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Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI: KH Group’s financial information and Annual General Meeting in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KH Group Plc
    Stock Exchange Release 4 November 2024 at 11:30 am EET

    KH Group’s financial information and Annual General Meeting in 2025

    KH Group Plc will publish financial reports in 2025 as follows:

    – Financial Statement Release for 2024 on Friday, 21 March 2025
    – Annual Report for 2024 on week 13
    – Business Review for January-March 2025 on Tuesday, 6 May 2025
    – Half-Year Report for January-June 2025 on Friday, 15 August 2025
    – Business Review for January-September 2025 on Friday, 31 October 2025

    All financial reports will be published in Finnish and in English approximately at 8 o’clock.

    KH Group adheres to a 30-day silent period prior to publishing of financial reports.

    Annual General Meeting

    KH Group’s Annual General Meeting is planned to be held on Tuesday, 6 May 2025. The Board of Directors will convene the Annual General meeting with an invitation to be published later.

    KH GROUP PLC

    Ville Nikulainen
    CEO

    FURTHER INFORMATION:
    CEO Ville Nikulainen, tel. +358 400 459 343

    DISTRIBUTION:
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Major media
    www.khgroup.com

    KH Group Plc is a Nordic conglomerate operating in business areas of KH-Koneet, Indoor Group and Nordic Rescue Group. We are a leading supplier of construction and earth-moving equipment, furniture and interior decoration retailer as well as rescue vehicle manufacturer. The objective of our strategy is to create an industrial group around the business of KH-Koneet. KH Group’s share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Business “ready to support” UK with £500m investment following Chancellor’s first budget

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    US firm confirms £500m investment in biomedical research, supporting government’s plan to attract private investment and grow the UK economy.

    • New biomedical hubs will create over 2000 new jobs and boost scientific discoveries which will save lives
    • Expansion of world-leading research laboratories in Cambridge set to inject millions of pounds into British economy every year

    A US firm has announced a £500 million investment into a UK research campus following the Chancellor’s first budget, supporting government plans to attract private investment and its industrial strategy.

    The investment from San Francisco-based developer Prologis will create thousands of jobs, spearhead lifesaving biomedical breakthroughs and generate millions of pounds for the British economy every year. It comes just two days after the Budget pledged to unleash private investment to kickstart economic growth.

    The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has welcomed the vote of confidence from business, which will expand a centre of excellence for medical research in Cambridge.

    The Prologis investment funds a 115,000 square ft expansion to Cambridge Biomedical Campus – a world-leading biomedical cluster which currently generates £4.2 billion each year for the UK economy.

    The new development will house high-tech labs, supporting clinical trials and diagnostic services. It will inject millions into the British economy every year and create over 2,120 highly-skilled jobs – in roles from research to diagnostic.

    The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is a world-leading life sciences cluster for biomedical research, healthcare, and education, which combines collaborations among academia, industry, and healthcare.

    Research conducted at Cambridge Biomedical Campus addresses the most pressing global healthcare challenges, including developing techniques for spotting cancer early and understanding dementia – while contributing significantly to the economy and currently employing over 22,000 staff, many of whom are in highly-skilled roles.

    Today’s announcement from Prologis also builds on the £63 billion worth of investments secured at government’s record breaking International Investment Summit last month – creating 38,000 jobs in the UK.

    Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    This investment from Prologis – just two days after this government’s first Budget – is a vote of confidence in our plan for the UK economy.

    After also attracting £63bn at the International Investment Summit, it’s clear Britain is back in business. Economic growth is my number one mission, and unleashing private investment will play a major role in kickstarting it.

    Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said:

    There is a lot riding on this pivotal first Budget and strong support from the private sector to follow through on investment pledges will be critical. The government’s commitment to unlock Foreign Direct Investment matches our own focus on partnering with public and private stakeholders to invest and deliver the infrastructure needed for sustainable, long-term growth. 

    Steps already taken through the launch of the National Planning Policy Framework and the Green Paper for the Industrial Strategy are paving the way for a stronger, more resilient industrial base. These initiatives will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of industrial innovation and Prologis are ready to support the government’s ambitions, providing the spaces that can unlock growth and development.   

