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Connected Car technology set to transform automotive industry, NTT DATA study shows

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

NTT DATA (Thailand) Co, Ltd, a subsidiary of NTT DATA Corporation and a global digital business and IT service leader, unveiled a study that finds 47 per cent of motorists are ready to switch to a brand that offers new technologies and named the “Connected Car” technology as a key trend the auto industry.

The Connected Car market is projected to hit US$191.83 billion in 2028 in line with technological advancement, market competition and enhanced vehicle safety. The study also identified two challenges faced by the automotive industry and offered suggestions for gaining a competitive advantage.

NTT DATA has partnered with the world’s leading carmakers to develop an application that connects vehicles through TCU technology, whose smart algorithms enable carmakers to gain insight from driving data to create added value and further innovations for businesses covering all aspects of a smart car.

Hironari Tomioka, President and Chief Executive Officer at NTT DATA (Thailand) Co., Ltd., stated that NTT DATA has published a report entitled “Automotive Aftersales” about aftersales in the global automotive industry, for digital customer engagement.

The report finds that 47% of consumers are likely to change a car brand when options with more advanced technologies become available. These include Connected Car technology, which enables cars to connect over networks to other communication devices.

Connected Car is an Internet of Things (IoT) technology that can transmit data and control the vehicle’s operations. 

Connected Car is a technology trend that will enhance market competitiveness in an increasingly connected world. The IoT technology has transformed how we live and work and created business opportunities in all industries, improving customer experience and adding value in business.

It has brought about changes in several industries including the automotive one, leading to cooperation and alliance-building among innovative solutions providers to keep the industry moving and meet current customer needs in the age of digital transformation.

A Fortune Business Insights report says that the global Connected Car market size was USD 55.56 billion in 2020; the market grew to USD 59.70 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 191.83 billion in 2028.

The projected growth is due to several factors, such as the demand for advanced technologies to gain a position of prominence and strength for a competitive advantage.

An increase in road accidents across the globe also prompts automobile manufacturers to set safety as a top priority. 

However, NTT DATA has identified challenges in overcoming a turning point faced by the automotive industry currently, to create opportunities for competition. These include: 

1. Make a car brand stand out: Not only being a manufacturer or distributor, but the brand has to take into account the delivery of experience to customers through services to maintain customer loyalty.

2. Integration of new technologies to help analyze data without consulting experts may lead to data privacy and security issues, which may affect the vehicle’s functions. 

The Connected Car technology can enhance safety and convenience for drivers as it enables monitoring, management and control of the vehicle via a smart phone.

For example, it allows drivers to use an application to lock/unlock the door, start the car, or turn on the air condition.

It also increases safety for drivers by showing car status, tracking car location on the application in an event of a stolen car, and sending out alerts when entering or exiting an area or when speeding is detected (geo fence & speed alert) and when a severe incident occurs such as an accident that activates the airbag, the system will notify the call center automatically to coordinate assistance from first responders. 

“NTT DATA sees challenges and opportunities that will enable business partners to overcome challenges and maintain their competitive edge in the industry.

This is why we joined forces with the automotive industry to develop an application, with a telematics control unit (TCU) installed in vehicles to connect users to their car via the application, allowing them to control the car remotely with TCU which comes with a smart algorithm.

This enables automakers to gain insights from driving data to build added value and create innovations for business.

Hironari Tomioka

NTT DATA offers a Connected Car technology that covers all the needs of automakers and drivers, from setting usage requirements, project planning, compliance evaluation, monitoring and control of IT infrastructure to deliver quality assurance.

In addition, NTT DATA continues to develop services to bring the automotive industry on the path of progress.

” NTT DATA also fully supports the development of electric vehicles (EV) by providing EV charging platforms to become prepared in terms of technology and services and be able to integrate with EVs or develop EV charging stations to accommodate future demand growth.” Hironari said.

