Looking for Opportunity in Economic Trends and Regulatory Changes

Opportunity 1: Drones

Describe:

New drone or UAV technology is leading the news in much of the aviation community. As a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, I receive daily newsletters about policy and trends in the aviation community, which has led me to the belief that multiple opportunities exist related to drone technology. Below is a link to an article that talks about the popularity of drones across the United States for both commercial and hobby uses. I believe an opportunity exists because drones are in the beginning stages of development and use. Drones are mainly used by the government to conduct aerial observation and unmanned strikes for the military. Now the private market is developing drones to be used to transport packages, survey land, recreation, and the list continues. From the article, the use or popularity of drones is also increasing which suggests a growing demand. In the private sector the recreational use of drones should have a target customer of anyone from tech fans, go-pro users, to children. For package delivery large industrial companies could very easily take advantage of the relatively new technology of drones. To exploit the opportunity it could be as simple as investing into stock into a newly created drone company. It would take considerable capital to create a drone fleet and meet FAA regulations, but the market is so new that entry would be relatively easy and innovation could set you apart from other competitors. I could see the development of drone delivery companies, drone flight training schools, drone mechanics, software developers, etc.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-the-no-1-city-where-americas-drones-are-flying-2016-05-18

Why:

I might clearly see this opportunity because I am an Aerospace Engineering student and ultimately want to own my own business in the aviation field. I am continually given information on the topic and I like to follow what is happening in my future field of work. While manned flight is my primary interest, it appears that the market for unmanned flight is becoming a greater demand and the cost to enter the market is far lower than the design of full sized aircraft.

Opportunity 2: 3D Printing

Describe:

I believe an opportunity exists to service the 3D printing community and help bring in more potential customers. I first thought this opportunity might exist when I was able to 3D prototypes through my coursework and then I read an article, link below, that talks about how large companies like Microsoft are starting to enter the 3D printing trend. If large companies are starting to market and develop technology in 3D printing then they obviously see a sign or trend from their consumers that suggests 3D printing is a sound investment. I see 3D printers mainly at Universities or in shops, but not in your every day average computer user. I see the opportunity for 3D printers to be used like the paper printers seen in almost every household, with little to no training, and at a good price point. It would be very difficult for a small entrepreneur with small amounts of capital to make this a reality, but a company as large as Microsoft could push this movement. With more 3D printers there would be even more opportunity to design and develop new printers, new materials to print, and an industry to service these products, which would be easier to take advantage of for smaller company.

https://3dprint.com/136241/microsoft-materialise-3d-builder/

Why:

I see this opportunity because of my continual exposure to the technology and larger companies are beginning to move towards the same technology. I also see a need for the technology in some of the business ventures I am and wish to be a part of. Rapid prototyping, using a 3D printer, is a great way to show a client exactly what they are getting as a solid, real object they can hold in their hands.

Opportunity 3: Paris Climate Change

Describe:

Recently in Paris the heads of state for many nations signed a new climate agreement to reduce emissions and other energy regulations, link below. The new regulations if enacted by President Obama will limit the fossil fuel production in the United States. The regulations on the oil and coal industries are predicted to all but shut down the respective industries. In turn, those power plants that use fossil fuels will also take a hit if they do  not meet the new regulations. The opportunity I believe exists is the ability to create companies that help the energy market meet the new regulations through the design of new equipment, processes, and monitoring of their emissions. Further, greater opportunity exists to develop and produce "clean" energy. Target customers for the advising to meet new regulations would be current energy companies. "Clean" energy customers would be citizens that want to use the new energy. The opportunity would be easy to enter if all you did was advise companies on how to implement and meet the regulations. The opportunity becomes harder when you actual develop or create methods for "clean" energy.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/12/12/almost-200-nations-adopt-climate-change-pact-this-is-huge/

Why:

I see this opportunity because as an future engineer I wanted to see what markets would yield the best pay and greatest demand for employment. The energy industry is being continually pushed in politics through the idea of "clean energy". Policy is driving companies to use battery power, wind turbines, etc. After looking at these trends for the past decade it was easy for me to see that if you limit production of fossil fuels then you force consumers to meet energy needs through another source.

Opportunity 4: FDA Regulations on E-Cigs

Describe:

With new regulations on the e-cigarette industry there may be multiple opportunities to help these companies meet the new regulations. The FDA is now requiring e-cig producers to register with the FDA, provide product ingredients, manufacturing processes, along with 499 pages of more regulations. Reading the New York Times article, link below, led me to the belief that an opportunity existed. The opportunity I see is that new lawyers well versed in the new regulations could make a killing off of helping companies meet and circumnavigate some of the new regulations. Further, developing safe practices to manufacture the e-cig liquid would need to be created, standardized, and implemented. The smaller e-cig producers would be the target customers to provide these services and products to. The opportunity would be difficult to enter because there are so many regulations it would take time and money to provide the solutions to the opportunity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/science/fda-rules-electronic-cigarettes.html?_r=0

Why:

I think this opportunity exists because anytime the government implements new regulations, they generally take away the free market side to economics. When you no longer have a free market, it is no longer a game of freedom based solely on the products being offered, but it becomes a game of who can push the limits of the regulations and who can exploit the regulations to their benefit. In general regulations can be stifling to market growth, but those who adapt can profit. I have seen this with many other industries through the news and personal stories of associates.