First full electric ferry Ampere was launched in Norway 2 years ago. Quiet, elegant and comfortable electric vessel which transports passengers and their cars safely between Parainen and Nauvo in the Finnish Archipelago started now in Finland.

Most people associate Finland with saunas, the midnight sun, coffee of a strength that would command the respect of even the most intrepid Italian, and a marked awareness of environmental issues among its population. Finland is among those countries of the world which have focused on and achieved the successful generation of clean, renewable energy. So it comes as no surprise that the land of the Northern Lights is also home to the first battery-propelled ferries – which are powered with the aid of Siemens technology.

The union of technology and automobiles is ushering in a new era of connected and intelligent cars. These super smart cars come equipped with extraordinary features that were until now only a figment of our imagination. 

At some point in life, many of us have wished that a crack in our car bonnet would simply disappear, but, of course, never thought it possible. Well, think again. Lamborghini’s Terzo Millennio has the ability to conduct its own health monitoring to detect cracks and damages in its substructure derived from accidents. If it suffers damage, a self-repairing process starts via micro-channels filled with healing chemistries, reducing to zero the risks of small cracks propagating further in the carbon fiber structure. 

Major wireless tech companies are in a race to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to lock users into their respective ecosystems and many are discovering they can’t compete effectively in AI without investments in hardware, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

AI is where tomorrow’s tech money is. The technology learns our wants and how to anticipate our needs before we do, making useful suggestions and transactions on our behalf.

In TechnoHack, a traditional format hackathon at Mectory technology centre in Tallinn, Uptime developers participated by building a hat for blind people which recognizes traffic lights.

Teams arrived on Friday and they had to be ready in Sunday evening to present a working prototype, as this format of event usually demands. From Uptime, Tanel Hiob, Liisi Mõtshärg, Carl-Martin Ivask and Siim Orasmäe hacked the software and hardware for 48 hours to be ready for a Sunday presentation.

Sony Corporation (Sony) is today proud to announce "aibo," the evolution of its autonomous entertainment robot that brings fun and joy to the entire family. aibo can form an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion. It possesses a natural curiosity, and we hope it will bring joy into the everyday lives of our customers while growing alongside them as a partner.As the latest iteration of the beloved robotic companion, aibo features an adorable appearance, vibrant movements, and a responsiveness that is sure to delight. It will also develop its own unique personality through everyday interactions as it grows closer and closer to its owners.

Defence and security company Saab announces that the Gripen E smart fighter flew supersonic for the first time. The aircraft broke the sound barrier over the Baltic Sea on the 18th November.

The Gripen E smart fighter flew at speeds greater than the speed of sound, at over Mach 1, as part of the ongoing flight trials programme. The purpose was to collect data from the aircraft as it achieved and sustained supersonic speed. The flight took place over the Baltic sea and the aircraft sustained supersonic speed for a number of minutes, whilst carrying out maneouvres, demonstrating the successful combination of the aicraft’s fighter design and its powerful engine.

The hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is intense. But for most European businesses surveyed in a recent study by SAS, the leader in analytics, AI adoption is still in the early or even planning stages. The good news is, the vast majority of organizations have begun to talk about AI, and a few have even begun to implement suitable projects. There is much optimism about the potential of AI, although fewer were confident that their organization was ready to exploit that potential.

GrabCAD, the world’s largest online community for engineers, designers, manufacturers and students, has hit 4 million members worldwide.

Founded in Estonia in 2010, GrabCAD began life as a service bureau connecting engineers with engineering jobs, but it was the power of its Community that soon took on a life all its own. Today, as part of 3D printing giant Stratasys, GrabCAD has over 100 software professionals working in five locations worldwide, including Tallinn, Boston, Cambridge, UK, Israel and Minneapolis, USA.

Tallinn hosted the 2017 Digital Summit on Friday that brought together EU heads of state or government. The exhibition area of the Tallinn Digital Summit features remote-controlled excavator which is operated over the 5G network.

The Digital Expo features Telia’s stand, which shows off together with Ericsson and Intel one of the possible industrial applications of 5G – a remotely-controlled excavator.

The remotely operated excavator provides a good example of how virtual and augmented reality can shape our daily lives already in the near future. It will make it possible to avoid subjecting people to dangerous work conditions – heavy machinery can be operated from a safe location in any part of the world.

5G radio network has been built on Tallink’s cruise ship Silja Europa to test the new technology in September. The 5G network will replace the fiber optic cable that is connected with the ship upon docking with the purpose of improving the connectivity during increased data traffic that occurs when the ship is docked.

Previous tests show that 5G technology is perfect for handling large data traffic. Additionally, excellent connectivity is available throughout the ship when it enters the port’s waters, i.e. before the ship is actually docked.