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at 11:59 AM on Tuesday, December 17th, 2019
SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V)
– The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented
systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare
professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage
patient information in a secure and reliable environment.
Mobile Health (MHealth) Technologies Market Projected to Gain Significant Value
The global mHealth market should reach $46.2 billion by 2021 from $13.2 billion in 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.6%, from 2016 to 2021.
Report Scope:
This new report on mobile health will provide a brief description of
the current status of the industry and recent developments. It presents
the changing environment, in terms of new challenges and opportunities
for app development, remote monitoring and networking medical data. The
report analyzes the market trends, leading service providers,
therapeutic markets and the most popular mHealth applications, in terms
of downloads and revenues.
Report Includes:
– A global overview of the mobile health technology market. –
Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2014 and 2015,
estimates for 2016, and projections of compound annual growth rates
(CAGRs) through 2021. – A presentation of the changing mobile health technology environment in terms of new challenges and rising opportunities. – Information regarding market trends, leading service providers, therapy markets, and the most popular mHealth applications.
– Insight into the second generation of mHealth devices, projected
regulatory patterns, and innovative devices and services to be launched
in the near future. – Company profiles of major players in the industries covered.
Report Summary
Mobile health (mHealth) is the use of mobile and wireless
technologies to support healthcare systems and achieve healthcare
objectives. Digital health solutions have the potential to improve the
quality of healthcare, to democratize medical knowledge and provide
healthcare to billions or people who have limited or no access to
services. The provision of healthcare remains high on the economic and
political agenda and continues to demand a huge share of gross domestic
product (GDP) in industrialized countries, where an aging population and
increase in the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
remains a challenge.
mHealth can provide better and more consistence solutions within the
global healthcare environment and will change the way services are
provided in the future. Smart devices and wearable are empowering
individuals to more effectively manage their care, raising awareness,
providing continuous monitoring and disseminating of information to the
patient and healthcare professionals; driving a more proactive,
patient-centric healthcare system.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:27 AM on Tuesday, December 17th, 2019
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provides strategic capital to the thriving cannabis cultivation
sector through ownership and development of commercial real estate
properties. The company also offers fully built out turnkey facilities
equipped with state-of-the-art growing infrastructure to cannabis
growers and processors. Click here for more info.
Here’s Why Dollar General Has High Hopes for CBD
By: Rich Duprey
Dollar General (NYSE: DG) is jumping on the CBD bandwagon, announcing it intends to start selling products infused with cannabidiol in 1,100 stores across seven states by spring 2020
Limiting its selection of goods to topical products such as creams, ointments, bath bombs, bath salts, and face masks. Edibles are not part of the plan.
Yet where grocery stores, shoe stores, pharmacies, and wellness stores
have all previously said they, too, were joining the conga line of
retailers selling CBD products, the dollar store chain’s entry has a
greater chance of boosting its bottom line.
Image source: Getty Images.
Business is growing like a weed
Unlike many other retailers and even rival Dollar Tree, Dollar General is on fire, giving a master class in discount retailing
in the third quarter. Sales rose 9% to $7 billion on a near-5% increase
in comparable-store sales, generating a 13% rise in earnings per share.
Management also raised top- and bottom line guidance for the year.
It was tough to pick out a category that was best, as it saw
across-the-board sales increases, but it was enough for the discount
chain to know it needed to pick up the pace of expansion. Where it
expects to open 975 new stores this year, it plans on opening another
1,000 in 2020. In all, Dollar General will be involved in 20% more real
estate projects next year than it was this year.
That’s important because as it continues to reach further into all
regions of the country, getting closer to its target customer, CBD
products afford it the opportunity to accelerate that growth.
The madness of cannabis
Marijuana,
cannabis, and cannabidiol all live in a legal purgatory. Although a
number of states have legalized marijuana for personal use, it
officially remains a controlled dangerous substance at the federal
level.