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Seventh Belt and Road Summit attracted 19,000+ participants, bringing government and business leaders together to facilitate project matching

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

The seventh Belt and Road Summit, jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), saw more than 80 senior government officials and business leaders from the Belt and Road region gathered on August 31 and September 1, to share their insights under the theme “Heralding a New Chapter: Collaborate and Innovate”.

Continuing in the tradition of being a formal, substantial and high-quality event, the summit saw state leaders and senior officials, regional government leaders and business leaders gathered to explore the business potential of the Belt and Road Initiative, and to drive synergies and create a win-win situation through multilateral collaborations such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). For the first time, the summit was held in a hybrid format, overcoming geographical boundaries by allowing those who were unable to attend in person to participate virtually. More than 19,000 attendees representing over 80 countries and regions participated online or at the physical event.  

In the opening session, Dr Peter K N Lam, HKTDC Chairman, delivered welcoming remarks. John Lee, HKSAR Chief Executive, delivered the opening address. Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, delivered the keynote speech. Wang Wentao, Minister, Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China; Hao Peng, Chairman, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), the People’s Republic of China and Lin Nianxiu, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission, the People’s Republic of China, delivered special addresses while Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization, gave a keynote address.

Mr Lee said in his opening speech: “The global rise of protectionism has reminded us of how important regional co-operation is. We have to work together for the better future of the region. Hong Kong is therefore very pleased to see the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, come into force earlier this year. The landmark agreement underlines the open, inclusive, rules-based trade and investment partnership that RCEP’s member states are committed to realising. We believe that regional economic integration is an essential complement to multilateral trade. Hong Kong is seeking early accession to RCEP. It will enable us to deepen the collaboration and connections we enjoy with our close partners. The Belt and Road was created to build connectivity, to bring business, and people, together. No one does that better than Hong Kong, thanks to our ‘one country, two systems’ principle; thanks to our longstanding East-meets-West experience and the boundless opportunities afforded us in national development.”

Delivering the keynote speech, Mr Han said: “Hong Kong is an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative. We are pleased to see that since the initiative launched, Hong Kong has actively negotiated and signed cooperation agreements with co-construction countries, developing trade and investment cooperation, service standard connection, international financial cooperation and exchange between people. Hong Kong plays an important role in Belt and Road development, as well as expanding its own development space. Hong Kong deserves full recognition for its work in this area. The Central Authorities will adhere to the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ in the long run, fully supporting Hong Kong in maintaining its unique status and advantages. Authorities fully support Hong Kong’s active participation in and contribution to the Belt and Road development.”

Addressing the opening session, Mr Zhang said: “The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, climate change and anti-globalization sentiment are the four major factors that I believe could affect the reshaping of the landscape of global trade policies. It is very challenging but can still be managed well if the whole world works together. To address these challenges, I strongly encourage enhanced dialogue and cooperation between all governments to find collective solutions because none of these challenges can be addressed by one government alone. Global challenges require global solutions.”

Dr Lam said: “The HKTDC is honoured to have Vice Premier Han Zheng deliver an important keynote speech at today’s summit, giving a more specific illustration of Hong Kong’s role as an active participant, contributor and beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Following President Xi Jinping’s important speech on 1 July, the Vice Premier’s ‘Four Hopes’ for Hong Kong’s participation in the construction of the Belt and Road further highlighted the direction of the city’s development. The HKTDC has always been committed to promoting the Belt and Road Initiative and development opportunities. The team and I will continue our efforts to promote Hong Kong as an international business platform and services hub and contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative.”

More than 800 one-to-one matching sessions 

The business matching and project pitching sessions at the summit remained popular among project owners and attendees. More than 280 investment projects from the Belt and Road region and beyond were presented at the summit, covering four main areas, namely: (1) energy, natural resources and public utilities; (2) innovation and technology; (3) urban development; and (4) transportation and logistics infrastructure. The projects focused on areas such as smart city development, data centres and e-commerce related investments. More than 800 one-to-one business matching meetings were arranged for project owners, investors and professional service providers to pave the way for collaboration agreements. 
 

