IBM & SAP on Digital Transformation, Toyota Invests in New Research Center [Roundup]

Boeing Carries on Strong

As we mentioned in last week’s roundup blog, Boeing was making voluntary cuts in the commercial airline division. Despite the cut back of employees and aircraft production, Boeing announced receiving four orders of the 747-8 airliners totaling over a billion dollars in the first quarter of 2016.

Thursday the company announced that it has received four orders for the 747-8 aircraft model. The first order it received in 2016 had a list price of nearly $1.5B, and already delivered 176 commercial aircraft during the first quarter. As the aircraft manufacturer predicted, it would be delivering less than the previous year; which will be cut back to one 747 every two months instead of its previous production of one every month starting in September. Boeing previously delivered 184 commercial airliners in the first quarter in 2015. But due a strong first quarter, it’s safe to say that Boeing is off to a good start, despite the recent news of cuts. To read more about this click here.

GE Furthers Manufacturing with New 3D Printing Center

General Electric recently opened a location in Pittsburgh, which will house its new additive manufacturing development center. The new center is being referred to as “the intersection of technology and manufacturing,” as it plans to combine hardware and software applications.

The $39M facility, referred to as The Center for Additive Technology Advancement (CATA), will have 50 employees made up of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers. This combination allows GE to pursue the development of designs and applications. The company is referring to it as “an innovation hub.” GE is no stranger to additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, as it develops fuel nozzles and various engine parts within its aviation business, and plans to further its reach in additive manufacturing. To read more about the new development center click here.

Driving the Digital Transformation: IBM and SAP

IBM and SAP recently announced that the two will be working together to increase customer experience with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Big Data, and ultimately Digital Transformation. The companies will take up locations together in Germany and California to further work towards customer value.

By enhancing customer value, the companies will work towards cognitive extensions, enhanced customer and user experience, and industry specific functionality. This will all be made possible with the use of SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA. In addition to the co-innovators initiatives, the two companies will bring forth new solutions to IBM clients. Commenting on this is Bridget van Kralingen, the Senior Vice President of IBM Global Business Services who said, “The future of business strategy and business value will proceed from the foundational elements of this announcement. We’re formalizing a complementary set of capabilities to simplify and speed outcomes for clients evolving to become cognitive enterprises.” To read more about this click here and keep a close eye on next week’s #MondayMusings blog post.

Toyota’s Newest Research Facility

Toyota Motor Corp, the automaker and one of LNS’s newest council members, is set expand to its third research facility in a collaboration with the University of Michigan. The $1B investment in the research facility will reside near the university’s Ann Arbor campus.  

Toyota hopes to accomplish four goals it has laid out for the research facility when it opens, which is predicted to be in early June with 50 employees. The four goals of the research facility are:

• Enhance automobile and driving safety in the event of collision, despite the driver’s condition or skill
• Increase vehicle intelligence and availability for those who cannot drive due to varying conditions
• Enhance Toyota’s ability for outdoor and indoor mobility, described as “moving people and goods across the country, across town, or across the room.”
• Accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) technology and machine learning to lower costs and improve the performance of future mobility systems.

Gil Pratt, the CEO of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) commented on the new center and said, “Beyond the extraordinarily work that U-M is doing broadly in advancing automotive safety research-and in autonomous driving, in particular-Toyota has deep roots in the Ann Arbor community.” Toyota also plans to open research facilities in other locations, such as Palo Alto, CA and Cambridge, MA. To read more on the future of the Toyota Research Institute click here.