Cannabis, on the other hand, essentially comprises two categories,
marijuana and hemp, with the major difference being the presence of
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive compound that gets a user
high. While hemp does contain THC, it is at very low levels and not
enough to get someone high. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp and hemp-derived products from its list of controlled dangerous substances.
CBD is one of over 100 compounds found in cannabis, but unlike THC,
it doesn’t get you high. Also, where marijuana has very little CBD, hemp
has a lot. Many also believe CBD has a variety of therapeutic
properties, and though some studies have seemingly backed up the claim,
there haven’t been very many studies, and the long-term implications
from its use are still unknown.
A green business
The Food and Drug Administration is slow-walking the
formulation of a coherent policy on CBD, which has put many retailers
in limbo on just how best to proceed. What the FDA was clear about in
its recent policy update, however, was that it is illegal to add CBD to
food or supplements. That’s why you see retailers opting for topical
applications of the compound.
Cannabidiol has another benefit for the retail industry in that it
enjoys over dried cannabis, or so-called legal weed. Consumers have
demonstrated willingness to pay up for the compound, and there is a
plentiful supply of CBD, suggesting profits will remain stable.
That’s an attractive feature for low-margin businesses like grocery
stores. But Dollar General, which sells merchandise at many different
price points, tends to make up in volume what it loses out in product
markups. Driving down the cost of CBD-infused products could cause
consumers to flock to its stores.
And for a discount chain, Dollar General is a relatively
high-profit-margin business. Over the past five years, its operating
margins stand at almost 9% and net margins are 6%. But compare that with
other retailers that have announced they will be selling CBD products.
Retailer
5-Year Operating Margin
5-Year Net Margin
Dollar General
8.9%
6%
Dollar Tree
8.4%
2.5%
CVS Health
5.6%
2.6%
Rite Aid
1.6%
2.1%
Walgreens
4.6%
3.5%
Kroger
2.6%
1.9%
Data source: Morningstar.
A smoking hot opportunity
The retail market is expected to be the biggest contributor
to CBD’s growth, accounting for 60% of the forecast $20 billion in
annual sales. Dollar General has the potential to bring CBD products to
more people and attract a bigger share of the market because of its
value proposition.
While there may be questions about the viability and efficacy of the
CBD in the products it offers (a question that looms over all retailers
selling CBD products), CBD has a higher chance of moving the needle for
Dollar General than it does for anyone else.
Source: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/heres-why-dollar-general-has-high-hopes-for-cbd-2019-12-17
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:20 PM on Monday, December 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: NORTHBUD (NBUD:CSE)
Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and
procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and
Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.
Ontario sold the most cannabis in first year of legalization
Ontario accounted for $217 million in recreational cannabis sales — or 24 per cent of the overall Canadian market
From October 2018 to September 2019, followed by Alberta and Quebec, which sold $196 million and $195 million worth, respectively
Cannabis retailers in Ontario sold the most cannabis of any province
in the first year following legalization, even though there was only one
online store and 24 brick-and-mortar stores in operation for most of
that period, according to new Statistics Canada data.
Ontario accounted for $217 million in recreational cannabis sales —
or 24 per cent of the overall Canadian market — from October 2018 to
September 2019, followed by Alberta and Quebec, which sold $196 million
and $195 million worth, respectively.
The year following legalization saw more than 400 brick-and-mortar
stores established across the country. Total adult-use cannabis sales
from online retail stores amounted to $908 million for that period, far
short of many estimates prior to legalization.
For instance, a June 2018 report from CIBC estimated that legal
cannabis sales could reach $6.5 billion by 2020, with the potential to
yield $1 billion in EBITDA. A similar report by Deloitte had forecast
the legal cannabis market to generate $4.3 billion in sales in the year
following legalization.
The StatsCanada data also observed a sharp decline in the number of
consumers who purchased cannabis online, in tandem with the growth of
the number of retail stores across the country. The share of online
sales declined from 43.4 per cent in Oct. 2018 to just 5.9 per cent the
following September, while the number of brick-and-mortar stores rose 88
per cent between March and July 2019.