Real opportunities in RCEP but some challenges

Multilateral collaboration creates more frequent cross-border trade and investment, and is becoming more important than ever in driving a strong recovery in the Asia-Pacific region following the pandemic. The RCEP, which came into effect this year, stands as the largest free trade agreement in history, accounting for 30% of the world’s population and GDP. Combined with the joint effort of more than 180 countries connected through the Belt and Road Initiative, it will further strengthen regional economic integration around the world. In the Business Plenary titled “Collaborate for a Bright New Era”, business leaders from economies along the Belt and Road and the RCEP shared their insights and explored how these initiatives and agreements can complement each other to drive strong economic growth and promote cross-border collaboration between businesses of all sizes.

The 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, shared his views on the RCEP. “One of the things that are challenged is the supply chains. China is a really a huge market, and we source a lot of goods from China. We can see the impact the breaking down of those supply chains has had on global inflation.”

Aswin Techajareonvikul, Chief Executive Officer and President of Berli Jucker Public Company Limited, shared that the Thailand enterprises have well received the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “It is in tune with our 20-year strategy and Thailand’s ongoing projects for economic development under the Thailand 4.0 economic model. We are able to expand trade and investment to our neighbouring countries. We can also better link with the world market, especially for the CLMV countries [Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam].”

Liu Liange, Chairman of the Bank of China, said: “Most of the members in the RCEP are located in important junctions along the Belt and Road. This not only fosters connectivity between value chains and supply chains, but also further expands the ‘social circle’ of the Belt and Road Initiative, engaging more countries and businesses in the construction of the Belt and Road and in broader collaboration, as well as forming the dual-engine of the Belt and Road Initiative and RCEP within the region”

The seventh Belt and Road Summit was made possible by its Strategic Partner, China International Capital Corporation (CICC); Regional Banking Partner, Bank of China (Hong Kong); and Platinum Sponsors, China Mobile International and China Unicom.

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3D Innovareef: Sculpture to restore Thai marine ecosystem

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

The Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Center of Excellence (VMARCE), Chulalongkorn University has created Innovareef — lifelike cement-based structures, convenient for planula settlement and growth, accelerating recovery of the coral reef ecosystem, promoting eco-tourism as well as functioning as smart stations for marine environmental monitoring.

Beautiful coral reefs in Thai seas have been gradually deteriorating due to global warming that causes coral bleaching, in addition to certain human activities without proper control and environmental consciousness. Currently, only one-third of the beautiful and perfect coral reefs remain! If we don’t solve this problem now, there will be no marine food sources, dive sites for nature study, and tourism income sources for the next generations.  

The past solutions of artificial reefs made from used car tires, tanks, PVC pipes, and cement cubes have created visual pollution as they do not blend in with the underwater nature. Besides, these artificial reefs are occasionally drifted out by tidal forces, submerged by the sand, or decomposed into microplastic garbage.

“In nature conservation, methods are as important as results,” notes Associate Professor Dr Nantarika Chansue, Director of VMARCE and Head of Ornamental Aquatic Animal and Aquatic Animals for Conservation Research Unit (OAAC), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, on the concepts of Innovareef for the conservation of coral reefs and marine beauty.

Associate Professor Dr Nantarika Chansue

“We’re trying to create lifelike artificial reefs with lifelike branches to promote settlement of planula and pores for tidal forces resistance and habitats for marine species. Our Innovareef will help accelerate the recovery of coral reefs to match their destruction rate.”

How does Innovareef work in place of natural coral reefs?

Naturally, coral reefs function as barriers against strong tides on stormy days, habitats for various marine species, and sources of food for humans. Proper maintenance of their condition and diversity means the assurance of the food sources for our stomach and mind.

Corals are marine invertebrates with soft bodies and calcium carbonate forming their hard skeletons. The baby coral is called “planula” which drifts along water currents and settles on a hard surface like rocks or reefs to continue its growth. Other types of corals that reproduce asexually grow shoots and branch out depending on their species.  

