HORIZON SCANNING
The Investment Litmus Test
Utilities
Industries
An orderly method
Here we use the SATERPLIDE acronym to prompt the scan for future events and
their consequences. The segments are:
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Social
(See Maslows’s Hierarchy of Human Needs)
Approach
(First response to an issue)
Technology (Applying our innovation to reliable approaches)
Economic
(The benefits in productivity from technology)
Resources
(Human and Natural, required and consumed)
Political
(Ownership rights of tribes to resources)
Legal
(Administration of political resolutions)
International (Resolution of international differences)
Demographic (Population shift to better circumstances)
Environment (Built by Humans and by Nature, our impact)
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An orderly method
• Note that there is a
series of cause-andeffect relationships
going around the
circle.
• This discovery
technique ensures
thorough scanning in
our due diligence
process.
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SOCIAL Segment
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
Problem Solving
What do you
know?
Creativity
Respect
A roof over
your head
Observing
local customs
Acceptance
Comfort
Survival
If your life is at risk, you may compromise on the items above survival
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Human Need:
Reliable access to high quality utilities services & products.
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APPROACH Segment
What to do if your human needs are being frustrated?
NEED
Survival
APPROACH
Flee, Fight,
Comfort
Build, Adapt
Acceptance Join, Communicate
Respect
Learn, Teach
Creativity
Design, Invent
Develop ways of
improving the
availability of
high quality
utilities
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TECHNOLOGY Segment
How to make a successful approach re-useable & reliable?
It seems utilities research needs to be done in highly specialized research
centers. Pictured, a tiny underwater turbine.
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ECONOMIC Segment
How do the improved utilities operations improve the quality of
life? - By providing high quality jobs.
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RESOURCES Segment
What are the human and natural resources required to sustain the
economic activity? – hydro energy partners can play a large part.
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POLITICAL Segment
The utilities industry supply chains have political intersections
between the regulators and suppliers of the various resources.
The World Economic Forum assists with exchange of political views
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LEGAL Segment
Utilities industry operating procedures require detailed
regulation for their success.
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INTERNATIONAL Segment
How are differences between international systems resolved?
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DEMOGRAPHIC Segment
What is the impact of economic success of the utilities industries on
population mix and location?
In the case of China, the
utilities industries have
supported further
development activities
of all kinds. These have
resulted in migration
towards the east coast.
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ENVIRONMENT Segment
What is the impact of economic success of utilities industries on the natural
and the built infrastructure? The industries need concrete, which can be a
major polluter in its production.
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Next steps: Identify the future event labels
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