that England was reduced to playing with 10 men, and although the team held the 11 players representing Argentina to a draw by the end of the game, but they were eliminated by a penalty shoot-out.

This lapse of judgement did not go unpunished. England's national pride had been damaged and Beckham was widely vilified in the media for England's premature elimination from the 1998 Cup. Typifying the negative newspaper accounts of Beckham's sending-off, The Mirror's headline tabloid headline read "ten heroic lions, one stupid boy".

After enduring a season of terrace taunts from opposing team fans, Beckham gradually rebuilt his football reputation and popular appeal. Indeed the season after, he played a pivotal role in winning three trophies, the Premier League, the F.A. Cup, and the European Champions League, aptly dubbed the treble, with Manchester United in 1999 in Barcelona.

As his field performances improved, so his image reached iconic status. It peaked in April 1999 when Time Out magazine went as far as to portray Beckham as a pseudo-Christ-like figure and featured him on the front cover in white trousers and see-through shirt in a pose evocative of Christ and the crucifixion. The caption read: "Easter Exclusive: The Resurrection of David Beckham".

In 2003, Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid. They paid $41 million for his services as their president, Florentino Perez, sought to build a club of global football superstars known as ‘the Galacticos’ era. Beckham joined a team that included the best-known names in the sport, including Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Spain's Luis Figo, and Brazil's Ronaldo. This turned out to be an ill-fated strategy as despite their galaxy of football super-heroes, Real Madrid only won one trophy, Spain's La Liga title, during Beckham's time at the club.

Commentators at the time, though, noted the club's upturn in commercial appeal and speculated that the true impetus for the transfer was more Beckham's global celebrity and iconic appeal rather than his playing ability. There is some truth in this. Some commercial synergies were evident with both Beckham and Real Madrid having sponsorship deals with Adidas and Pepsi. Both gained from Beckham's Spanish presence. Real Madrid's commercial revenue from club merchandise sales, such as replica shirts, increased 67% in Beckham's first season alone.

The acquisition of Beckham also helped open up new markets in Asia and the United States with exhibition matches and tours. Such was his impact that it was claimed that the "Beckonomics" of the transfer helped to propel Real Madrid past Beckham's former club Manchester United as the world's richest club in 2006 (according to Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance, 2006 - the bible of football economics).

Beckham has always had his critics, many of whom note that his off-the-field persona masks deficiencies in his on-field performances. Such critics cite that Beckham is "less than the complete" football player, while claiming that he is too one-dimensional in his abilities to deliver the telling through ball, the in-swinging corner, or the pinpoint crosses and free kicks. They point to his lack of genuine pace, his underdeveloped left-footed play, his poor heading, and his dearth of one-on-one dribbling skills. These deficiencies, they note, despite his stellar offensive set-piece play, limit his overall team contribution at the highest levels of the game.

The career of David Beckham, celebrity soccer player, has had its highs and lows. But through it all, one thing has remained constant, David Beckham has rarely ventured out of the media or the public eye. For a decade, from his 1995 debut for Manchester United, his career went from strength to strength, his on-field brilliance matched only by his soaring marketing appeal in a sport that massively commercialised in the 1990s.

But as he hit his thirties, the Beckham star began to fade, and from 2006, his career has experienced turbulence. After resigning the England captaincy in the aftermath of England's disappointing exit at the quarterfinal stage of the 2006 World Cup, Beckham was subsequently dropped from the England national team squad in August 2006. In 2003 he moved from Manchester United to join famed Spanish soccer club, Real Madrid. By the end of 2006, he could not hold on to his first team place and it seemed that Beckham's fabled soccer career was declining. As he fell from footballing grace, Beckham's commercial celebrity appeal also eroded as he lost several lucrative endorsement contracts, most notably as the face man for Police sunglasses and the brand ambassador for Gillette.

However, just as everyone was writing him off, Beckham, not for the first time in his fabled career, reinvented himself. The football and entertainment world was stunned in January 2007, when he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, and the next phase of Brand Beckham was re-invented. It began in sensational style. In a sports world unfazed by gargantuan sports contracts, Beckham signed a contract that amazed even the most hardened of sports commentators. Worth an estimated $250 million over five years, Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy contract was signed only after the passing of a new MLS rule, the "designated player rule" (subsequently dubbed the ‘Beckham rule’), which permitted MLS teams to pay above the salary cap for two players.

The contract was stunning, but fully reflected Beckham's global football notoriety and his Hollywood good looks. Carefully crafted by Simon Fuller, the architect of American Idol and former manager of the Spice Girls, Beckham's MLS deal dwarfed that of marquee athletes in the traditionally mainstream American sports of American football, baseball, and basketball. Beckham's contract was thought to be justified by his popular and global appeal. It enabled him to benefit financially from all his image rights, related sponsorships and endorsements, as well as sharing in team replica shirt and club ticket sales. In effect Beckham's contract made him a partner with the Los Angeles Galaxy's owners, the Anschultz Entertainment group.

The Beckham signing was deemed a watershed moment for U.S. soccer but also for Brand Beckham. It opened doors in Hollywood for Beckham and his wife, Victoria. The combination of Beckham's persona, English, tall, lean, good looking, with glittering athletic skills, and a celebrity wife, Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, was tailor-made for Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the MLS. It provided Beckham with new opportunities to generate excitement in U.S. soccer, reignite his soccer career and also to ply his looks and commercial skills in the world's most lucrative marketplace - Hollywood.

There is no question that it has been Victoria Beckham who has been the power behind the Beckham throne. Victoria Beckham never claimed to be the best singer in the Spice Girls, or the best dancer either. Nor was David Beckham necessarily the greatest footballer ever to wear a Manchester United shirt. The team’s former manager Alex Ferguson once said he had only ever worked with four world-class players, and didn’t include Beckham on his list. Yet, by dint of hard work, strategic decision-making and a remarkable ability to stay likeable even while becoming preposterously rich, the Beckhams have achieved the goal Victoria identified back in 2001, when she wrote of wanting to be “as famous as Persil Automatic”.

They have evolved beyond mere celebrities into a fully fledged brand, a household name as familiar and comforting as your daily breakfast cereal or family car. What they seem to have understood is that fame comes and goes, but brands have the power to get inside your head.

They had met in 1997 at a charity football match, although each already had their eye on the other. (As David Beckham noted in his autobiography: “My wife picked me out of a soccer sticker book. And I chose her off the telly.”) Within two years they had got engaged, had their first son, Brooklyn, and married; it was shortly after the wedding that the red tops coined the phrase “Brand Beckham”, describing the way each boosted the other’s already significant pulling power.

When he and Victoria first got together, they were the first celebrity couple you could have on both back page and front page. There wasn’t a part of the paper they couldn’t feature in, a conversation that you couldn’t find a way of fitting them into. The timing was perfect - just as football was evolving from a sport into a 24/7 entertainment business. From the start, both partners embodied not just glamour but the highly appealing values of groundedness and hard graft. He was the son of a gas fitter, who worked his way up in football through the academy programme; she turned out to be just as driven, doggedly establishing an unexpectedly credible new career in fashion when the Spice Girls folded rather than remain a football ‘Wag’ (Wives and Girlfriend of a celebrity sportsman).

