As all types of resources become more in demand, we are moving to more commodity-driven market places. Oil has lead the way, with wheat and corn close behind. These three items drive cost of living indexes, and the daily patterns of us all. We like to think we live in the age of technology, and to be sure, innovation is increasing rapidly. However, it is traditional commodities that now drive our markets in ways we could never have imagined.
Globalization only expounds this phenomenon. Commodities are much more heavily contested and traded (driving prices further). We are feeling the full weight of population explosions, as global population growth and consumption has finally outstripped our ability to increase resource delivery. As the American dollar plunges in value, the USA's ability to purchase resources becomes crippled, while other nations abilities is enhanced. (There is a positive side to this, as the USA has the opportunity to become more of a producer of resources, mitigating its huge consumption trend.) This upset will take years to stabilize, and will create new way of doing things. Off/on-shoring will take an entirely new meaning.
What does this mean for technology? Technology will move to a more utility role. It will be the medium/tools that the new global commodity market is driven with. Innovations will center more on telecommunications, logistical mapping and control, trading, and process analysis. Business solutions, as opposed to consumer solutions (which have driven technology over the last 5 years). As consumer consumption slows down and business demands increase, this is already beginning to show in the market. Technology will always be innovating, however it will now be the tools of innovation, not the product of innovation.
As with technology, everything else will be driven by the acquisition and transfer of resources. Developing countries are well positioned to take advantage of this, which will ultimately balance the global economy in a way that is difficult for us Americans to imagine. The great fortunes, innovations, and entrepreneurs of the next age will be the innovators of this model.
Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Pensacola Company Creates Technology That Could Impact Global Energy Supply
PENSACOLA, Fla., August 31, 2007: New technology being developed by a Pensacola company could advance the way oil is moved from the Gulf of Mexico and other ultra-deepwater fields around the world. DeepGulf, Inc. has created innovative technology collectively known as J-Flex – which enables access for the first time beyond the traditional ultra deep offshore frontier of oil and gas pipeline operation.
There are only two options for transporting oil from offshore wells to shore: tankers or pipelines. The floating production and storage facilities associated with shuttle tankers are very costly, with well-known, potentially disastrous environmental impact. Pipelines require much less infrastructure, present far less risk, and have substantially less potential environmental impact. DeepGulf projects do not involve traditional surface “rigs”, and are more than 100 nautical miles offshore, ensuring the safety and beauty of the Gulf Coast’s environmental resources.
Pipelines are thus the preferred solution and are the only means of transportation used from the Gulf of Mexico’s operational deepwater fields to the US mainland, for the time being. Until now, pipelines are limited by the industry’s capability to lay large pipelines in waters deeper than 8,000 feet of water.
DeepGulf’s new J-Flex system means a large number of ultra deep wells are now accessible and no longer remain an untapped energy resource. DeepGulf’s technology makes it economical and safe to develop even the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico and around the world.
DeepGulf’s inventors have laid some of the deepest pipelines in the world, designing and building 3 of the 7 existing J-Lay systems in the world. This experience contributed to the development of the J-Flex system. J-Flex capabilities offer critical technical and financial advantages. This will ensure that the Gulf of Mexico’s remains one of the world’s premier oil and gas basins.
“DeepGulf's ability to lay very large pipelines in ultra-deep water will reignite interest in the untapped ultra-deep leased blocks in the deepest part of the Gulf. Not only will the J-Flex system lay much bigger pipe in deeper water than our competitors, it will also lay it faster, completing projects with more economic efficiency. J-Flex innovations will spur many emerging efficiencies in the construction of ultra-deep offshore oil and gas pipelines. Deep Gulf will be at the center of that development", said Chairman Rus Howard, referring to the J-Flex ability to lay a 36" pipe in 12,000 feet of water. “DeepGulf is already fielding inquiries from major oil companies and ultra-deep field contractors in the Gulf of Mexico and other locations around the world. It is clear that ultra-deep is where the action is in offshore construction, and DeepGulf’s J-Flex technology will play an important role in the world’s energy supply”.
For more information about DeepGulf, Inc. please visit http://www.deep-gulf.com/ .
There are only two options for transporting oil from offshore wells to shore: tankers or pipelines. The floating production and storage facilities associated with shuttle tankers are very costly, with well-known, potentially disastrous environmental impact. Pipelines require much less infrastructure, present far less risk, and have substantially less potential environmental impact. DeepGulf projects do not involve traditional surface “rigs”, and are more than 100 nautical miles offshore, ensuring the safety and beauty of the Gulf Coast’s environmental resources.
