Towards zero-defect manufacturing
As consumers, we have all from time to time experienced buying faulty items, whether they be smart phones, washing machines or cars. Researchers now believe that this is a thing of the past.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Decent Work and Economic Growth
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Confusing terminology is preventing the promotion of a healthy working environment
Many managers believe that their efforts to promote a healthy psychosocial working environment are succeeding. According to a recent report, however, many employees do not agree. No surprise, perhaps, since it appears that people are defining the concept in different ways.
21,000 FTEs employed in the Norwegian fishing fleet
The total contribution to wealth creation from the Norwegian marine fishing fleet in 2021 was NOK 32.8 billion, including ripple effects.
Managers must strike the right balance – or the best talent will find somewhere else to go
Working from home is here to stay. And this makes team building more important than ever. Recent research demonstrates that making employees’ working lives more flexible may also erode their loyalty.
New solar panels from solar panel waste
Solar energy is good news for planet Earth – but solar panels are not as climate-friendly as they should be. Researcher Martin Bellmann is using what he calls the ‘black gold’ waste materials from solar panel manufacture to make new panels.
Miniscule signals can prevent major accidents
By listening to electric machines’ magnetic fields, faults can be detected that could prevent potential disasters with electric vehicles. The new method could also save power producers large sums of money.
Making floating solar farms a reality in the North Sea
During the next three years, a team of researchers will be developing a system designed to protect floating solar farms in the harshest ocean environments.
Working from home has become a universal right. This raises five important questions
How can we ensure that everyone feels that they can cope and develop? This is just one of many challenges that employers have to address now that working from home is here to stay.
Companies need to report their climate risks
Regulators across the globe regularly require publicly traded companies to tell their stockholders about potential financial risks. A March proposal from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would require companies to disclose the risks that climate change poses to their financial health. Adopting the rule is an important step for the climate, researchers say.
Better cyber security at sea
Drug dealers have tricked shipping cargo tracking systems to think drugs are “bananas” and unknown actors have jammed GPS signals in northern Norwegian waters. Fixing these problems requires understanding how seafarers themselves perceive cyber risks — so they can do a better job protecting themselves and their vessels.
The computing industry can assist Polish refugee centres
Speedy work carried out for free in Norway resulted in an IT system that protects refugees against human traffickers at the Polish-Ukrainian border. This type of aid work may become financially self-supporting.
Sceptics of welfare schemes don’t increase with more immigrants
Scepticism about social welfare schemes can increase as immigration grows. But only among those who are already sceptical of immigrants.
Abrupt transition from kindergarten to school is tough for kids
Assigned seats, larger groups of children and scheduled subject classes in first grade are a completely different experience for children than life in kindergarten. Research shows that for many, the transition is too abrupt. Here is one researcher’s advice on how to create a positive transition.
Would you drive a car built from recycled materials?
Norwegian industry is shifting towards a greener future. But what does the transition to a greener economy really mean for industry and for consumers?
Is green growth possible?
Increases in economic growth contribute to one-for-one increases in carbon emissions. Energy system decarbonization and economic productivity gains are the most effective carbon emissions mitigation mechanisms for sustainable economic development.
Labour migration brings greater inequality to rural life
Income differences in small Norwegian towns have increased since 2004, when several former Eastern Bloc countries joined the EU.
Corruption almost inevitable in Russian business
Researcher Julia V. Bondeli studied corruption in Russia for five years. She was surprised at the scope of the problem. There are even “fixers” who are contracted to facilitate corrupt exchanges.
Piece work increases drug use among Americans
Young workers in the United States who earn piece work wages drink more and have a 35 per cent higher risk for using hard drugs.
Abandoned cropland should produce biofuels
More biofuels are needed to counteract climate change. But producing them shouldn’t diminish food production or wilderness areas. The solution may be to grow more grass on recently abandoned cropland.
Pandemic has revealed our dependence on migrant workers
Food production was quickly declared a socially critical function with the outbreak of the pandemic. The dependence of agricultural and food industry sectors on migrant workers has never been clearer, one researcher says.
Little brain reads 8000 messages per second
Autonomous vehicles are in demand like never before. At NTNU, researchers have developed a circuit board that can be adapted to different drones with simple steps. Airbus has tested the system on a lunar landing prototype.
The hidden threat of the home office
Working at home has given many people the opportunity to arrange their working hours more freely than usual. But has it really given us more freedom?
The future’s fastest tech gadgets may get Norwegian help
Researchers in Norway may be on the cusp of a solution to make tech gadgets even smaller and more powerful.
How to get good at disagreeing
Do you hesitate to speak up when you disagree with the rest of the group? Are the others not saying anything either? Then you’re probably not maximizing your collaboration. But you can learn how to disagree more effectively.