    We look forward to furthering our collaboration and investment activity, ensuring the UK continues to lead on a global stage.

    Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

    The UK’s life sciences sector is central to our ambitions for the UK – from driving economic growth through to saving and improving lives through better treatments. 

    Major investments like this from Prologis, bringing the sector’s largest global companies under one roof in Cambridge, is another vote of confidence in the UK’s approach to long-term growth.

    Coming just days after the Chancellor raised public funding for R&D to record levels, this underlines how this Government is in lockstep with business in our joint ambition to make sure everyone in the UK benefits from advances in science and technology.

    The government is delivering its growth mission by prioritising stability, investment, and reform to drive prosperity across the UK. The Budget takes the difficult decisions to put the public finances on a sustainable path to create the conditions for growth, and to create a stable economic environment for businesses to invest.

    Supported by the new fiscal framework, the Budget increases public investment by more than £100 billion over the next five years to boost growth and help crowd in private investment in the long run. This includes investing in transport, kickstarting the delivery of 1.5 million homes, supporting new industries and job creation, and protecting record R&D funding through a record £20.4 billion investment.

    The government will also work in partnership with the private sector to further increase investment. The government has created the National Wealth Fund to catalyse over £70 billion of private investment, set out plans for a modern Industrial Strategy to support investment in growth-driving sectors.

    The government has also published a Corporate Tax Roadmap to provide businesses the certainty they have called for. This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 – for the duration of this parliament while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation. 

    The Chancellor also set out how this government will transform the way it delivers infrastructure, including publishing a 10-year infrastructure strategy, establishing the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, delivering ambitious planning reform. 

    At last month’s investment summit, the Prime Minister also committed to get rid of regulation that needlessly holds back investment and to upgrade the UK’s regulatory regime to make it fit for the modern age and ensure it’s not acting as a barrier for growth.

    The Budget has set out a clear plan to fix the foundations of the economy and begin a decade of national renewal by protecting working people, fixing the NHS, and boosting investment to deliver growth and prosperity for all parts of the country.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Huawei Releases Antenna Digitalization White Paper, Opening a New Chapter for the Antenna Industry Nov 04, 2024

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Huawei Releases Antenna Digitalization White Paper, Opening a New Chapter for the Antenna Industry
    Nov 04, 2024

    [Istanbul, Türkiye, November 4, 2024] At the Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024), Huawei released its Antenna Digitalization White Paper. The white paper explores new trends and key innovation directions in antenna digitalization and envisions the key role of the antenna industry in the mobile AI era.
    Andy Sun, President of Huawei Antenna Business Unit, delivering a keynote speech

    AI is driving a new wave of technological transformations in many sectors, including wireless networks. For networks to become more intelligent, further innovation is needed in wireless network infrastructure. Antennas are a crucial component of wireless networks, and their digitalization will play a key role in the future.
    The white paper states that network intelligence and automation require building digital capabilities for remote management and multidimensional adjustment of antennas.
    Remote management requires antennas to be capable of providing real-time, accurate information to network systems, including engineering parameters and beam shapes. This will help building comprehensive data models to support intelligent networks, providing all necessary information for intelligent optimization.
    Multidimensional adjustment means that antenna parameters, such as signal radiation directions and radiation beam shapes, can be remotely adjusted in real time. This enables greater flexibility and expanded possibilities for intelligent network optimization.
    The Antenna Digitalization White Paper explores Huawei’s latest innovations in antennas. Andy Sun, President of Huawei Antenna Business Unit, remarked: “This white paper reflects the collective vision and insights of our partners, industry scholars, and Huawei’s own experts. It integrates our in-depth analysis and prospects of the antenna industry in the mobile AI era. Antenna digitalization is an inevitable foundation for intelligent networks. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with industry partners worldwide to promote antenna digitalization through innovation, and contribute to the construction of even more intelligent and efficient wireless networks.”
    For more information, click to download the Antenna Digitalization White Paper.
    The 15th Global Mobile Broadband Forum, with a tagline of ‘5.5G Leads Mobile AI Era’, runs from October 30 to 31 in Istanbul, Türkiye. It will be hosted by Huawei with support from our industry partners GSMA and GTI. Together with operators, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners, we will share the industry’s latest advancements and explore new opportunities. Industry stakeholders will discuss how to achieve 5.5G business success in the Mobile AI era, and leverage the success of 5G to attain even greater achievements with 5.5G. For more information, please visit MBBF2024 at: https://www.huawei.com/en/events/mbbf2024