Online retail stores — most of which are operated by provincial
wholesalers — made approximately $120 million in the year following
legalization, while brick-and-mortar stores raked in the remaining $788
million in sales.
Indeed, government-run stores have been struggling. Ontario Cannabis
Retail Corp. which operates the Ontario Cannabis Store, lost $42 million
in its latest fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. In New Brunswick,
Cannabis NB, the crown corporation in charge of selling cannabis,
recently said it was looking for a buyer, as losses piled up.
On a per capita basis, British Columbia reported the lowest sales
values in the country at $10 per capita in the year following
legalization. Ontario did not fare much better on that measure, with a
per capita sales value of $15. Alberta, by contrast, had one of the
highest per capita sales values at $45.
Statistics Canada attributed these vast differences to varying access
to cannabis stores. In Ontario, for instance, just nine per cent of
residents lived within a three kilometre distance to a cannabis store,
whereas in Alberta — the province with the highest number of stores — 50
per cent of residents lived within three kilometres of a cannabis
store.
The Canadian cannabis industry has, for the most part, struggled to
meet expectations from both investors and consumers, with price, quality
and accessibility being the key reasons why the sector did not take off
at a rate many had hoped it would.
While the first few months of legalization were characterized by a
supply shortage, the production ramp-up in the latter half of 2019 has
now created the opposite problem: oversupply.
Cannabis producers are urging the Ontario government to open up the
licensing process for retail stores, which they hope will lead to a
sharp growth in the number of stores across Canada’s most populous
province.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:24 PM on Monday, December 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
The company owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum
group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral
Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an
additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces Inferred. Learn More.
Palladium prices rally to record high
“Palladium has been on a multi-year run that shows few signs of abating,†John Ciampaglia, chief executive officer of Sprott Asset Management
Palladium futures rallied Friday to their highest settlement on
record, extending last year’s advance and narrowing their price spread
with gold to the smallest in roughly 16 years.
“Palladium has been on a multi-year run that shows few signs of
abating,†John Ciampaglia, chief executive officer of Sprott Asset
Management, wrote in a recent report. “Palladium is close to becoming
the most ‘precious’ of precious metals.â€
Palladium, which is used in pollution-controlling catalytic
converters on gasoline-powered vehicles, has been significantly
narrowing its spread with gold prices.
‘Palladium is close to becoming the most “precious†of precious metals.’ John Ciampaglia, Sprott Asset Management
On Friday, March palladium added $34.10, or 2.8%, to settle at
$1,234.40 an ounce. The finish was the highest based on FactSet records
dating back to November 1984, topping the previous record settlement of
$1,201.30 from Dec. 19.
February gold fell $9, or 7%, to finish at $1,285.80 an ounce dulled
investment demand in the yellow metal. That helped narrow its spread
with palladium futures down to $51.40, the lowest since November 2002,
according to Dow Jones Market Data. The last time palladium settled
higher than gold was in October 2002.
Overall, growing global demand for the industrial metal has fed worries about tighter supplies.
“While the escalating U.S.-China trade war hurt many commodities in
2018, it couldn’t dent palladium’s rise,†said Ciampaglia. “Demand for
palladium was especially strong last year, as environmental concerns
have prompted a global shift from diesel to gasoline and hybrid
vehicles.â€
“Not even the 2018 slowdown in China’s auto market, the world’s largest, dampened demand,†he said.
Auto sales in China, the biggest global market, were on track for
their annual decline in three decades after plunging 16% in November.
News Friday on progress toward a U.S.-China trade deal was upbeat,
however. China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed that a delegation of U.S.
officials will travel to Beijing for a new round of trade talks on
Monday and Tuesday, .
