LSN : News : Need to know 04 : 08 : 17

1. Cub blurs the boundaries between food and drink

Cub by Ryan Chetiyawardana and Doug McMaster, London

London – The new restaurant is a collaboration between renowned mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana and owner of SILO Brighton Doug McMaster, and aims to give equal weighting to the food and drink on offer. Its ‘courses’ comprise either a plate of food or a drink, or a combination of the two.

Set to open in September, the space will feature raised booths that give diners a clear view of the extended pass to create a ‘theatre-like experience’.

Sustainability will be at the core of the business, and the duo have worked with Arielle Johnson, flavour scientist and head of research for the MAD Symposium, to explore eco-friendly food systems and farming practices. For more, see our interview with Ryan Chetiyawardana.

2. Film speculates on conscious architecture

Silvertown Plug-in by Grace Quah

London – Silvertown Plug-In, the speculative project by Grace Quah, a Bartlett School of Architecture graduate, shows a conceptual housing estate set in Silvertown in east London where autonomous architecture carries out domestic work.

The film combines archive footage from 1950s television adverts with computer-generated imagery and a mock resident interview to highlight the gender division around domestic labour. Quah explores the lack of recent technological innovation in the home that is impeding the further emancipation of women.

The project shows the house carrying out household chores such as cooking dinner, as well as ordering groceries when they are running low. Dystopian undertones emerge when the mock interviewee explains how the house has been monitoring her household’s eating habits and how after a flat party, the house ‘got very angry with us’. For more on the obstacles and opportunities for women in the workplace download our Female Futures Report 2017.

3. Scientists turn pollution into protein

Finland – As the problem of pollution becomes increasingly urgent, scientists at Lappeenranta University of Technology and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a way to turn carbon dioxide into a food substitute. Given that food production contributes to these pollutants through farming and transport, the method, which uses renewable energy such as solar power, offers a more sustainable food future as all the raw materials are available from the air.

‘In practice, in the future, the technology could be transported to, for instance, deserts and other areas facing famine,’ explains Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, principal scientist at VTT. For more on innovations in reharnessing CO2, see our Insight report on the world’s first commercial carbon dioxide capture plant.

Neo-Carbon Energy by Lappeenranta University of Technology and VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland

4. Zero-emissions cargo ship will be launched next year

Yara Birkeland

Norway – Food chemical company Yara has joined forces with maritime technology firm Kongsberg to develop the world’s first autonomous, zero-emissions cargo ship. The Yara Birkeland will set off on its maiden voyage in the second half of 2018, transporting fertiliser from Yara’s Porsgrunn plant to ports in Brevik and Larvik.

‘With this new autonomous, battery-driven container vessel we have moved our transport from road to sea, thereby reducing noise and dust emissions, improving the safety of local roads and reducing nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions,’ says Svein Tore Holsether, president and CEO of Yara.

According to an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches team, one cruise ship can emit as much particulate matter as 1m cars each day, highlighting the need for eco-friendly transport solutions in the tourism industry. Read our Insight to find out more.

5. Millennials want business leaders to be more direct

In the current Dislocated World, defined by disenfranchisement and disconnection, Millennials are increasingly distrustful of complex, jargon-filled language, and instead are looking for business leaders and politicians who state their intentions clearly and concisely. Read our Veritas Media microtrend for more.

6. Thought-starter: Resort could open up Saudi Arabia

As a restriction-free hub for Westerners is announced, picture researcher Holly Friend asks what this means for culture in Saudi Arabia.

This week a plan was announced that aims to wean Saudi Arabia off its reliance on natural oil reserves and help diversify its economy. The long-term vision highlights tourism as a tool to modernise the country through initiatives such as the Red Sea project, a visa-free luxury resort.

Attracting headlines is the Saudi government’s willingness to waive restrictions on women’s dress within the confines of the resort. The country’s visa restrictions and ultra-conservative policies regarding women mean that Saudi Arabia has limited its ability to attract Western tourists.

The move suggests that the country is willing to adapt certain policies to increase international tourism, and that a wider cultural shift may be emerging among Saudi consumers. In a country that has traditionally snubbed progressive attitudes, such allowances mark a new direction for the nation.

The change in attitude is likely to shape the high-end travel market as luxury consumers continue to seek access to the world’s least accessible locations. For more on how wealth will change the face of travel in the future, read our Luxury Futures Report 2017.