The incoming Biden administration is expected to increase regulatory oversight of electric and self-driving cars and trucks. FreightWaves spoke to a few investors and analysts in the mobility and freight tech space, as well as the CEOs of a couple of autonomous trucking and delivery companies, about what they expect from a Biden presidency. Electric vehicle uptake in the United States has been tied to strong pollution reduction mandates and purchasing incentives found in Europe and Asia, said Reilly Brennan, partner, TrucksVC. "A Biden administration likely moves some of our policies closer to what we see in other parts of the world," he said. Among the incentives Brennan sees coming down the pike is an "EV for clunkers" scheme as soon as next year, promoting and supporting people who turn in their vehicles for zero-emissions cars and trucks.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. In this installment of the AI in Supply Chain series (#AIinSupplyChain), we explore the topic of decision-making in the shipping and commodities markets. Before we proceed, it is important to note four characteristics of the freight shipping industry that were highlighted by Roar Adland, a professor of shipping economics at the Norwegian School of Economics. In an August 2017 blog post on LinkedIn: 4 things shipping had long before Uber, he noted the following: First, shipping inherently utilizes dynamic pricing because of the volatile nature of rates, and this has been the case for a few centuries. Second, the industry already matches demand and supply in a highly efficient manner.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. In this installment of the AI in Supply Chain series (#AIinSupplyChain), we explore how artificial intelligence is being used to help beneficial cargo owners gain greater visibility into their supply chains in order to make it possible for their insurers to more accurately underwrite insurance policies. This article is most directly related to Commentary: Key supply chain innovation issues to consider in a world with VUCA and Commentary: Exogenous variables dominate a world with VUCA. According to IBM, "Supply chain visibility is the ability of stakeholders throughout the supply chain to access real-time data related to the order process, inventory, delivery and potential supply chain disruptions." Sometimes this definition is extended to include access to knowledge about the state of goods in transit.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. In this installment of the AI in Supply Chain series (#AIinSupplyChain) we explore the topic of industrial artificial intelligence (industrial AI), building most directly on Commentary: The enabling technologies for the factories of the future, Commentary: The enabling technologies for the networks of the future and Commentary: Will auto companies bring blockchain into real-world supply chains first? Manufacturing is a central aspect of industrialization. It is the creation of finished goods for sale to end-use customers, starting with raw materials, and using various scientific processes -- chemical, biological, engineering, in combination with labor. Manufacturing, and activities closely related to manufacturing, play a central role in the concept of industrial AI.

In this installment of the AI in Supply Chain series (#AIinSupplyChain), we explore the topic of industrial supply chains and factories of the future since this is where the AI applications we are covering will primarily be used. According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, "Industrie 4.0 refers to the intelligent networking of machines and processes for industry with the help of information and communication technology." Industrie 4.0 is a term that is closely related to the terms Factory of the Future and Fourth Industrial Revolution. Industrie 4.0 envisions a future in which: Factories produce goods in fluctuating quantities based on real-time demand rather than preset production quotas. Production lines are modularized and can be reconfigured easily to enable the production of different types of products in small lots.

Investment in warehouse robotics technology startups clocked in at $381 million in the first quarter of 2020, up 57% from the same period in 2019. The study examines venture capital (VC) investment levels, trends, new business models and notable startups within last-mile delivery, freight, warehousing and enterprise supply chain management. While warehouse robotics investment exploded during this period, overall investment in supply chain tech declined in the first quarter of 2020. Supply chain technology companies raised $1 billion in VC across 59 deals in North America and Europe, a decline from $1.4 billion in Q1 2019. The PitchBook report comes one month after the firm conducted a survey in partnership with last month's Collision From Home conference examining investor sentiment toward technology in a post-COVID-19 world.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. Author's Disclosure: I am not an investor in Optimal Dynamics, either personally or through REFASHIOND Ventures. I have no other financial relationship with Optimal Dynamics. On July 7 I started a series on AI in Supply Chain (#AIinSupplyChain). The first article in the series profiled Optimal Dynamics, a startup that has launched a product to automatically optimize operations for large trucking fleets.

Rising consumer expectations on delivery standards have compelled supply chains to react faster and push for digitalization, to ensure transparency across stakeholders and visibility into operations. Though it makes obvious sense to say visibility increases efficiency, the push towards greater operational visibility has remained a difficult task. One of the primary problems that face supply chains is the siloed approach within logistics verticals, which has traditionally reduced fluidity between operations and hampered efficiency. This leads to fragmented visibility, which was cited as the biggest challenge to operations by 84% of chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) in a survey conducted by IBM. However, global supply chains are not easily malleable to technology disruptions.

Schneider Electric recently debuted factory upgrades that it claims make its Lexington, KY, factory the first smart factory in the United States. The factory uses technology like augmented reality to give workers live operational data about machines on the floor. And the change resulted in significant improvements in efficiency: a 90% reduction of paperwork and a 20% reduction in the mean repair time. Smart factory owners looking to make the next leap forward in the digital industrial revolution are turning to advanced technology like artificial intelligence and big data. Here are six smart factory developments we're likely to see within the next year.