Pipelines are thus the preferred solution and are the only means of transportation used from the Gulf of Mexico’s operational deepwater fields to the US mainland, for the time being. Until now, pipelines are limited by the industry’s capability to lay large pipelines in waters deeper than 8,000 feet of water.
DeepGulf’s new J-Flex system means a large number of ultra deep wells are now accessible and no longer remain an untapped energy resource. DeepGulf’s technology makes it economical and safe to develop even the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico and around the world.
DeepGulf’s inventors have laid some of the deepest pipelines in the world, designing and building 3 of the 7 existing J-Lay systems in the world. This experience contributed to the development of the J-Flex system. J-Flex capabilities offer critical technical and financial advantages. This will ensure that the Gulf of Mexico’s remains one of the world’s premier oil and gas basins.
“DeepGulf's ability to lay very large pipelines in ultra-deep water will reignite interest in the untapped ultra-deep leased blocks in the deepest part of the Gulf. Not only will the J-Flex system lay much bigger pipe in deeper water than our competitors, it will also lay it faster, completing projects with more economic efficiency. J-Flex innovations will spur many emerging efficiencies in the construction of ultra-deep offshore oil and gas pipelines. Deep Gulf will be at the center of that development", said Chairman Rus Howard, referring to the J-Flex ability to lay a 36" pipe in 12,000 feet of water. “DeepGulf is already fielding inquiries from major oil companies and ultra-deep field contractors in the Gulf of Mexico and other locations around the world. It is clear that ultra-deep is where the action is in offshore construction, and DeepGulf’s J-Flex technology will play an important role in the world’s energy supply”.
For more information about DeepGulf, Inc. please visit http://www.deep-gulf.com/ .
Monday, October 8, 2007
Intrapreneurship: Anyday, Everywhere Entrepreneurship
I recently learned a new term that delights me: Intrapreneruship. Wikipedia defines an intrapreneur as "the person who focuses on innovation and creativity and who transform a dream or an idea into a profitable venture, by operating within the organizational environment." This delights me for two reasons. First, it steps outside the box that entrepreneurialism is typical placed in. Second, it describes much of my career in a word.
In my bio or my personal elevator pitch, you will frequently find the words "worked within an entrepreneurial environment for much of his career". Now I can just say "career intrapreneur" and be done with it. How great is that? I have not yet started my own high-growth entreprise. I will, later in life. But I have helped many people bring their dreams to fruition. Is that not entrepreneurship just as much as the founding father/mother? The fact of the matter is that entrepreneurial behavior is everywhere. It drives growth in every aspect of life. It is the foundation of evolution. We would not have the wheel or fire without entrepreneurial activity.
For us to package entrepreneurs in a box that says "Sole Proprietor", or "Start-Up", or "Small Business", or "Venture Capital" is completely missing the point. The fact of the matter is that our the word entrepreneur is like the word "snow", one word used to describe an entire variety of actions. The Inuit have more than four dozen words for "snow", each to describe a different type of snowing, or a different type of snow flake. Entrepreneurialism is the same. Here are just a few other words for entrepreneurs: Project Manager, Preacher, Farmer, Broker, Mother, Architect. Entrepreneurs are creators and innovators. They are people that drive change, create growth, and embrace progress. They are everywhere. They are our future.
Post-Script: Anytime that I discuss entrepreneurship in this blog, I am also directly referencing intrapreneurship. The founding principles are one in the same.
In my bio or my personal elevator pitch, you will frequently find the words "worked within an entrepreneurial environment for much of his career". Now I can just say "career intrapreneur" and be done with it. How great is that? I have not yet started my own high-growth entreprise. I will, later in life. But I have helped many people bring their dreams to fruition. Is that not entrepreneurship just as much as the founding father/mother? The fact of the matter is that entrepreneurial behavior is everywhere. It drives growth in every aspect of life. It is the foundation of evolution. We would not have the wheel or fire without entrepreneurial activity.
For us to package entrepreneurs in a box that says "Sole Proprietor", or "Start-Up", or "Small Business", or "Venture Capital" is completely missing the point. The fact of the matter is that our the word entrepreneur is like the word "snow", one word used to describe an entire variety of actions. The Inuit have more than four dozen words for "snow", each to describe a different type of snowing, or a different type of snow flake. Entrepreneurialism is the same. Here are just a few other words for entrepreneurs: Project Manager, Preacher, Farmer, Broker, Mother, Architect. Entrepreneurs are creators and innovators. They are people that drive change, create growth, and embrace progress. They are everywhere. They are our future.
Post-Script: Anytime that I discuss entrepreneurship in this blog, I am also directly referencing intrapreneurship. The founding principles are one in the same.
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