“Supply shortages continue to support palladium’s performance, with
strong multi-year growth in palladium demand now straining a fixed
supply,†Ciampaglia said. “Palladium is especially scarce and its supply
is inelastic since it is usually a by-product of ores that are being
mined for other metals, like platinum and rhodium.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:29 PM on Monday, December 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V)
– The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented
systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare
professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage
patient information in a secure and reliable environment.
Digital Health Market Latest Innovations and Industry Analysis
Rapid Adoption of mHealth Technologies Drives the Market
“Rising number of government initiatives aimed at promoting digital health solutions will enable growth in the market,â€
The Global Digital Health Market is driven by several factors. “Rising number of government initiatives aimed at promoting digital health solutions will enable growth in the market,†said a lead analyst at Fortune Business insights. “In the coming years the digital health market is estimated to benefit from the uptake of IT in the medical industry,†he added. With the increasing use of smartphones across the world the demand for digital health services is growing owing to the rising adoption of mhealth apps.
Other factors such as the rising demand for in-house remote
monitoring devices and increasing geriatric population will catalyze
growth of the digital health and wellness services. Digital health over
the past few years has become a game changer in the digital health
industry. Digital health services help in monitoring diseases and
provide access to electronic information of patients through tablets or
mobiles. Doctors can check the complete digital health record of their
patients and accordingly offer the best consultation. All the factors
mentioned above are anticipated to boost the digital health market
during the forecast period.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:22 PM on Monday, December 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world.
The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
ExtraClass disrupting Indian EdTech space
Google-KPMG report states the biggest barrier in the adoption of online courses in India is the unavailability of quality content at affordable prices.
By: ANI
New Delhi [India], Dec 16 (ANI/Digpu): Aditi Mishra, a class 12
student is determined to get admission into the prestigious Delhi
University, which is known for its high admission cut-offs.
Aditi belongs to a small village of Ballia district in Eastern Uttar
Pradesh. One of the problems, which the students from small towns and
villages face is the lack of quality education.
One day, her friend recommended ExtraClass. She instantly fell in
love with the app and how its teachers make even the most difficult
concepts simple for students.
ExtraClass was founded by Delhi University alumni, Jaideep and
Parteek Solanki in late 2018 and eventually registered as a private
limited company by the same name “Extraclass EdTech Pvt Ltd.”, which
offers comprehensive educational content along with real-time doubt
solving on its app-based platform.
Parteek Solanki, CEO of Extraclass, is a cost accountant by profession and has previously worked with Indigo Airlines.
“High quality at affordable prices made Indigo one of the largest
airline carriers in India. I always thought why we couldn’t do the same
with online education, that’s where the inspiration came from!” said
Parteek Solanki.
A 2017 Google-KPMG report states the biggest barrier in the adoption
of online courses in India is the unavailability of quality content at
affordable prices.
“Using technology as an enabler we at ExtraClass are trying to remove
this barrier by providing courses at affordable prices,” said Jaideep,
COO, Extraclass.
In the pre-revenue stage, the biggest motivating factor for the
Extraclass team is when thousands of students from various parts of
India regularly send thank you notes, explaining how the app has brought
a positive change in their lives, by providing quality content at their
fingertips.
ExtraClass app provides high-quality video classes, notes, practice tests, as well as doubt sessions for the students.
The Content is prepared by a team of expert teachers who also
resolves students’ doubts. The App is currently available for class 10
to 12 CBSE board.
With a 4.8 rating, ExtraClass app has been consistently ranked as a
top app on iOS and was trending 2 on Google play-store in September2019.
Moreover, the startup boasts of having more than 200,000 students on their platform in less than a year.
“80 per cent of the students come from tier2, tier3 cities and small
towns. To tap the large vernacular language audience, we have to ensure
our content is available in multiple languages for various state boards”
said Parteek.
So far, ExtraClass has only created content in Hinglish
(EnglishHindi) for class 10 and 12 and is looking forward to adding new
classes and launch content in other regional languages as well.