Hence, the research team has modeled the Innovareef based on the nature of corals. Dr Nantarika explains how the Innovareef differs from other artificial reefs as follows:

1. Coral nutrient coating – Innovareed is coated with calcium and phosphate nutrients that corals need to thrive. Collected data indicates that the planula settled on the Innovareef grow faster than those on natural reefs by approximately three to four centimeters a year. (Naturally, corals grow extremely slowly. For example, hard corals grow about one centimeter a year. In other word, we have to wait for one century to see a one-meter-diameter hard coral!)

2. Biomimicry – Flat surfaces of Innovareef accommodate the settlement of planula; its holes and cavities serve as habitats and hiding places for fish, benthic animals, and marine invertebrates.

3. Resistance to tidal forces – With hydrodynamics technology, Innovareef’s design enhances its resistance to tidal forces. This is different from other artificial reefs that are made of more delicate materials, often submerged by the sand and drifting out by tidal forces, becoming marine pollution.

 
Smart Station: Global warming monitoring coral reefs

The research team has installed marine environment monitoring equipment on the Innovareef so that it becomes “a smart station” that can, for example, measure the water temperature, tidal forces, and potential of Hydrogen (pH). 

“These measurements benefit not only the marine species in the Innovareef but also the entire coral reef where the Innovareef is installed. As we all know that coral bleaching is caused by the rising temperature of seawater causing corals to die. With these smart stations, we now have sufficient data to save the entire coral reef”, says Dr Nantarika.
 

Background of Innovareef

Dr Nantarika explains that knowledge from different fields is essential in the creation of lifelike Innovareef. For example, in 3D Cement Printing, the pH of the selected type of cement is close to that of seawater. The design concept is that of Lego—easily assembled and disassembled blocks—to facilitate the transportation of Innovareef from the production site to the sea.

“The team has been through stages of design, molding, creating uneven surfaces, casting branches separately as well as performing tests on vortex, sinking of the base, and resistance to tidal waves both in our laboratory and at sea, before we have the Innovareef that’s resistant to tidal waves, sturdy, not submerged into the sand, with small vortex around it and branches to enhance natural settlements of planula.”

Initially, the VMARCE designed only one size of Innovareef—100 X 160 X 50 (width X length X height) centimeters. Subsequently, the “Love the Sea” project by Earth Agenda Foundation—in collaboration with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE); Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University; and Siam Cement Group (SCG)—used this prototype to further develop five more types of Innovareef, namely:
1.    Brain coral: 150 x 160 x 56 centimeters;
2.    Brain coral: 160 x 160 x 65 centimeters;
3.    Barrel sponge: 150 x 200 x 95 centimeters;
4.    Marine sponge 1: 50 x 50 x 65 centimeters; and
5.    Marine sponge 2: 85 x 85 x 65 centimeters.

Building Homes for Corals: Restoring Hope for the Sea

Since 2020, the research team has installed several Innovareefs along the coasts of Chonburi province, including Si Chang Island, Lan Island, and Sattahip.

“The area suitable for the installation of Innovareef is less than 10 meters deep with exposure to sunlight and, importantly, some remaining natural coral reefs. These will enhance the natural settlement and growth of planula.”

Transportation and installation of Innovareef are simple and convenient: each set of Innovareef comprises three units—the main component and two attachments.

“The Innovareef is not too large. It’s light-weighted and can be carried by anyone thus saving transportation costs. You can simply put it at any desired location in the sea and then dive down to put all the units together to complete the Innovareef.” 

“Not even five minutes afterward, fish and several marine creatures start to come in to survey and make it their new habitat, leading to biodiversity around the Innovareef.”

“More importantly, the post–installation data indicates that the settlement and growth rates of planula on the Innovareef are better than those on other artificial reefs,” says Dr Nantarika with a smile.

Consequently, the research team is confident that Innovareef will help accelerate the recovery of coral reefs and the return of marine health. A worthwhile investment, the total cost of materials, production, transportation, and complete installation of an Innovareef is only about THB 26,000!

With these benefits, it’s not a surprise that Innovareef won the National Innovation Awards (NIAWARDS) 2020 for Product and Service Design.