Victoria Beckham has been the queen of reinvention. She’s constantly doing new things: establishing herself as a designer, bringing out a children’s wear collection, adopting new tech.

But it’s the licensing and sponsorship deals using David’s name and image that have quietly proved the money spinner. In the last decade, the Beckhams officially became dollar billionaires, thanks in part to the lucrative corporate tie-ins covering everything from watches and whisky to pants and skincare that David has amassed since retiring from football in 2013. (Her fashion label, Victoria Beckham Ltd, launched in 2008 and has yet to turn a profit, although that’s not unusual in fashion.) They may not be in the Kardashians’ financial league, but the Beckhams are a really good, British branded business whose core value is intellectual property.

The approach the Beckhams took to brand building was uncommon for celebrities in that it was strategic, well-advised and purposefully planned. The alignment of their personal interests and passions with business and philanthropic pursuits, enabled the brand to be sustained over time. They’re not ‘going through the motions’. For example, Beckham’s role in football may have evolved from player to owner of Inter Miami football franchise, but it’s still sustained by his passion for football. The Beckhams were extremely forward thinking with their approach to building a ‘brand’ all those years ago.

Before the Kardashians came traipsing through the showbiz world, the Beckhams lead supreme. They worked hard, always had good people around them and their main objective was to protect the brand at all costs. It’s no surprise Brand Beckham is where it is right now as a global entity that shows no sign of slowing down.

Through his world-class soccer exploits and his multiple off-field personas, Beckham has not just become a brand, but a portfolio of brands. A brand is an intangible "mental box" or a creation or an association that exists in the mind of the consumer that adds value to products and services. In Beckham's case his global popularity and iconic image has resulted in him adding significant brand value and goodwill to the various companies he is a spokesman for and the multitude of different products and services that he endorses. Together with his wife, Victoria, they actually have their own dVb (David and Victoria Beckham), brand label.

He is, in effect, not one brand, but an entire portfolio of brands, each representing a part of the chameleon-brand that is David Beckham. His marketing image broadens to embrace other brand identities and personalities. He appeals to aspiring youth as a ‘working-class-boy-made-good.’ To families he is portrayed as a loving father and adoring husband. To popular music fans he is the proud husband of Posh Spice. Behaviourally, his non-conformist tendencies appeal to youth's individualism. In the world of high fashion, his clothes, and metro-sexual appeal attract the attention of "fashionistas" worldwide. Celebrity Beckham's appeal is in the eye of the beholder - a commercial chameleon or floating signifier, whose appeal depends on the role and audience he seeks to address.

Beckham's potent image as a wholesome, clean-living, devoted family man juxtaposed with his penchant for bending conventional rules maximises his appeal to multiple demographic segments. His masculine identity is firmly rooted in his athleticism. But a large part of Beckham's appeal can be traced to his non-conformity and contradictions or his androgynous blends of opposites.

Beckham's fashion sense resulted in extraordinary appeal among the Black community. He sported chunky jewellery. He used fashion to exude confidence and sex appeal. His hairstyles, clothes, and body ornamentation developed into an important part of the Brand Beckham iconic image.

Unlike most men, he changed hairstyles, and when he did it made news. When he met Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black president, he wore Caribbean braids. During the 2002 World Cup, he had a Mohican cut. His body is adorned with tattoos including a winged crossed tattoo on the back of his neck. Under normal (i.e., non-Beckham) circumstances, such adornments would contradict his working class roots, soccer prowess, and strong family image. But in the media he is anchored with a strong hetero-masculine image. This occurs in spite of his constant infringements of traditional working class football (soccer) culture that emphasises the strong masculine image and which normally vilifies any hint of effeminacy.

Such characteristics unveil Beckham as being the style icon, who embraces the values of metro-sexual man. This image presents Beckham as well groomed and manicured, someone who moisturises regularly, and who with his wife endorses a line of fragrance brands. The Beckham body, hard and toned, is aligned with his metro-sexual tendencies and that also makes him a popular figure in the gay community. Far from discouraging this androgynous image, Beckham chooses to reinforce this "bi-sexual persona" through his choice of fashions as well as appearances in gay magazines.

Beckham's family-man image is similarly so robust that not only did his reported affair in 2004, with personal assistant Rebecca Loos, fail to substantially undermine his wholesome family image; his commercial appeal not only did not falter, it was actually enhanced in some regards. It transpired that his alleged affair seemed to reinforce his heterosexual credibility and his appeal as the working class hegemonic man. It also provided a counter-narrative to the notion that Beckham represented a kind of new age man emasculated by his allegedly dominant ex-Spice Girl (‘girl-powered’) wife who reportedly chooses his clothes and fashion accessories.

Before the Kardashians came along and branded themselves in a very Americanised in your face kind of branding generated out of a sex tape and Hollywood notoriety, it was arguably the Beckhams’ who really updated and modernised the idea that a person could be a brand on the global stage. That idea has filtered down into mainstream culture and spread like a virus through social media. Instagram has turned millennials and Generation Zs into curators of their lives for public consumption, anxiously presenting an idealised version of themselves at all times, while professional ‘influencers’ now hire brand managers to protect the image on which their whole commercial edifice rests. At work, Generation Z are told to define their ‘personal brand’ if they want to get hired, promoted or simply noticed in a precarious and crowded freelance world.

For a human, famous or otherwise, to become a brand is more logical than it sounds. After all, the brand is just the part of a business that is associated with human qualities that trigger an emotional response in customers. Think of Marks & Spencer, and you probably think about reliability. Chanel means chic, Coke says feel good, Volvo spells sensible. As the explosion of choice on the high street has made customers more brand-aware, manufacturers have worked ever harder at imbuing brands with likeable characteristics to make them stand out. So it is a relatively short step from thinking that brands should have personalities to thinking that personalities could have brands, or a defined set of values to which employers and consumers will respond emotionally.

As my friend working as a senior corporate branding consultant in the luxury market put it to me over drinks: “People buy people. No matter how good you are at your job, if I haven’t bought into you as a person - if I don’t like you and trust you - it isn’t going to work.”

Yet even this level of self-promotion makes some people balk, just as some balk at paying over the odds for something just because it has a celebrity’s face on the packaging. For while many believed that the point of branding is to act as a guarantee of quality, something shoppers can trust, increasingly consumers are starting to question what they are getting in return for an expensive logo. Today it’s not uncommon to see in parts of social media, the phrase ‘personal brand’ become a kind of ironic millennial in-joke, a byword for pretentiousness.

But both millennials and increasingly Generation Z have a complex relationships with their curated lives. A lot about the way we now conduct ourselves, professionally and personally, would be considered achingly naff a decade ago; that everything is now ‘content’; or that you can choose ‘public figure’ as a title on Instagram. But, my savvy friend working in luxury branding would argue that branding does help make sense of the kind of portfolio careers pieced together from different gigs and side hustles. She would go on to argue that we are in a sense all freelancers and that we’re multi-hyphenates. That doesn’t mean dilly-dallying in lots of different pies for the sake of it. It means combining several different jobs to guarantee a fulfilled and financially successful working life.