Students in tier2, tier3 cities and small towns have access to
high-speed internet; however, they don’t have deep pockets to pay for
expensive online courses.
Extraclass comes as a saviour and provides free online classes to millions of school-going students in India.
Founders at ExtraClass EdTech are not worried about monetising for the moment.
“Monetisation can wait till we grab a major chunk of market share
from the established players. “Low infrastructure cost and a larger
student base will help us leverage on the economics of scale and the
ExtraClass courses will be priced very aggressively, based on a pull
model,” said Jaideep.
Extraclass is currently bootstrapped and yet shown strong traction
which is hard even for many VC funded startups in EdTech space.
As a result of which, renowned VC firms like Mayfield Funds is
showing interest in them. With several e-learning apps like Byju’s,
Toppr, Unacademy and Vedantu, it’s tough to survive in a competitive
world without any funding.
Looking at the overwhelming journey of the ExtraClass, external funds
can surely add speed to their goals and who knows we may be looking at
another unicorn in the making.
Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
Recently launched CBD extraction facility
First extraction system capacity = 6,000 Kg per year.
CBD based products are poised to be a $20B global industry by 2022
Medical cannabis is poised to be a $100B global industry by 2025
As Smoke Clears From 2019, The US Cannabis Market Focuses On 2020
The U.S. legal cannabis market is forecast to grow to $30 billion by 2025, as state markets quickly cannibalize demand from the illicit market, thereby achieving a key objective of legalization in undercutting the unregulated activities
Through the robust growth in currently legal markets, cannabis will likewise continue to be a significant generator of new jobs (from 258,437 in 2019, to a projected 743,196 in 2025 – an increase of 188%), and of tax revenues for the federal and state goverments ($1.41 billion in 2019, projecting to $4.06 billion in 2025)
While 2019 was a year marked by turbulence
and reconsidered expectations in the legal cannabis industry,
significant opportunities for growth and prosperity nevertheless await
in 2020.
Despite strong consumer demand, challenges in operationalizing key
markets – including Canada and California – coupled with slow progress
toward U.S. federal legalization (among other reasons) have resulted in a
slowdown in cannabis investments and dramatic contraction in value of
the largest companies.Though the mysterious vaping crisis
of EVALI (i.e., “e-cigarette or vaping, product use associated lung
injuries”) threw a virtual wrench into a segment which had been
projected to account for 29% of U.S. legal cannabis sales and $4.9
billion in 2019, other categories have seen strong sustained growth amid
strong consumer demand.
The U.S. legal cannabis market is forecast to grow to $30 billion by
2025, as state markets quickly cannibalize demand from the illicit
market, thereby achieving a key objective of legalization in
undercutting the unregulated activities. Through the robust growth in
currently legal markets, cannabis will likewise continue to be a
significant generator of new jobs (from 258,437 in 2019, to a projected
743,196 in 2025 – an increase of 188%), and of tax revenues for the
federal and state goverments ($1.41 billion in 2019, projecting to $4.06
billion in 2025).
Given the growth seen in Colorado’s successful program, a prosperous market is achievable if deftly managed, and critical growing pains are avoided.
However, it takes years for the market’s economics to stabilize, a
period during which efficiency, scale, and competition all increase
dramatically. Even as Colorado’s legal market nears saturation,
wholesale prices (which have already fallen by half) in the Rocky
Mountain State are expected to continue to fall, driving further
consolidation as less efficient and undifferentiated producers are
displaced by high-performing operators.
Meantime, markets are opening in Illinois and Michigan, and Florida seems headed
for an adult-use referendum in the nation’s third-most populous state,
which approved medical use with 71% in favor in 2016. Almost all
Americans now live in a market which has expanded to include access to
either CBD, medical, or full adult-use purchases. And with more than a
dozen other states likely to further expand legal cannabis access within
the next two or three years, the delays in federal regulatory reform
appear to be doing little to slow the public’s rising enthusiasm for
legalization.
