LSN : News : A geothermal spa arrives in an Icelandic forest

The world’s first fully fossil fuel-free vehicle

Cake and Vattenfall, Sweden

Sweden – While electric vehicles that produce few emissions while running are already relatively commonplace, the same cannot be said for the manufacturing processes used to produce them. Energy company Vattenfall and motorcycle brand Cake are looking to change that with the announcement of a joint innovation initiative to develop a new electric motorcycle that is fossil fuel-free, from factory floor to open road.

Visualising the climate impact of producing one Cake Kalk electric motorcycle from the current generation of vehicles, Cake suspended the bike in a glass cube 8.6m tall, representing the volume of carbon emissions taken to produce it – 637 cubic metres, equivalent to 1,186kg of carbon dioxide.

The companies are striving to reach the fossil fuel-free target by 2025, combining their specific expertise to remove carbon dioxide from not just how the bikes are powered, but their production, assembly and transport as well. As electric vehicles edge towards the mainstream, and consumers begin to re-evaluate their relationship with fossil fuels, look to our Mobility Series to track ongoing developments in the future of transport.

Strategic opportunity

Evaluate the climate impact of products across the entire production and supply chain, not just the emissions they produce when in use

A geothermal spa arrives in an Icelandic forest

Forest Lagoon designed by Basalt Architects, Iceland

Iceland – Five minutes from Akureyri, one of Iceland's more northerly outposts, a geothermal spa offers visitors an unrivalled forest bathing experience. The spa, appropriately named the Forest Lagoon, is situated in the Vaolaskógur forest and was built using the natural world as its guiding design principle.

The geothermal waters were discovered by chance during an excavation project in 2015. Since then, Basalt Architects have transformed the site into a discreet location for restoration and rejuvenation, adding two infinity pools with swim-up bars, a cold tub, a sauna and a bistro to the property.

The spa is embedded into the mountainside and surrounding woodland. ‘The building is very elongated to make less of an impact on the site, so you don’t have to carve the mountain away, but work with it,’ says Marcos Zotes, a partner at Basalt Architects.

Designed to exist in harmony with the surrounding natural environment, this spa is a prime example of a Biomimicry Hotel.

Strategic opportunity

How can office buildings and retail spaces take inspiration from Biomimicry Hotels and create commercial spaces that take cues from the natural world?

Vogue is staging a fashion show and street fair during NYFW

New York – Vogue will celebrate its 130th anniversary with a unique event combining a live fashion show and street fair during New York Fashion Week on 12 September. The runway show will present a highlights reel of autumn/winter 2022 looks from different designers including Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci, Burberry and Valentino, while the street fair element will feature newsstand-style booths offering a range of limited-edition items curated by the magazine.

As the world’s most influential fashion magazine, Vogue is looking to shore up its formidable legacy at the hybrid event while also looking to the future. Those unable to attend in person will be able to watch the event via a live-stream on Vogue’s website or on Twitter, while an AR component created in partnership with Snapchat will allow viewers around the world to try on outfits from the show. Tickets are available across several different tiered options. Members of Vogue’s online subscription gained early access, with general access opening closer to the event.

The event shows the magazine is acting as a Benefit Brand, fostering more reciprocal relationships within its community by rewarding loyalty and encouraging deeper engagement. Learn more in our Innovation Debrief 2022 webinar.

Vogue World, US

Strategic opportunity

Reward loyalty from within your brand community with early access to events and opportunities for co-creation through subscription services

Stat: Market manipulation is rampant in the Bitcoin community

Envisaging Fintech Futures by Playful for The Future Laboratory

A study by media company Forbes suggests that the volume of fake trade in cryptocurrency Bitcoin is remarkable. According to the report, 51% of daily Bitcoin trade is likely to be false, a practice that is known as ‘wash trading’ in the financial world.

By artificially increasing an asset's trading volume, traders can create the impression that the asset is more popular than it really is, creating deceitful conditions for future investors. Indeed, one of the most frequent complaints about Bitcoin is its widespread fake volume, which is enabled by poor surveillance across different exchange platforms. The report estimates that more than half of stated trading volume is probably false or non-economic.

Given that an estimated 46m Americans own Bitcoin, better industry regulations are urgently needed for safer investment practices. Even without fake trading, trading in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cryptocurrencies and alternative assets can already be very volatile.

Strategic opportunity

NFT onboarding platforms should focus on educating consumers about the technology behind the blockchain, instead of encouraging them to purchase assets without the correct information