There is an obvious downside to all this not withstanding that it has its practical uses as an umbrella for sheltering different work projects. To put it simply, branding can leave a person vulnerable. When the product is yourself, or an idealised version of it, it is very hard not to take criticism of that product personally. If you turn yourself into a brand then if you suffer, your brand does too - and vice versa. The expression ‘fake it until you make it’ comes to mind such is the pressure to keeping up appearances. The tendency of online social media when sniffing out inauthenticity is brutal and dehumanising. It’s definitely difficult to watch a character assassination of yourself take place online, by strangers who do not know you and take special glee in your humiliation.

And that is one downside of turning humans into products. We see ourselves as consumers first and it’s no wonder we just see others as products, disposable or impervious to hurt. When rumours swept the internet that the Beckhams were about to divorce, speculation immediately centred on what it meant not for them or their four children but for the brand, given that David’s marketability still rests on being seen as a devoted husband, father and general nice guy. Since the rumours turned out to be false, we will never know. Yet it was a timely reminder that, unlike Persil Automatic, people have feelings. Their lives can take unexpected turns, which most definitely aren’t on brand; they may get burnt out, or simply stop wanting to live in a goldfish bowl round the clock.

But the Beckhams show no sign of wanting to get out of the goldfish bowl glare. Indeed their own children have their own distinct brand within the Beckham brand. It’s an open question if the Beckham brand will run out of steam as the parents take a back seat and their children carry on the mantle as none of their children is terribly good or known for any one thing. In other words, famous for being famous. But as they have shown, that is not a handicap in these narcissistic days.

Much has been made of the fact that Beckham has damaged his brand by taking £150 million to be the face of the football World Cup in Qatar in the face of criticism of the lack of LGBT rights in that Muslim sovereign state. He’s faced online and public backlash amongst the Western LGTB community and it seems his days as a gay icon are over. But critics have missed the point.

Beckham the brand is bigger than his gay icon status. Beckham is already a dollar billionaire and so £150 million is (relatively) not a lot in the long scheme of things. Beckham’s branding team know the future of the brand lies in the East. Indeed unless you travel or lived in parts of the world other than a Europe in decline and an America at war with itself, you cannot fathom how big Beckham’s brand is. The ‘gay style’ brand is a smaller piece of the Beckham brand pie.

Beckham's global appeal is evidenced by the high percentage of people in Asia who recognise him. For many years, he appeared in 150 countries in Gillette shaver advertisements. The Japanese Meiji Seika chocolate and confectionary company made a three-meter high chocolate statue figure of Beckham as part of his endorsement of their confectionary before the 2002 World Cup finals. Beyond that, Monks at a Buddhist shrine in Thailand even moulded a gold-plated Beckham that people can worship.

Beckham is not an ordinary brand. Beckham is a moving advertisement. What is evident is that Brand Beckham has undergone a metamorphosis from the early days when his appeal was predicated on his football playing ability to a more complex multifaceted brand. David Beckham is not just a brand with a distinct personality; he is a portfolio of brands, each emanating from the different roles he plays in life - football player, father, husband to Posh, fashionista, sexual icon, and so on.

We all play multiple roles in life - a man may be a father, husband, employee, and soccer coach for example. Each is a role that often requires different personalities to implement successfully.

In Beckham's case, each of his roles, through media scrutiny and marketing magnification, has become a separate brand - each different, but all managed by Beckham’s backroom marketing gurus. Each brand is similar, but has its own personality. In Beckham's case, each persona is a distinct segment, and from a business perspective, each is a profit centre. This is why his branding people rightly calculated that taking the Qatari deal was more lucrative in the long run than just being a gay icon in the west.

To me David Beckham presents a unique case study of how a sportsman can transcend his sport by crossing over into the realms of entertainment and fashion. Although there are obvious lessons for other elite sports stars that desire to crossover into other arenas, it should be acknowledged that Beckham is thus far unique in the sports world in the way his brand personalities are leveraged in so many distinct ways than say Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, or even Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, or Lewis Hamilton. Manchester United fans used to chant from the terraces "there's only one David Beckham." Today, while still true, it has been the successful leveraging of Beckham’s multiple brand personalities that have made him into a true global sports brand. In essence, Beckham is perhaps the ultimate in how savvy marketing can make the brand.

We talk less of ‘Bend it like Beckham’ and more of ‘Brand it like Beckham’. In other words, style over substance - which could aptly describe our current age of personal narcissism and self-obsession.

Thanks for your question.

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critical-nana · 1 year

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Ecological Design

As a continuation of my first post about ecological design, I wanted to find some samples which in my opinion handles the concept of ecological design interestingly. But before that, short recap about what ecological design:

Ecological design can be defined as design that minimizes the environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with nature's own flows.

Modular Bee Habitat System

Starting with something crazy, this is a module system, that provides nesting support for native bee populations. It can be installed anywhere and is optimized for small spaces. Also, the nesting itself is made from recycled hardwood and bamboo while the module shell and the internal module is made out of recycled plastic [1].

critical-nana: I find the core idea of this pretty nice, as bees are an essential part of our eco system, you are giving back something to nature which is very eco design. However, I do not totally understand the use of plastic - the job could also be done by wood or other materials, so it would 100% bio-degradable. However, I mean it is recycled plastic, so it would make a good use of plastic which already exists.

Bamboo Iron

In this sample the designer took on a project to challenge themselves to work with bamboo as a material. Bamboo is a sturdy, easy-to-grow, and eco-friendly resource, and it has even been used as a building material for houses in some parts of Asia, so why not try to make household items too? [2]

“It’s sustainability can be exploited to make so many different things” - Saksham Mahajan, designer of bamboo iron

critical-nana: Also, nice concept. If you try to consider the disposal stage of house hold items, it is unnecessary hard to find a way to dispose them without harming the environment. Bamboo is also a very fast growing material, perfect for items which are widely used.

Wasteware

This designer is actually from Vienna! Together with an chief, she created the collection, a range of tableware made out of leftover food. The waste collected was dried out and afterwards blended into a paste which was held together using mycelium. Water or breadcrumbs were added to the mix if needed. The spark of this idea was the crazy amount of food waste in Europe and at the same time the huge amount of waste of single-dishes [3].

"So I thought about ‘connecting’ these two issues and trying to make new materials out of food waste" - Barbara Gollackner, designer of Wasteware

critical-nana: I am not so sure about the production, but I can imagine that probably a lot energy would be used for it. Also, would the tableware also affect the taste of the food itself?

STRAWS

And now something we have probably all seen already before, non-plastic straws. Metal straws are nice for at home but for take-out shops not an option, so paper straws it is. However, we all now how paper straws get soggy and after a while it just falls apart while you can enjoy a drink with a little bit of paper taste. A company designer an alternative straw made out of dried stems. It does not soak and is of course still bio-degradable.

critical-nana: This product itself is actually a first world problem, you can just drink straight out of cup. But straws exists and take-out drink shop exists, so this is a nice solution to the soggy paper struggle. Maybe the production is also not as elaborate as paper straws, where you have to get paper first while these stems are essentially "done" already.

