COVID-19 has Spurred Innovation Globally
A look into how COVID-19 has propelled the need for new innovation.
The past few months have been turbulent times. Many businesses have shut down, people are being laid off, health care/essential workers are working overtime and students are financially struggling as jobs are declining. Many of us face hardships on a daily basis, and some of us have lost our loved ones.
The world didn’t expect this crisis nor were we prepared to face it.
The saying “There is a light at the end of the tunnel” makes more sense now than ever. From a business point of view, these tough times have turned into a driving force for businesses to innovate and grow. Many healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are in a race to find a vaccine that helps ease and cure the spread of COVID-19. It has not only fueled innovation in healthcare and pharma but also in various industries to help adapt to the changes that COVID-19 has imposed on all of us.
From online Innovation hubs to government-funded innovation projects, we are at a time where the crisis has led innovation to unfold rapidly. Let’s not forget the SARS pandemic in 2002, that gave rise to the now e-commerce giant, Ali Baba. Although the current crisis is undoubtedly uncertain and unpredictable, we can tell that this will help spur the next wave of innovation.
Here are some of the groundbreaking innovations that COVID19 has fueled:
DRONE DELIVERY
Many delivery service providers are now using drones to deliver prescription medications to residents. Due to the lockdown prevalent in many countries, stringent rules have been implemented, which makes it difficult for us to commute and buy their prescription medications.
United Parcel Services is based out of the US and is now using drones for delivery. “Our new drone delivery service will help CVS provide safe and efficient deliveries of medicine to this large retirement community, enabling residents to receive medications without leaving their homes,” Scott Price, UPS Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer said in a press release.
HYGIENE HOOK
As COVID-19 can survive on surfaces, a British furniture designer, Steve Brooks addressed this problem by designing a simple device that looks like a hanger extended to a base designed to be gripped. The hook can be used to push, pull, and turn the doorknob, preventing us from touching the doorknobs, which is one of the common forms of contact where COVID-19 could spread from.
Steve Brooks’s idea made the lives of healthcare workers easier. He said, “If they change their gloves every time they go to get a cup of coffee, that’s a hell of a lot of gloves just to maneuver around the hospital”
AR/VR PRODUCTION VISITS
Virtual Reality (VR) is the present and Augmented Reality (AR) is the future. As these modern technologies are already evolving, COVID19 has fueled innovative ideas implementing AR/VR to ease our day-to-day activities. AVATOUR is one of them. It was created by Imeve, a startup based out of San Francisco that provides AR/VR collaboration tools by giving access to multiple visitors to visit a location in real-time, providing a substitute for business traveling.
These are some of the Innovations that COVID-19 has spurred. There are various online platforms for open innovation where you can draw inspiration from, or contribute to.
Here is the link to one such initiative by the Government of India to encourage and bolster innovations: https://innovate.mygov.in/covid19 Some other such popular initiatives are:
What are you waiting for? Get your gears on and INNOVATE!
