State of Play moves beyond market reports. It links evidence, scenarios, risk and organisational capability so leaders can test strategic options before committing capital, policy or resources.
startup
156 posts
The future rarely arrives fully formed. Before the moonshot becomes real, something quieter usually ships first: a teleoperated robot, an AI-assisted design tool, a diagnostic kiosk, or a narrow infrastructure layer that solves today’s problem while preparing the ground for tomorrow’s breakthrough. This article introduces the bridge economy: the overlooked layer of transitional technologies that sit between current constraints and ultimate technological ambitions.
Artificial Intelligence is creating unprecedented demand for electricity, forcing governments, hyperscalers, and researchers to rethink how future data centres will be powered. While orbital data centres and space-based solar power capture public imagination, atmospheric solar platforms may offer a more practical, scalable, and economically viable solution over the next two decades. This article compares atmospheric, ocean-based, terrestrial, nuclear, and space energy architectures to determine which technologies are best positioned to support the next generation of AI infrastructure.
Most people think ice is a simple commodity. Yet behind every restaurant, cocktail bar, hospital, event, fishery, and construction project lies a surprisingly sophisticated industry worth billions of dollars annually. This article explores the evolving ice business, from traditional bagged ice and industrial cooling to premium cocktail products, AI-powered production, robotics, sustainability initiatives, and emerging entrepreneurial opportunities across global markets.
Cargo drones are shifting from experimental pilots to early commercial logistics systems. This article explores their market landscape, technology stack, infrastructure needs, regulatory challenges, stakeholders and realistic path to scale.
Vibe coding can turn ideas into working software fast, but a working screen is not the same as a safe product. This article explains how founders, solo builders, citizen developers and enterprise teams can use AI app builders responsibly by applying release gates, test scripts, documentation, privacy checks, access controls and human review before real users or real data are involved.