[1] https://www.yankodesign.com/2021/01/01/this-modular-habitat-system-was-designed-to-save-the-bees-it-is-their-good-place-neighborhood/

[2] https://www.yankodesign.com/2020/02/02/a-bamboo-iron-to-smoothen-out-the-wrinkles-in-sustainable-living/

[3] https://www.yankodesign.com/2023/04/03/a-viennese-designer-shows-us-what-to-do-with-leftover-food-make-reusable-tableware/

[4] https://www.yankodesign.com/2020/03/20/sustainable-straws-that-dont-get-soggy-and-saves-turtles/

#ecologicaldesign #design #sustainable

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freifraufischer · 2 years

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An update on the state of Women’s Elite Gymnastics

I wrote this for someone on reddit who said they hadn’t paid attention since the last Olympics:

Russia has been banned and while there appeared to be some softening language about it the IOC recently has reaffirmed that they will not welcome Russia back into the sporting community until the invasion has ceased. Many of the Russian athletes, who are funded by the state and so may or may not have a choice, have attended propaganda rallies. Including some of the under age gymnasts. Angelina Melnikova has also posted pictures holding a purpose with a Z on it. She won the 2021 World Championship AA and will not be defending her title because of the ban.

The last WAG qualification slots for Worlds were settled this week. The top 3 teams at this years worlds will have qualification to Paris locked up, other spots will be decided at next years worlds and the 2024 world cup series.

Chuso retired for about 3 days and then won a bunch of world cup gold medals. She is qualified (for vault only) to Worlds. She has however decided to skip worlds this year to upgrade.

Kim Bui of Germany is retiring and her last competition will be Sunday at Euros event finals.

Mai Murakami of Japan retired after winning the 2021 World Floor championships.

Guan Chenchen of China the Olympic beam gold medalist has retired because she doesn't think she has any other goals in the sport

Sanne Wevers of Netherlands (the Rio beam gold medalist) and her sister appear to be holding their breath until the Dutch Federation gives them what they want but she has explicitly not retired. This one is complicated. The twins are coached by their father who was recently the subject of an abuse investigation which ended in a dismissal of the charges but because the investigating body made many procedural errors in the investigation. The Dutch federation declined to renew his employment contract.

Nina Derwael of Belgium, the Olympic Bars gold medalist is taking time off but intends to continue competing.

Melanie de Jesus dos Santos of France has been training with Simone Biles coaches in the US (but will still be competing for France).

The recently finished Commonwealth Games looked very strong for the English team but the AA was won by 24 year old Australian veteran Georgia Godwin. I hope that her win will give some new life to that program.

The Italians are in the process of storming through Euros, Asia D'Amato just won the Euros AA. Both the Italian and British teams look incredibly strong. On the junior side the baby Italians, Romanians and Germans won team medals and the Italians in particular look to have a sustainable next generation. Helen Kevric of Germany has been dominating both the European Youth Olympic Festival and Jr. Euros though. She'll be turning senior in 2024.

Brazil won the Pan American championships, the US team which I wouldn't dismiss entirely as a B team wasn't the strongest possible team and either rate Brazil was solid and the US had many beam disasters. Rebeca Andrade, the silver medal in the Olympic AA is being very careful about trying to not take excessive risks given that she's had a pretty bad injury history so she didn't do floor at the 2021 Worlds but still walked away with a fist full of medals. She's the favorite to win any AA she enters right now.

On the US side, Leanne Wong won the 2021 Worlds AA Silver medal and she is continuing elite as well as NCAA at Florida. She recently won the US classic and looks very solid with a beautiful vault upgrade that looks like it's aiming for a Cheng (there are things to talk about her block at classic but in an overview I'm not doing that). Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey have also continued to train elite but next week's US Champs will be the first time we see them. Sunisa Lee has also announced her intent to continue and attended at least one national team camp but isn't trying for Worlds this year. Trinity Thomas who has blossomed in NCAA has also made noises about returning to elite but that appears to be something she likely wont be doing until next year if at all. There is no evidence that Simone Biles is training or intends to train, she's made some vague statements about continuing around Tokyo but right now she appears to be living her best life and enjoying planning her wedding.

Lexi Zeiss, Shilese Jones and Konnor McClane are probably the other big names in the US program to watch.

Donatella Sacchi, the Italian head of the FIG women's technical committee (that writes the code of points and runs the judges), is on a crusade to return artistry to artistic gymnastics and is now requiring judges to fill out specific artistry deduction justifications to either make sure that the proper deductions are being taken or to invite those who don't to partake in some Amontillado in her basement.

#gymnastics

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myrefersofficial · 1 year

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KL Rahul Weds Athiya Shetty: Another Bolly-Cricket Love Story

People in India are obsessed with Bollywood and cricket, having a high degree of glitz and glamor. Fans will go to any lengths to take a picture with their favorite cricketer or Bollywood star, and they will do anything to have a sight of them or to take a picture with them.

Bollywood and cricket are linked because the celebrities who work in both fields enjoy a strong connection with one another. There have been many affairs between Bollywood stars and cricketers, and most of those couples have gone on to get married after a romantic relationship.

Some examples of these couples include Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, Geeta Basra and Harbhajan Singh, and many others. Most of these couples are enjoying a happy married life and the freshers to join the gang are the newly wed Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul.

Read our blog on "Stunning Wives of Cricketers From the Bollywood & Entertainment Industry" to learn about such sassy couples.

The Beginning Of Athiya And KL Rahul's Romance

Reportedly beginning their relationship in 2019, cricketer KL Rahul and actor Athiya Shetty were introduced to one another by a mutual acquaintance. In December 2019, the pair shared their first Instagram post, which quickly garnered much attention.

It was stated that the pair celebrated the arrival of the year 2020 in Thailand with some of their close friends. Fans kept wondering about the couple's relationship because they celebrated birthdays and vacations together.

After that, Athiya and Rahul shared images of themselves on their social media accounts, which led to speculation that the two were dating. Although the pair never acknowledged their relationship in public, they also never denied that it existed.

As fresh photographs of the couple circulated on social media, speculation about their relationship intensified. After that, Athiya started traveling with Rahul on the international tours of Team India. In 2021, Rahul and Athiya collaborated for an endorsement.

They were spotted advertising the luxury eyewear brand NUMI Paris. In December 2021, Rahul and Athiya made their first appearance in public during the film "Tadap" screening the following year. On the red carpet, they were seen walking hand in hand with one another.

When it was Athiya's 29th birthday, the couple made their relationship public when Rahul uploaded a post on social media that was specifically devoted to Athiya. Afterward, the couple can be seen posting their emotional images together on their respective social media accounts.

Shetty Anna's Reviews Regarding Daughter's Choice

Both Bollywood starlet Athiya Shetty, the daughter of actor Sunil Shetty, and cricketer K.L. Rahul have been dating for over three years. There have been multiple reports regarding the pair's wedding over the past few days, and it was reported that their wedding would take place soon.

Although the speculation about the wedding has been circulating on social media for the past few months, neither she nor Rahul has spoken. On the other hand, the actress's father, Sunil Shetty, has recently disclosed the actress's engagement to K.L. Rahul.