Innovation is driving development of new products. A far-flung range of cannabis-related technologies
are emerging to attract new demographic groups and new opportunities
through everything from Big Data business analytics to compliance
testing, new extraction technologies, and the rise of smart consumption
devices.
U.S. hemp saw a 459% increase in cultivation acreage from 2018 to
2019. Passage of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill catalyzed the dramatic growth,
though lack of the industry’s processing capacity coupled with
supply-chain challenges to leave some early producers struggling to get
harvests and products to market.
Here too, innovation and commercialization will play a transformative
role, activating new applications that are in development, from
bioplastics to construction materials. As the U.S. hemp industry matures,
it will transition from being a seed, textile, and industrial product
importer to a global exporter. Though the U.S. had lagged behind
countries like Canada and France with hemp legislation, the 2018 Farm
Bill cleared the way for the U.S. industry to accelerate and establish
itself as a global exporting powerhouse led by hemp-derived CBD.
While the U.S. federal government through the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) offers
more confusion than clarity about the legality of CBD products and use, domestic and international demand keeps expanding apace.
While the FDA promises guidance to be forthcoming, it is likelier that confusion will confound
consumers for the foreseeable future, throughout 2020 and beyond until
the long-term research studies which federal prohibition prevented for
decades can finally be performed.
Heading into the new year, the convergent forces which characterized
2019’s turbulence are not yet resolved. However, as the irrational
exuberance that has fueled much of the speculative investments in
cannabis has been displaced by a more clear-eyed, long-term strategic
approach, the companies that weather the storm will be keenly positioned
to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities which legal
cannabis will present globally in 2020.
Click Here to see 10 intriguing cannabis statistics from 2019
Europe approves US$3.5bn for R&D in major push to create sustainable battery manufacturing ecosystem
European Commission gave the nod to a €3.2 billion (US$3.5 billion) plan by major EU states to create a “pan-European†battery ecosystem via a coordinated research push alongside industry operators
The so-called IPCEI – Important Project of Common European Interest, a status conferred to research schemes seen as key in the EU – will see Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden support their respective national battery industries with the Commission’s blessing
The Commission’s MaroÅ¡ Å efÄoviÄ (right) hails the new IPCEI deal with
Economy ministers of Germany (Peter Altmaier, left) and France (Bruno
Le Maire, centre). Image credit: European Commission
European authorities have waved through a multi-billion-euro scheme
to turn the continent into a global hub for green battery making, amid
hints that barriers could be set for foreign imports.
This week, the European Commission gave the nod to a €3.2 billion
(US$3.5 billion) plan by major EU states to create a “pan-Europeanâ€
battery ecosystem via a coordinated research push alongside industry
operators.
The so-called IPCEI – Important Project of Common European Interest, a
status conferred to research schemes seen as key in the EU – will see
Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden support
their respective national battery industries with the Commission’s
blessing.
The €3.2 billion will bankroll projects by 17 sector players across
the seven countries, from BASF to Eneris, BMW, Enel X and Fortum. At a
respective €1.25 billion (US$1.38 billion) and €960 million (US$1.06
billion), German and French battery schemes will reap a sizeable slice
of the funding.
The multi-country project will be structured along the four core
steps of the battery chain, from the more efficient sourcing of ores to
the development of cells and modules, the roll-out of software- and
algorithm-powered battery systems and sounder recycling and dismantling
practices.
The €3.2 billion pot will focus on lithium-ion batteries, both liquid
electrolytes and solid-state systems, and seek to unlock a further €5
billion in private money. If backed projects exceed their revenue
expectations, they will return the extra gains to their respective
member states.
The IPCEI – to be overseen by a body integrated by all seven states –
stems from months of talks between the Economy ministers of Germany
(Peter Altmaier), France (Bruno Le Maire) and others. On social media
this week, the Commission’s MaroÅ¡ Å efÄoviÄ thanked all for their
“coordinationâ€.
