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Everyone loves the aha momentthat big idea, concept, or insight. But real impact happens when innovation takes root, at scale. This is where the rubber really meets the road. We are facing some of the biggest global challenges in decadesfrom socioeconomic changes and an aging population to climate impacts and the real need to feed our rapidly changing world. Innovation is how we turn challenges into ideas and actionable results. But it only matters when it can be scaled, making its way from whiteboards and pilot plants into the real world on shelves and in peoples lives. So, what does it take to make that happen? The best recipe for scalable innovation starts with the right culture, partners, and willingness to stay the course. Build a culture of innovation You dont get world-changing ideas by staying comfortable. The essence of innovation is stepping into something new. Scaling innovation starts by intentionally building a culture of innovation, with the right mindset, beliefs and behaviors. My teams have done this by: Attracting top talent: Innovation begins with innovators. We consistently focus on recruiting deep expertise and curious minds to our team. Building world-class capabilities: Driving growth requires investing in capabilities needed for the future (looking at emerging spaces 3-5 years out) even in tough times. Focusing on customer and consumer needs: Know your why. For us, its fulfilling our purpose through solutions that deliver value to our customers and their consumers. Dedicated innovation and technical teams tagged to strategic customers have made all the difference. Enhancing innovation systems and processes. Governance and defined processes arent optional. We got creative, working with our audit team to make innovation measurable and so it sticks. Innovation isnt just R&D. Its a mindset that thrives on experimentation, tolerates failure, and encourages rapid iteration. When you focus not only on the idea, but how that idea creates impact for customers across your organization or industry, thats where the magic happens. You can reinforce how your unique capabilities, processes, and portfolio connect, building conviction to act across an organization, together. Partnerships drive exponential possibility Ive been asked a lot about what the benefits are of companies collaborating to drive scalable innovations. To me its simple. Innovation is the ultimate team sport. No one succeeds alone. Period. Scaling innovations demands a connected system across the supply chain, geographies, and partners. This approach unites experts from academia, startups, VCs, suppliers, and brand-name companies around the same goal: finding science-driven innovations that work. Part of the equation is balancing profit, purpose, and demand. Innovations must make business sense and deliver profits. But you cant abandon ship at the first sign of short-term volatility. Thats why this kind of integration is rare and powerful. Sharing risks and rewards requires a foundation of partnership, trust, and clear understanding of the role each of us plays in the full innovation ecosystem. For Cargill, which supports 30+ startups in 11 countries and almost every continent, partnership takes many forms. We have an early validation program to address the biggest startup challenges, moving from concept to scale. We also partner with universities and accelerators to advance critical research and innovations. And we partner with customers to achieve shared goals of improved health, nutrition, sustainability, and food system resilience Stay the course Great ideas are just the beginning. Too many innovations are celebrated early, hitting the top of the hype curve before getting filed away. Why? Because scaling isnt easy. Scale demands rigor, patience, and some grit. It takes science, systems, and the right incentives to stay committed long enough to see real results. Its the repeatable and reliable innovations that make the real difference, including those that are accessible. To make sure your innovations stick, build scalability into your innovation plans from the start. Think in systems, prioritize speed, and access and always collaborate. Balance delivering for today (were all accountable to the bottom line) without losing sight of the long-term vision. The future belongs to those who not only imagine whats possible but who can build it at scale. Thats how we move from aha to innovations that truly change our world. Florian Schattenmann is CTO of Cargill.
Category:
E-Commerce
While the No Tax on Tips provision in President Donald Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been making headlines for its tax deductions on tips and overtime, there are plenty of other write-offs tucked into the massive 940 page billincluding one aimed at car owners financing new vehicles with loans. Now that the bill is law, here’s what to know. Rules for the new car loan tax deduction Like the “No Tax on Tips” provision, this deduction has a few catches, including but not limited to the fact that it is temporary, set to expire at the end of Trump’s second term in 2028. Furthermore, the deduction only applies to interest on loans taken out on qualified passenger vehicles used for personal, not business travel, whose final assembly occurred in the United States. The vehicles must be purchased in 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028. On the plus side for tax filers: In addition to cars, the tax credit will apply to vans (including minvans), sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pickup trucks, and even motorcycles, according to CNN. On the minus side: The tax deduction appears to apply only for new, not used, vehicles. Who is eligible for the car loan deduction, and how much is the deduction amount? The deduction is available to those with “qualified passenger vehicles” who fall under certain income limits. For single filers with an adjusted gross income up to $100,000 ($200,000 for joint filers), the deductions on vehicle loans are capped at $10,000 in interest each year (regardless of whether the deductions are itemized). The deduction amount decreases $200 for every $1,000 over that income threshold, CNN reported. Who will get the most benefit from this tax break on car loan interest? Economist Jonathan Smoke at Cox Automotive research firm told CNBC most taxpayers won’t reach the highest amount of the deduction benefit, since only the most expensive cars, like Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, Porsches, or Land Rovers, have annual interest charges of $10,000.
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E-Commerce
The Earth is pretty good at keeping its pace. However, variations do happen. And on three separate days this summerJuly 9, July 22, and August 5the Earth will spin notably faster than usual. Of course, you’re not likely to feel dizzy or notice the shift at all, but scientists are well aware of it. They say that over a 24-hour period, the Earth’s rotation will take a few milliseconds less than it usually doesabout 1.3 to 1.51 milliseconds less, to be exact. It’s faster than the blink of an eye or a heartbeat, but it’s significant, either way. Why is Earth spinning faster now? Twenty-four hours (86,400 seconds), or a full day, is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate fully on its axis. That exact rotation speed depends on a number of factors, including the Earth’s mass, as well as its distance from the moon. With the moon closer to the poles, the Earth’s spin speeds up. On the days the Earth’s rotation is set to speed up, the moon will be at its farthest distance from Earth’s equator, altering the impact of its gravitational pull on Earth’s axis. Richard Holme, a geophysicist at the University of Liverpool, said, per Live Science: “There is more land in the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern. In northern summer, the trees get leaves. This means that mass is moved from the ground to above the groundfarther away from the Earth’s spin axis.” Thus, it will spin faster. Interestingly, while the Earth had been gradually speeding up on the regular, climate change has impacted the Earth’s rotation in a major way. It’s actually caused it to slow down. A 2024 study published in Nature pointed to the melting of the polar ice caps as a significant factor in the Earth’s decelerated pace. At the time, professor Duncan Agnew of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the author of the study, explained the phenomenon by using the example of a skater spinning on ice. “If they hold their arms out, their spinning is slower. But if they bring [their arms] into their body, then they speed up. This demonstrates the conservation of angular momentum, a principle which applies to all spinning objects, including the Earth. Agnew continued: As polar ice melts, the water spreads out over the whole ocean, causing the same effect as the skater spreading their arms outthe Earth slows down. More rapid melting would slow the Earth more rapidly, opposing the speedup that has been seen in recent years. Experts began measuring the speed at which the Earth rotates in the 1950s. While variations in speed are not uncommon, the shortest day ever recorded happened just last year on July 5, 2024. On that day, the Earth completed its full rotation 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual. Experts believe July 9, 2025, may break the previously set record.
Category:
E-Commerce
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