He went on to say that at the moment, Rahul is scheduled to play in several tournaments, including the World Cup, the Asia Cup, the South African Tour, and the Australian Tour, and that the couple plans to be married as soon as they have a break from their responsibilities.

When rumors began to spread about the marriage, Athiya responded to them via her Instagram story by writing, "I hope I'm invited to this wedding that's taking place in three months, lol." However, her father recently disclosed that he approves of their intentions to wed.

Celebration Of KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty's Wedding

On January 21, the festivities surrounding KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty's wedding got underway. The wedding festivities were held with a low profile to protect the privacy of the newlyweds. Though, immediate family members and close friends attended the functions.

Athiya and KL Rahul invited their guests for a sangeet the night before the wedding. During the celebrations, Suniel and his wife Mana, with Athiya's best friends Krishna Shroff and Akansha Ranjan, lit the dance floor on fire.

On the wedding day i.e. January 23, it was seen that the pair was color-coding their wedding attire. Anamika Khanna, a well-known Indian fashion designer, was responsible for the bridal attire of the couple. Athiya adored a chickankari lehenga in pink tones with embellishments.

She matched it with a full-sleeved blouse with a sweetheart neckline and an uneven hemline, and she topped it off with a semi-translucent dupatta. The actress finished off her ensemble with a maang tikka, a delicate kaleerey, and a hefty stone-studded choker with dangling earrings.

The newlyweds Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul appeared in front of the excited paparazzi waiting outside the venue. Following the conclusion of the ceremonies, the newlyweds made their way out of the restricted area to strike poses for the photographers.

KL Rahul was wearing an ivory sherwani to complement his new bride. The couple complimented each other exceptionally well and appeared to have a good time together. It has been reported that KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty will throw an extravagant after-party.

Rahul shared photos from the wedding and wrote, "'In your light, I learn how to love...' Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that’s given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness."

Kartik Aaryan, Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon, Parineeti Chopra, Ananya Panday, and Kareena Kapoor were among the numerous Bollywood superstars who were present to offer their wishes to the newlywed pair as they exchanged their vows.

Many famous people rushed to their social media platforms to send well wishes to a recently married pair. Anushka and Virat Kohli both congratulated the couple on their social media accounts. There are showers of blessings from both communities.

The newlywed couple will have a reception party in Mumbai for their pals in the industry and their buddies who play cricket for the Indian national team. The reception party will be attended by numerous relatives, close friends, and acquaintances.

Wrapping Up

MyRefers wishes the couple a very delightful married life and a serene bond of togetherness. Stay connected for more such trending news and articles entertaining you to the fullest and letting people get a sneak peek into the lives of your favorite celebrities.

#KL Rahul & Athiya Shetty #Athiya Shetty #kl rahul #cricket #bollywood #actress #cricketers #wedding

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alexstorm · 2 years

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I said before the not being able to travel for the past two years was hard for me (I know first world problems) because I love to do it. I had an Italy holiday booked for April 2020. I only cancelled it two weeks before because I naively thought maaaybe they get it under control. Hindsight and all. //

Football I feel you! But tbh I HATE that it’s in Qatar their issues with human rights and slave work conditions and more makes rage with anger. A lot of people from my homeland Nepal died building those stadiums and their rules in the country makes it hard for women and minorities like the lgbt+ community to watch football there. I don’t wanna watch the World Cup because it’s in Qatar and how awful they treated immigrant workers. FIFA etc are assholes for allowing them to host. Imo!

Same such a first world problem but I missed it too, ever since the we were allowed to travel I’ve been to Greece, Paris, London, Italy and Norway. I’m going to Asia next year. 😀 it was in 2021 summer we were allowed. 😀

Yeah, I knew obviously about that side as well which is another reason why I'm hesitant to watch. I most likely won't because it'll be weird. FIFA is corrupt to the bone. They'll never change. Brazil was already outrageous.

I'm also still hesitant to travel just because we can now. Plus I need to save money for a kitchen. lol

#asks #alpacaswithcowboyhats7

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crristinaa-level6 · 1 month

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MJ:

- Approximately 400 million tonnes of plastic products are manufactured globally annually.

- Roughly 50% of these plastics are utilized for producing single-use items like shopping bags, cups, and packaging material.

- An estimated 8 to 10 million tonnes of plastic find their way into the ocean each year.

- This amount of plastic, if spread as thin as a plastic bag, could cover an area of 11,000 square kilometres (4,250 square miles).

- To put it into perspective, this area is comparable to small countries like Qatar, Jamaica, or the Bahamas.

- If current trends persist, plastic waste could expand to an area surpassing 550,000 square kilometres (212,000 square miles) within 50 years.

- This area is comparable in size to countries like France, Thailand, and Ukraine.

- The United Nations has designated June 8 as World Ocean Day to raise awareness about the significance of the ocean and advocate for its sustainable use and protection.

- Plastics constitute 80% of all marine pollution, making them the most prevalent form of ocean litter.

- Improper waste disposal systems contribute significantly to plastic pollution in the ocean, often depositing rubbish in rivers and streams.

- Fishing nets and other marine equipment made of plastic are also discarded into the ocean by ships and fishing boats.

- Microplastics, tiny particles less than 5mm (one-fifth of an inch) in length, are another significant concern.

- They pose environmental risks as they can be ingested by marine life, harming both animals and humans.

- Currently, an estimated 50 trillion to 75 trillion pieces of microplastics exist in the ocean.

- Research on the health impacts of human consumption of microplastics is limited.

- Some studies suggest that microplastics can accumulate in organs like the liver, kidneys, and intestines.

- Concerns arise regarding potential health risks, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular damage.

- Science writer and author Erica Cirino highlighted the scale of microplastic consumption by ocean wildlife.

- Plastic particles contain toxic chemicals that can interfere with human and animal hormones.

- Accumulation of these toxins in the body may lead to adverse effects over time.

Countries are the sources of the most plastic ocean

- A 2021 study published by Science Advances reveals that 80% of ocean plastics originate from Asia.

- The Philippines is identified as the largest contributor, accounting for over a third (36.4 per cent) of plastic waste in the ocean.

- Following the Philippines, India contributes 12.9 per cent, Malaysia 7.5%, China 7.2%, and Indonesia 5.8%.

- These figures exclude waste exported overseas, which poses a higher risk of entering the ocean.

What makes plastic so dangerous for the environment

- Plastics are synthetic materials composed of polymers, long chains of molecules usually derived from petroleum or natural gas.

- The primary issue with plastics is their slow biodegradation, leading to their persistence in the environment for centuries, causing significant pollution.

- When plastics enter the ocean, they initially float on the surface for extended periods before sinking to the seafloor.

- Surface plastics constitute only 1% of the total plastic content in the ocean, while the remaining 99% consists of microplastic fragments dispersed far below the surface.

#major project #visual communication

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badmintonstorefan · 2 months

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In Focus: Badminton Doubles Superstar Soh Wooi Yik

Badminton is a fast and competitive sport! The doubles game is even more demanding because players must coordinate with their partners to win fast-paced rallies. In the ever-changing world of shuttles and speed, one name is rapidly gaining recognition for his exceptional talent and unwavering determination - Soh Wooi Yik.

