Creativity as a response to the pandemic

When public health is severely affected or subject to a considerable level of threat, disturbing side effects arise, both for the economy and for society. However, it is also common knowledge that “necessity sharpens ingenuity”. Discover, in this article, how the COVID-19 pandemic is serving as a catalyst for innovation, in the most varied business sectors!

How is the pandemic changing consumers and businesses?

With the pandemic considered the “new reality”, early signs of changes in the behavior of companies and consumers are beginning to emerge. With the threat ofCOVID-19, teleworking began to be seen as a common work method, becoming a reality for several companies and organizations. The psychological impacts of social distancing and isolation lead consumers to restrict their contact with others, opting for remote consumption alternatives. Now, this fact leads entrepreneurs and investors to invest in e-commerce, to the detriment of any other form of commerce. Today, more than ever, we are witnessing a digital disruption that, in the long term, could shape the businesses of the future.

What's new?

The pandemic forces business models to change. An atmosphere that ends up serving as a catalyst for innovation, giving birth to entirely new business categories. However, this does not mean that the pandemic is the direct cause of innovation, rather, it is an accelerating factor. What happens is that with the daily rhythm strongly affected, people have more time to pay attention to new things, giving rise to new ideas.projects and ideas. Understand why!

5G, Robotics, IoT (Internet of Things) and Blockchain

In a pandemic situation, many failures and inefficiencies are highlighted. The truth is that, in order to reduce costs, several companies and organizations are forced to reduce charges, leading to a loss in the quality of the service provided. Now, this environment ends up favoring the use of innovative technologies, such as5G, robotics, IoT (Internet of Things) and/or blockchain, for the development of innovative solutions, capable of streamlining processes and increasing public satisfaction levels. An example of this are autonomous driving vehicles or smart home delivery drones. Authentic examples of innovation, these inventions promise to change the way the logistics sector works in the future.

More speed and new apps

Likewise, the pandemic serves as fuel for the rapid execution of innovative projects that emerge as a response to society's most intelligible needs. After all, during the COVID-19 outbreak, China broke all records by building a 25,000 square meter hospital in just 10 days in the city of Wuhan, while South Korea achieved the admirable feat of quickly and expeditiously identifying 200,000 infected citizens. These citizens could be tracked, in real time, through an APP, by citizens not infected by the new coronavirus.

Telemedicine

The impact of the pandemic on the functioning of health systems around the world is undeniable. A reality that ended up awakening the interest of health professionals in providing services remotely and that set the tone for the emergence of what is known as telemedicine, an increasingly popular generic term. With the aim of supporting their users to monitor and consciously manage symptoms, conditions and treatment results, many doctors, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists or pharmacists have chosen to replace face-to-face consultations with Skype or other means of remote communication.

Smart Cities

As the pandemic establishes itself as the “new reality”, more and more projects, products and ideas are emerging that aim to combat the spread of the virus. There are even those who support the theory that investment in smart cities will increase, in a POST-COVID-19 world. This is because having them means carrying out more precise and expeditious contagion management.

Differentiating initiatives

With the scenario of desertification looming over cities, the internet presents itself as the perfect refuge for innovation. It is when browsing the immensity of pages that circulate across the Internet that we find creative initiatives to combat COVID-19. Actions that begin to attract everyone's attention, without exception. An example of this is the digital platform, created with those who suffer most from the phenomenon of technological illiteracy in mind: the elderly. The page “Quietinho em Casa” (page link) is a true instruction manual for online life, with pertinent guidance on the guidelines that must be taken into account to fully comply with the objectives of social isolation. There we can find a list of services and initiatives that ensure home deliveries, along with a set of tutorials that show how to take advantage of them.

The “hands-free” universe

In an era marked by 3D printing and the development of cutting-edge software, many small and medium-sized manufacturers are beginning to invest in “hands-free” equipment. An example of this is the product created by designer Welshman Wyn Griffiths (product link). A small object with a clever design that allows you to open doors without using your hands. It fits onto the door handles and can be operated with the forearm, thus avoiding any type of contact.

MEDD: Creativity and Innovation in “Hands-Free” solutions

Since epidemiologists estimate that the coronavirus is capable of surviving up to three days on surfaces such as stainless steel, MEDD designers have also developed solutions that make it possible to reduce the risk of contagion, through “hands-free” systems. Therefore, so that entities providing healthcare services can guarantee the safety of their workers and users, MEDD created ControlStation. An automatic alcohol gel dispenser, with an integrated body temperature measurement system, capable of certifying the widespread use of masks, in closed spaces. Practical, accessible and modern, theControlStationresponds to current health control requirements, reducing the risk of contagion and infection indoors.

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