In separate statements to the media, also this week, Å efÄoviÄ’s
hinted that EU authorities may not stop at fostering an EU battery
landscape; they could also act to set up hurdles to battery imports from
outside the EU bloc.
Å efÄoviÄ, the Commission’s VP for Interinstitutional Relations, was
asked whether Southeast Asia-made batteries could face EU bans if they
breach green standards the EU is developing:
Europe bets on batteries after PV defeat at the hands of Asia
The European Commission now rallying behind the IPCEI may have begun
its term only this month but its battery manufacturing ambitions go back
a longer way. Å efÄoviÄ, who was also part of the earlier cabinet,
launched the European Battery Alliance in 2017 and continues to head the
group.
Whether the new €3.2 billion research push and the broader Alliance
that underpins it can make Europe a serious global contender remains to
be seen. The continent has already waged, and largely lost, a similar
pulse over solar manufacturing in the past decade.
Attempts since to revive EU solar makers, including a vow by French president Emmanuel Macron to bring back the “championsâ€, have been greeted with scepticism. Approached for a recent PV Tech Power feature, BNEF analyst Jenny Chase said PV making in Europe “doesn’t make sense†anymore.
However, Chase and several other interviewees did feel battery making
could prove a better wager for Europe. “Batteries are a bit more
nascent and interesting. The complexity, the role of software, may
create more potential to keep highly paid jobs in Europe,†she remarked.
The view emerged as various battery factory schemes made strides in Europe this year. Northvolt’s plans to create a 56GWh fleet of lithium cell factories in Europe have been followed by Tesla’s ambitions for a gigafactory near Berlin that would make “batteries, powertrains and vehiclesâ€.
As the Commission itself insisted this week, Europe’s pitch for
battery know-how comes with a specific focus on reduced environmental
footprint. Its statement explicitly linked the efforts to nurture a
battery sector to the EU’s broader transition towards climate
neutrality.
The energy storage focus of the EU’s climate-minded policymakers has
been apparent with earlier decisions this year. Last month, the European Investment Bank voted to shift its multi-billion-euro energy lending capabilities to prioritise storage batteries, grid upgrades and others.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:30 PM on Sunday, December 15th, 2019
This decade began with incredible hope for graphene as the miracle material that would change everything.
By 2015, hope gave way to indifference as graphene failed to live up to the smallest of expectations.
With the next decade just 15 days away, ZEN Graphene Solutions has reignited the great graphene hope with a string of great successes in 2019 that put commercialization within sight.
If you walked away from graphene years ago, you now owe it to yourself to watch this interview with ZEN CEO Francis Dube and find out why 2020 could mark the start of the graphene decade.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:45 PM on Friday, December 13th, 2019
SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc.
The company owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum
group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral
Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an
additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces Inferred. Learn More.
Palladium Barrels Toward $2,000 as Red-Hot Rally Shreds Records
Palladium’s blistering rally shows no sign yet of cooling off as records tumble
the precious metal advanced to the highest ever on Friday as it climbed for an unprecedented 16th straight day.
Ranjeetha Pakiam, Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) — Palladium’s blistering rally shows no sign yet of
cooling off as records tumble: the precious metal advanced to the
highest ever on Friday as it climbed for an unprecedented 16th straight
day.
Prices are now barreling toward $2,000 an ounce as mining disruptions
in major producer South Africa add to supply concerns, tightening a
market already hobbled by a persistent deficit.
Palladium is headed for a seventh quarterly climb as demand for the
metal used in autocatalysts has been strengthened by tighter emissions
rules, with Citigroup Inc. forecasting it could hit $2,500 an ounce next
year. In South Africa, rolling blackouts have hurt miners’ operations
after state utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. announced record power cuts.
Spot prices climbed as much as 1.3% to $1,965.82 an ounce, and traded at $1,960.93.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ranjeetha Pakiam in Singapore at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Phoebe Sedgman at [email protected], Jake Lloyd-Smith