The Malaysian men’s doubles champion has become a well-known legend on the global badminton stage! Let's delve into Soh Wooi Yik's recent successes and learn about his unique playing style, preferred badminton equipment, and impact on the youth.

Career Profile

1. Men’s Doubles World Rank: 5 2. Men’s Doubles World Tour Rank: 16 3. 2023 BWF World Championships Bronze Winner 4. 2022 Men’s Doubles World Champion in Tokyo 5. 2022 Men’s Doubles Commonwealth Games Winner 6. 2022 Gold at the Asia Team Championships - Men’s Team 7. Bronze Medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 8. 2019 SEA Games Gold Winner in Men’s Doubles Category

Personal Information

Birth Date: 17th February 1998 (26 Years as of 19th February 2024) Country: Malaysia Height: 1.82m (6 ft. 0 inches) Handedness: Right Former Coach: Cheah Soon Kit Coach: Tan Bin Shen and Rexy Mainaky Current Partner: Aaron Chia Racket: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Pro String: Yonex BG65 Titanium

Soh’s Most Recent Wins from 2024 and 2023

Did you know Soh Wooi Yik won the Asia’s Most Influential (Malaysia) award for 2021 and 2022, along with Aaron Chia and badminton legend Lee Zee Jia? Let’s take a look at his most recent wins to understand how he influences the South East Asian youth and also the rest of the world.

1. Yonex Sunrise India Open 2024 (New Delhi, India): Soh secured the third position in the India Open by beating the Chinese men’s doubles team.

2. Victor Denmark Open 2023 (Odense, Denmark): Along with his partner, Soh Wooi Yik won the Denmark Open on 22nd October 2023 in straight sets of 21-13 and 21-17.

3. Victor China Open 2023 (Changzhou, China): In the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000, Soh and his teammate secured the second position by losing the finals to Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.

4. Total Energies BWF World Championships 2023 (Copenhagen, Denmark): Soh Wooi Yik won the bronze in the tournament by reaching the semi-finals. They lost to the Korean team of Kor Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae.

5. Kapal API Group Indonesia Open 2023 (Jakarta, Indonesia): Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia won the silver medal in the Indonesia Open by reaching the final game against Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

6. KFF Singapore Open 2023 (Singapore, Singapore): In the HSBC WBF World Tour Super 750 Singapore Open, Soh secured the third position after losing the semi-final in a nail-biting match.

7. Yonex Sunrise India Open 2023 (New Delhi, India): At the HSBC WBF World Tour Super 750 tournament held in the Indian subcontinent, Soh won the silver medal.

More Details on the Legendary Malaysian Doubles Champ!

Did you know badminton runs in Soh Wooi Yik’s family lines? His father and maternal uncle are former badminton players. His dad won the bronze medal at the 1983 SEA Games in the doubles category. His uncle won the 1992 Thomas Cup.

Soh started playing badminton when he was just four years old. At the tender age of six, he became a professional player playing singles games. However, the Badminton Association of Malaysia quickly recognized his potential as a doubles player, and the rest is history.

Soh was the runner-up in the U-15 singles and doubles categories at the 2012 Badminton Asia Youth U-15 & U-17 Championships. In 2015, he partnered with Aaron Chia to play in the final of the Malaysia Junior International.

Soh also partnered with Ooi Zi Heng to win gold at the 2015 ASEAN School Games. His performance earned him a place in the national back-up squad.

In 2016, Soh and Ooi Zi Heng won the bronze medal at the Asian Junior Championships. In November of the same year, he secured the silver medal in the mixed category at the 2016 BWF World Junior Championships. Later, he suffered several injuries that put him out of the badminton court for many months.

In 2017, Soh partnered with Chen Tang Jie to win a silver at the Malaysia International and Waikato International. He later formed a team with his former teammate Aaron Chia to win a silver at India International. In the coming years, they continued to excel at international competitions such as Vietnam International, Malaysia International, BWF World Championships, and SaarLorLux Open.

Their team won the silver at the All-England Open in 2019 and a gold medal at the doubles event at the 2019 SEA Games. He also helped the Malaysian team to win the silver at the 2019 SEA Games and the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships.

Soh and Chia won a silver at the 2021 BWF World Tour final at the Thailand Open tournament. They secured a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He also won a bronze at the 2021 Sudirman Cup.

He helped the Malaysian men's team to win gold at the 2022 Badminton Asia Team Championships. As a part of the men’s doubles team, Soh and Chia won the silver medal at the 2022 Badminton Asia Championships final.

2022 was another phenomenal year for Soh Wooi Yik because he won a gold in the mixed team event at the Commonwealth Games. He also secured a bronze in the men’s doubles category. He was the winner of the 2022 BWF World Championships. His and Aaron Chia’s win brought home the first-ever gold medal for Malaysia in the tournament.

What is the Playing Style of Soh Wooi Yik?

Soh’s main strength is his speed and agility. As a front-court player, he does the job of setting up the rear court for Aaron Chia perfectly well. His communication in between shots is phenomenal, which makes them formidable. Competitors find him intimidating because of his speed and ability to pressure them into making mistakes. He has a nice touch and can quickly kill off weak net shots to win points.

Soh’s Trusted Badminton Equipment

Soh has been using the latest Nanoflare racket for ultimate speed. His trusted weapon of choice is the Yonex Nanoflare 800 Pro. It promises aggression to his drives and makes his shots faster and more menacing than before. So, instead of waiting for his opponent, Soh can create more smash opportunities and disrupt his competitor’s game with quick shots.

Note: Other variants of Soh’s favorite racket:

For advanced/professional play: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Tour and Yonex Nanoflare 800 (1st Gen)

For Intermediate-Level Play: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game

For beginners/recreational play: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Play

He prefers the Yonex BG65 Titanium for its durability and hard feel upon contact with the shuttlecock. An alternative for the BG65-Ti is the NS700 Pro badminton string.

Go for the Gold!

Soh Wooi Yik’s journey in the badminton arena is a testament to his resilience, hard work, and talent. His story is inspiring and manifests how rigorous training and a never-say-die attitude will take you far in the game. With speed and style, Soh captivates audiences and challenges opponents to win games. So, keep an eye on Soh Wooi Yik because this resilient Malaysian star is destined for even greater heights.

#Yonex Nanoflare 800 Pro #badminton racket #Yonex BG65 Titanium #Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game #NS700 Pro badminton string

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sangamswami · 2 months

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Driving Forces: An In-Depth Look at Market Trends in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Industry

Introduction: The global Air Traffic Control (ATC) market is on a trajectory of robust growth, projected to reach USD 13.5 billion by 2027 from USD 9.0 billion in 2022, showcasing a compelling CAGR of 8.4%. This comprehensive report explores the market landscape, unveiling key drivers, modernization initiatives, and emerging trends that shape the aviation industry.

Market Overview:

Bridging the Skies: The demand for advanced airspace control mechanisms is escalating, propelled by the surge in air passenger traffic and expansive airport development projects worldwide. This report unravels the forces steering market growth, providing insights into market statistics, size, and pivotal trends.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=159216929

Market Dynamics:

Global Airspace Control Measures:

Efficient Utilization: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has spearheaded efficient airspace and air traffic control measures to optimize safety and efficiency. Measures like airspace control order, airspace control plan, and airspace coordination area facilitate safe and efficient movement of people and air commerce, aligning with national security needs.

