Need to Know
27 : 09 : 18

Hamburg – Wärtsilä has announced An Oceanic Awakening, an initiative that wants to transform the world’s marine and energy industries into a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem.

The company, which provides power solutions for marine and energy markets, has turned its attention to shipping, and how ports in particular could improve current operations in order to boost profitability and sustainability. By 2020, it plans to convince 20 maritime cities to opt into a network that, through digitalisation, will drive greater cooperation and smarter, more sustainable shipping practices. To achieve its vision, Wärtsilä brought together global architects and designers for a two-day workshop in Hamburg where three visions of future port cities were imagined.

To support the project, the company has also released a video campaign that explores humankind's relationship with the sea and how cities and their marine systems must evolve.

For more on how cities and brands can work together to create positive future infrastructures, read our macrotrend Whole-system Thinking.

New York – The conceptual project is set in a future where fashion is defined by body modifications rather than clothing.

Launched with an exhibition in SoHo during New York Fashion Week, A.Human was created by storytelling brand Society of Spectacle. The showcase featured a collection of body modifications, such as biological high heels and bespoke hearts, among a ‘subversive playground filled with jaw-dropping sights, sounds and visuals’.

According Simon Huck, founder of Society of Spectacle, A.Human imagines a reality where society has destigmatised bodily enhancements that were previously considered taboo. ‘It was important to root this experience in optimism while provoking our guests to think about a potential future of fashion, and by doing so, inviting them to question their definitions of self-expression,’ he says.

As we inch closer towards the acceptance of transhumanism, such biological body enhancements could shape how we demonstrate self-expression in the far future.

New York – The beverage brand has opened a store that invites customers to help themselves to products and pay later.

The brand’s first permanent store is completely unstaffed. Instead, its ‘walk-in vending machine’ concept encourages customers to take their preferred health-oriented drink from its fridges, before texting the phone number printed on the back of bottles. One of Dirty Lemon's 24-hour customer service representatives will then respond to the customer within five minutes, charging the cost of the drink to the bank account linked to their phone number.

With the customer in control of the transaction, and no one monitoring the space, Dirty Lemon is relying on the honesty of its customers. In addition, the text message exchange adds an interactive element to the experience. ‘Our customer prefers conversational interaction — we’re committed to a transaction process that eliminates all unnecessary steps,’ says Dirty Lemon’s CEO Zak Normandin.

As a humble means of communication, SMS messaging continues to be used by brands to connect with customers in a more personal way.

There is a rising number of Indian women travelling alone, according to data from online travel company Cleartrip. The booking site found that these women, who are mainly from tier-1 cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, are also increasingly travelling to international destinations.

According to Indian newspaper Business Standard, travel operators in the country are highlighting Kashmir, Goa, Dubai, Bali, Vietnam and Cambodia as key destinations for solo women. Sri Lanka has also been noted as a particularly safe country for female travellers.

As India’s economy grows, increasing numbers of women and young people have spare income that allows them to travel internationally. For more on the travel behaviours emerging from developing markets, read our Emerging Youth Travel Market.