Generative design and additive manufacturing
Digitisation is also embodied in the convergence of generative design and additive or 3D manufacturing. Companies such as Autodesk have taken computer-aided design (CAD) tools to a whole new level, employing AI-driven software to create new designs that are mathematically optimised for the desired attributes, whether it is durability, efficiency, low-cost or environmental sustainability, after exploring and evaluating thousands of alternatives in simulation.
Combined with 3D printing techniques and new alloys, polymers and other innovative materials, the results are often remarkably different from the designs conceived for classical manufacturing methods. Geometries that were once only possible in 2D drawings can now be rendered in 3D, slice by slice, layer by layer, using laser sintering, and providing unprecedented versatility.
Importantly, 3D printing is no longer confined to the domain of prototyping or hobbyists. Companies such as General Electric (GE) and Siemens, as well as a host of start-ups, have been active in developing additive manufacturing for use at an industrial scale. GE is using the technology to produce jet engine parts that are lighter and significantly more fuel-efficient, while others are 3D-printing fully functional bridges and houses.
These are just some of the themes to which we at Platinum have been paying close attention when building our portfolios. There are more. Gene therapy, precision medicine and big data are transforming disease treatment and prevention.
The digitisation of the “exchange of value” has gone beyond electronic payment systems, with blockchain and distributed ledger technology posing new challenges to traditional rent-seeking intermediaries.
What seems magical can feel distant. The reality is that these technologies are very much already here. Funding for all these innovations is aided by cheap capital. We will be managing our investors’ money with this creative destruction in mind.
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