Challenges Amidst Rising Air Passenger Traffic:

Navigating Congestion: The impending surge in air passenger traffic over the next decade (2020 – 2030) is poised to heighten delays and congestion in the airspace. Challenges include increased delays, highlighted by statistics showing delayed flights in the UK and the US. Environmental and homeland security concerns add to the complexities faced by ATC systems.

Digital Innovation at NATO Air Base:

Digital Air Traffic Control Tower: The NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany stands as the home to the world's first digital air traffic control tower, equipped with Saab's cutting-edge r-TWR system. Certified by the German Military Aviation Authority, this digital tower solution marks a groundbreaking development in military aviation.

Modernization Initiatives:

Adacel Technologies Showcases Advancements:

Aurora and MaxSim Developments: Adacel Technologies, Ltd. showcased its latest advancements at the World ATM Congress 2021. Aurora, the leading air traffic control solution, manages procedural airspace, while MaxSim stands as a premier air traffic simulation and training system. The company's introduction of AeroScene, a state-of-the-art Image Generation solution, further exemplifies the industry's commitment to visual capabilities.

QCAA Chooses Frequentis for World Cup Air Traffic Demand:

Upgrade for Air Traffic Demand: The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) selected Frequentis to upgrade its existing voice communication system (VCS) and modernize air traffic control tower operations ahead of the World Cup in 2022. The upgraded ATM system with Electronic Flight Strips addresses the significant air traffic increase expected during the event.

Market Segmentation:

Automation Dominates Application Segment:

Automation for Enhanced Safety: The automation subsegment is estimated to dominate the market during the forecast period. Automation in air traffic management enhances aircraft safety, operational efficiency, and supports air traffic controllers in facilitating smooth operations. Advanced technologies such as big data, AI, and IoT contribute to real-time information availability, enabling remote operation of systems.

Greenfield Investments Propel Market:

Undeveloped Opportunities: Greenfield investments, involving planning and commissioning activities on undeveloped sites, are estimated to dominate the market during the forecast period. These projects, often in cities without air services, or near existing airports, drive the deployment of new ATC systems. Notable greenfield projects in India and other countries contribute to the rising demand for new installations.

Regional Outlook:

Asia-Pacific Emerges as Growth Leader:

Swift Passenger Growth: The Asia-Pacific region is poised to exhibit the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2027. Rapid passenger growth in the region is reflected in the need for new greenfield airports and the modernization of existing infrastructure. With an estimated USD 1.3 trillion of CAPEX required from 2021 to 2040, the region leads global airport capital expenditure, signaling significant opportunities for ATC solutions.

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=159216929

Key Players:

Industry Leaders: Major players such as Thales Group, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Indra Sistemas, and Saab AB dominate the ATC market. These industry leaders shape the market landscape with innovation and technological advancements.

Conclusion: As the Air Traffic Control (ATC) market embarks on a trajectory towards a USD 13.5 billion valuation by 2027, the industry stands at the crossroads of innovation, safety, and efficiency. Modernization initiatives, digital innovations, and regional growth dynamics underscore the resilience and potential of the ATC market. From challenges posed by rising air passenger traffic to groundbreaking digital tower solutions, the industry is navigating complexities with a commitment to safety and operational excellence. Automation emerges as a pivotal force, while greenfield investments and regional dominance signal the evolving landscape of airspace control. The report serves as a comprehensive guide for industry stakeholders, providing a holistic view of market dynamics, modernization trends, and regional nuances steering the future of Air Traffic Control.

#aircraft #aviation #air traffic control

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songbo-galaxy · 2 months

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The Global Gaming Industry is Actively Promoting Regional Expansion

March 5th, 2024

The gaming industry has embraced new development opportunities. According to a survey of internet audiences in 2023, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates all have video game user penetration rates above 90% among respondents. This indicates huge potential consumer markets in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The Brazilian games industry experienced a steady growth of 3.2% in the number of studios between 2021 and 2023, gradually increasing from 1,009 to 1,042. The increase of game development studios in these regions has given a constant boost to the gaming industry's growth. The African market lacks such a direct driving force. It needs to attract game developers and investors to explore the untapped African market. In a recent interview with the co-founders of Africa Games Week, they expressed their concerns about the potential stagnation of the South African game market in the future, which motivated them to organize this event. African Games Week is held to offer financing options, discussion, and hands-on experience for local game developers.

Saudi Arabia has been more proactive. Gaming plays a crucial role in the crown prince's transformation plan known as Vision 2030, which is designed to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil exports through billions of dollars in investments. This year, Riyadh will also host the annual Esports World Cup from 2024. The crown prince stated that this would provide an unparalleled esports experience and break boundaries within the industry.

As a leading gaming company, Tencent is now shifting its focus towards these regions. TiMi Studios, Tencent's gaming studio, announced that the multiplayer online battle arena game Honor of Kings will be launched in the MENA region, Eastern Europe, and South Asia on February 21. The game was first released outside of China in Brazil last year.

According to eMarketer's data, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa house approximately 21% of global game users, and this figure is expected to surge in the coming years.

eMarketer, Worldwide Digital Games Forecast 2023.

Companies and game developers alike possess the opportunity to engage a vast user base, leveraging regional factors to create innovative and uniquely positioned games that offer lucrative profits.

Word count: 363

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sqinsights · 2 months

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Diving into the Chlorine Dioxide Market: More than Just a Bleach Splash

So, you’ve heard about chlorine dioxide, the unsung hero of water treatment and bleaching. You might be thinking, “Oh great, another chemical compound to decode and navigate through.” Well, fear not, we’re here to unravel the mysteries of the Chlorine Dioxide Market without any robotic jargon or dazzling dance moves.

Let’s start with the basics:

Chlorine Dioxide Market — Not Just Bleach:

Contrary to popular belief, chlorine dioxide is not just the bleach your grandma uses for laundry. It’s a versatile compound valued at a staggering USD 960 million in 2021 and set to skyrocket to USD 1489.28 million by 2030. But hold on, this isn’t some sci-fi tale of robots taking over; it’s a story of water treatment, disinfection, and a bit of pandemic heroism.

Applications Galore:

Chlorine dioxide isn’t picky; it plays a vital role in water treatment, ensuring our drinking water is as clean as a cat’s conscience. Not just that, it’s the unsung hero in healthcare, paper mills, textiles, and even the food and beverage industry. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of chemical compounds, tackling odor, color, and unwanted microbes in various industries.

The Rise and Rise:

The market’s not just growing; it’s doing the cha-cha with a 6% CAGR. The demand for clean water and sustainable sanitation is pushing the chlorine dioxide market into the spotlight. Governments are waving the regulatory wand, ensuring industries adhere to water quality standards, and the market is responding with a standing ovation.

Regionally Speaking:

Asia Pacific takes the crown in this global spectacle, with its water treatment needs creating a significant demand for chlorine dioxide. Meanwhile, North America is doing a steady waltz, thanks to the compound’s growing popularity in hospitals, ensuring your medical experience is germ-free.

