Back in early 2020, TrendWatching launched ‘Covid Innovations’ to inspire entrepreneurs and marketers to serve their customers better in dire covid times.
With Covid thankfully no longer impacting daily life, we’re fully focused again on all innovations that make the world a little bit better - check out Daily, our free publication to stay on top of the latest trends, insights and innovations.
An online marketplace has been launched in France to centralise the distribution of critical supplies needed by key workers on the frontlines. The StopCovid19.fr platform is seen as the 'Amazon for COVID supplies' providing protective equipment to healthcare facilities, transport workers and supermarket clerks in less than a week, with the backing of the French government.
Read MoreThe robot is an autonomous van that uses LIDAR, cameras, and deep-learning algorithms to drive itself, able to carry up to 1,000 kilograms on its cargo compartment. The unmanned vehicle provides a 'contactless' alternative to regular deliveries, helping to reduce the risk of person-to-person infection.
Read MoreThe Fix the Mask team consists of ex-Apple mechanical engineers now designing simple DIY rubber band braces to improve the sealing of surgical masks. The initiative’s mission is to quickly supply safer masks in the fight against COVID.
Read MoreBritish author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler created the panels as a way of creating awareness about social distancing to children, by featuring The Gruffalo, Stickman and The Smeds and The Smoos - all keeping a safe distance from one another. The characters are also seen helping the vulnerable with their shopping.
Read MoreQuarantine times have fostered a strong stay-inside culture in China, especially among the more affluent millennials. This has consequently lead to the emergence of new social media hashtag and online blogs with brands like Vogue China responding.
Read MoreWaves users can buy COVID-DWN or COVID-UP tokens to speculate on whether the number of globally confirmed COVID cases increases or decreases within a seven-day period. On April 6th, the announcement added that the #CryptoCOVID19 campaign had already raised over USD 100,000 in charity donations worldwide.
Read MoreHygiene Hand is a solid brass keychain that can be used to push buttons and open doors so users can avoid touching shared surfaces with their hands. The material is antimicrobial and 100% recyclable. The tool is expected to ship in May 2020 and will retail for USD 25.
Read MoreFrance said it would pay for hotel rooms for victims of domestic violence and open pop-up counselling centres after figures showed the number of abuse cases had soared during lockdown. About 20 centres would open in stores around the country so women could drop in for help while getting groceries, and an extra one million euro will be given to anti-domestic abuse organisations.
Read MoreDelta Flight Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Airlines, which normally focuses on aircraft interiors, has turned its attention to manufacturing thousands of clear visor face shields to help healthcare workers on the frontlines.
Read MoreBabcock has responded to the UK Prime Minister's UK Ventilator Challenge by saying it will make 10,000 ventilators which will be used in hospitals across the UK to treat COVID patients.
Read MoreLindsay Medoff, CEO of Suay Sew Shop, a small boutique LA clothing manufacturer working with Patagonia, discovered that by adding two blue shop towels and using a design that produces a tighter-fitting mask, they could make a mask that can block up to 95% of the particles while standard cotton masks only block 20% to 60% of the particles.
Read MoreJohn Vincent, founder of Leon restaurants, partnered with international hospitality provider Absolute Taste to sell pre-packaged meals and ambient sauces to the public through delivery to the door and Leon’s chain of restaurants. Other restaurants and caterers are being invited to join the scheme.
Read MoreAmazon and SXSW Festival team up to launch a 10-day streaming event to bring a collection of movies from this year’s line-up, free to everyone in the U.S.
Read MoreThese Community Mobility Reports provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID, thanks to anonymised data from products such as Google Maps. The reports chart movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, workplaces and more.
Read MoreGoogle helps keeping parents and children happy and healthy during lockdown with a new virtual tool. AR Animals enables smartphone users to bring select animals right into their home for a virtual safari.
Read MoreDeciem and Kiehl’s are among the businesses gearing up to launch one-on-one digital consultations, to keep employees employed, and help customers find the right products.
Read MoreDelhaize and Colruyt are joining forces in order to supply hospital staff with grocery deliveries, which will be free of charge. Both are inviting competitors to join the initiative.
Read MoreBoth airlines are reaching out to those staff who have not been working due to planes having been grounded following the COVID outbreak to consider helping at the new hospitals being built across the country.
Read MoreSix walk-in kiosks for mass collection of samples for COVID testing, seen first in South Korea, have been built in Kerala's Ernakulam district, at four hospitals. The kiosks are mobile cubicles with a sealed glass front and extended gloves attached in the front through which a medical worker can collect samples.
Read MoreAs the total raised by the Food for London Now initiative appeal achieved £850,000, the stadium’s underground “pitch pocket” was transformed into a production line with dozens of volunteers wearing masks and latex gloves to produce individual food parcels to be delivered to the doorsteps of poor, elderly and vulnerable residents of Haringey.
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