The CEO Magazine Asia – July 2019

96 | theceomagazine.com

Innovate News

Australia-based business management consultancy

2thinknow has released the most recent results of its

annual Innovation Cities Index. The index gives each

city a score out of 60 based on 162 indicators of

innovation. Here are the top five cities.

1. TOKYO, JAPAN
   2. LONDON, UK


2. SILICON VALLEY
   (SAN FRANCISCO–SAN JOSE), US


3. NEW YORK, US


4. LOS ANGELES, US

It no longer takes the deep pockets of a millionaire to own a robot
nor the mind of an engineer to work one. Automata, a London-based
robotics start-up, has created Eva, a robot that costs just US$7,500
and takes only 15 minutes to master.
Built for small-scale production, Eva is
suited to repetitive manual tasks, such as
sorting, and glue application. It is light and
compact enough to be carried in a
backpack and put on a desk or on top of
other machines. The software features
drag-and-drop functions so it can be
easily programmed by anyone, even
those without formal training.
Automata founders Mostafa
Elsayed and Suryansh Chandra aim to democratise robots so
that small firms can take advantage of automation technology.

REACH FOR THE STARS

How’s this for value: for US$9.5 million, you can stay in a 42

square-metre space with five other people for 12 days and eat

freeze dried food for every single meal.

No? What if it’s on a space station 322 kilometres above Earth?

Orion Span, a space tech start-up based in Houston, US, is

gearing up to take guests onto the Aurora Station, the world’s first

space hotel, in 2022. To secure a spot, aspiring astronauts have to

pay a refundable deposit of US$80,000.

Prior to the trip, guests must complete the three-month Orion

Span Astronaut Certification (OSAC), which is a streamlined

version of the 24-month training professional astronauts

undertake. Once on the station, they will experience a complete

orbit around Earth every 90 minutes – that’s 16 sunrises and

sunsets every 24 hours. As part of the authentic experience, they

can try to grow food, which they can then take home as souvenirs.

“Failure is an

option here.

If things are not

failing, you are

not innovating

enough.”

• Elon Musk

DESK

NOW

THE FUTURE,

BUDDY