The Not-So-Heroic Challenges:

However, every hero has its kryptonite. For chlorine dioxide, it’s safety concerns and regulatory restrictions. The compound is a bit like a mischievous pet; handle it wrong, and it might bite. But fear not, scientists are on a mission to make chlorine dioxide safer than your morning cup of coffee.

For More Information: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/chlorine-dioxide-market

The Dynamic Duo — Chemical vs. Electrolytic Method:

Chlorine dioxide has its own version of Batman vs. Superman — the chemical method vs. electrolytic method showdown. The chemical method takes the lead, promising safer handling and efficient chlorine dioxide production. It’s like the reliable sidekick, always there when you need it.

Market’s MVPs:

Among the market players, Evoqua, Accepta, and Grundfos are making waves. Evoqua even opened a new manufacturing facility in Singapore, showing its commitment to the chlorine dioxide cause.

Conclusion — Dive In, The Water’s Fine:

In a world drowning in water treatment options, chlorine dioxide emerges as the superhero we didn’t know we needed. It fights waterborne villains, keeps our papers bright, and even disinfects our hospitals. So, next time you take a sip of water or enjoy a crisp white paper, tip your imaginary hat to chlorine dioxide — the unsung hero of chemicals.

About Us-

SkyQuest Technology Group is a Global Market Intelligence, Innovation Management & Commercialization organization that connects innovation to new markets, networks & collaborators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA (+1) 617–230–0741

Email- [email protected]

Website: https://www.skyquestt.com

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market-spy · 2 months

Text

Diving into the Chlorine Dioxide Market: More than Just a Bleach Splash

Let’s start with the basics:

Chlorine Dioxide Market — Not Just Bleach:

Applications Galore:

The Rise and Rise:

Regionally Speaking:

The Not-So-Heroic Challenges:

For More Information: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/chlorine-dioxide-market

The Dynamic Duo — Chemical vs. Electrolytic Method:

Market’s MVPs:

Among the market players, Evoqua, Accepta, and Grundfos are making waves. Evoqua even opened a new manufacturing facility in Singapore, showing its commitment to the chlorine dioxide cause.

Conclusion — Dive In, The Water’s Fine:

About Us-

SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

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sultanaislammow · 3 months

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There is no “shortcut” for new tea drinks to go overseas

For China's new tea brands represented HE Tuber by HeyTea, developed countries such as Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia are the second battlefield for "going overseas" after Southeast Asia: whether they are international students, new immigrants or local residents, they all have a strong interest in tea drinks. , the new tea drink market is growing rapidly.

Long before the Heytea London store was finalized, Mixue Bingcheng had already opened a store in Sydney, Australia. On February 12 this year, on the first day of trial operation of the Mixue Bingcheng Sydney CBD store, the store was full of people and the turnover exceeded 24,000 yuan. Due to strong demand and lack of manpower, stores occasionally encounter problems such as adding wrong toppings and juices.

For tea brands with high popularity and consumer recognition in China, entering the markets of developed countries where overseas students and new immigrants gather can be said to be "bringing their own traffic". They can quickly accumulate popularity with Chinese consumers and then launch it through Attract local consumers through localized products, social media operations and other methods.

However, at present, new tea drink brands in mainland China want to open up markets in developed countries such as Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. Their biggest competitors are the many milk tea and fruit tea brands from Taiwan, China - the road that new tea drink brands in mainland China are about to take in new markets, China Taiwan’s bubble milk tea brands have been through it before.

In the 1980s and 1990s, as Taiwan residents immigrated to Europe and the United States, they also brought the unique food drink pearl milk tea to these countries. Whether it is the older generation Chun Shui Tang or the new generation COCO, there are many brands, all of which have more stores and higher recognition overseas.

In the past few decades, Taiwanese milk tea has become more and more recognized in Europe and the United States. Many celebrities have shared their experiences of drinking milk tea on social media. For example, after Bill Gates was recommended a cup of bubble milk tea by Chinese actor Simu Liu at the "Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People" award dinner, he posted on Twitter: "I have added bubble milk tea to my favorite beverage list. middle".

Celebrity effect has made milk tea popular in Europe and the United States. Europeans and Americans who were accustomed to drinking coffee began to become curious about this oriental beverage and were gradually attracted to it. According to Google Trends statistics, in 2021, searches for milk tea-related terms in the United States increased by more than 760%.

In addition to Taiwanese milk tea, tea brands founded in Europe and the United States are also strong competitors to new tea drinks in mainland China.

Recently, Ume Tea, a Ume Tea store founded by Chinese engineer Li Jiachun and rooted in the Bay Area, received millions of dollars in seed round financing. This financing was solely invested by iFly.vc Capital and is mainly used for team improvement, supply chain improvement, product iteration, store expansion, etc.

Ume's products include fruit tea, Oreo milk tea, surprise cup series with toys, etc. Compared with mainland overseas brands, Ume understands the local market better, has established a relatively stable supply chain, and has a higher degree of localization: it does not deliberately choose areas where Chinese people live, and non-Asian customers account for about 40%. On Tik There are high traffic on platforms such as Tok and Instagram.

At present, Ume's nine stores are all directly operated stores, all of which have achieved profitability, and the payback period is no more than one year.

As for Heytea, although it is more popular among mainland students, considering the exchange rate difference and higher labor costs abroad, the price of Heytea overseas is bound to be slightly higher than in China.

In Singapore stores, the price of Heytea's signature products reaches 5.8 to 5.9 Singapore dollars, which is about 30 yuan, which is about 9 yuan higher than in China. It is not difficult to imagine that in the UK, where the exchange rate difference is more obvious, a cup of Heytea may be a luxury in a certain sense for international students.

The higher prices overseas make it difficult for international students to regard new tea drinks as daily consumption. Therefore, new tea drinks must be localized.

Compared with Heytea, which has just gone abroad, Taiwanese milk tea, which has been overseas for many years, and Ume, which was founded in the United States, are relatively mature in terms of localization. Taiwanese pearl milk tea has become the most popular type of milk tea among young people in Europe and America, and Ume has also attracted local consumers with its unique decoration style and operational activities.

Most European and American consumers prefer high-sweetness drinks, and the model of Heytea cheese milk cap + cold brew tea + fresh fruit is relatively light. It will take time to attract more European and American consumers through localization adjustments; in addition, Heytea is The application of social media operations, peripheral co-branding and other methods that are customary in China also requires more thinking, practice and running-in when applied to foreign markets.

In 2018, the British "Economist" magazine once wrote an article about new tea drinks, regarding Heytea as a strong competitor to Starbucks, and believed that the wave of bubble cheese tea set off by Heytea may bring about "the rebirth of the global tea industry." .

However, in the following years, Heytea expanded aggressively domestically but tended to be cautious and conservative in overseas markets. It is still the milk tea brands from Taiwan, China that shape European and American consumers’ perception of milk tea.

It is not too late for Heytea to go overseas, but it is obvious that it has missed the best opportunity.

For Heytea and many mainland tea brands, Europe and the United States are second overseas markets with huge growth potential. However, to truly turn the European and American markets into the second growth curve, we still need to face difficult challenges.

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