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Huawei Releases Antenna Digitalization White Paper, Opening a New Chapter for the Antenna Industry

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Huawei Releases Antenna Digitalization White Paper, Opening a New Chapter for the Antenna Industry

    [Istanbul, Türkiye, November 4, 2024] At the Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024), Huawei released its Antenna Digitalization White Paper. The white paper explores new trends and key innovation directions in antenna digitalization and envisions the key role of the antenna industry in the mobile AI era.
    Andy Sun, President of Huawei Antenna Business Unit, delivering a keynote speech

    AI is driving a new wave of technological transformations in many sectors, including wireless networks. For networks to become more intelligent, further innovation is needed in wireless network infrastructure. Antennas are a crucial component of wireless networks, and their digitalization will play a key role in the future.
    The white paper states that network intelligence and automation require building digital capabilities for remote management and multidimensional adjustment of antennas.
    Remote management requires antennas to be capable of providing real-time, accurate information to network systems, including engineering parameters and beam shapes. This will help building comprehensive data models to support intelligent networks, providing all necessary information for intelligent optimization.
    Multidimensional adjustment means that antenna parameters, such as signal radiation directions and radiation beam shapes, can be remotely adjusted in real time. This enables greater flexibility and expanded possibilities for intelligent network optimization.
    The Antenna Digitalization White Paper explores Huawei’s latest innovations in antennas. Andy Sun, President of Huawei Antenna Business Unit, remarked: “This white paper reflects the collective vision and insights of our partners, industry scholars, and Huawei’s own experts. It integrates our in-depth analysis and prospects of the antenna industry in the mobile AI era. Antenna digitalization is an inevitable foundation for intelligent networks. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with industry partners worldwide to promote antenna digitalization through innovation, and contribute to the construction of even more intelligent and efficient wireless networks.”
    For more information, click to download the Antenna Digitalization White Paper.
    The 15th Global Mobile Broadband Forum, with a tagline of ‘5.5G Leads Mobile AI Era’, runs from October 30 to 31 in Istanbul, Türkiye. It will be hosted by Huawei with support from our industry partners GSMA and GTI. Together with operators, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners, we will share the industry’s latest advancements and explore new opportunities. Industry stakeholders will discuss how to achieve 5.5G business success in the Mobile AI era, and leverage the success of 5G to attain even greater achievements with 5.5G. For more information, please visit MBBF2024 at: https://www.huawei.com/en/events/mbbf2024

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Indonesia’s proposed nutrient labeling system holds potential to transform domestic F&B industry, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Indonesia’s proposed nutrient labeling system holds potential to transform domestic F&B industry, says GlobalData

    Posted in Consumer

    Indonesia is set to introduce a nutrition grading system akin to Singapore’s Nutri-Grade to deliver more detailed information to consumers concerning the nutritional values present in food and drink products. A survey corroborates this trend, where 84% of Indonesian respondents stated that their product purchasing decisions are either extremely or quite influenced by the ability to access ingredients and nutritional information via a quick response (QR) code on the packaging*. As such, Indonesia’s proposed labeling system, Nutri-Level, holds potential to play a pivotal role in transforming its domestic food and beverage (F&B) industry, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Mani Bhushan Shukla, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The purpose of nutrition labeling systems, including daily intake guidelines, warning indicators, traffic light systems, star ratings, and nutrition scores, is to facilitate informed consumer choices and encourage a shift towards healthier food selections. These systems classify food and beverages by assessing their sugar, fat, sodium, and energy levels in their compositions.

    “The use of standardized grading systems featuring colors, symbols, and vectors enhances readability for consumers, offering a clearer understanding than the detailed ingredient lists on product packaging. In addition, as these gradings/rankings are defined, they are more straightforward than the myriad of health and natural claims that food manufacturers often use. Some of these claims can be deceptive; for instance, a product labeled as ‘no-added sugar’ may still contain ingredients high in natural sugars like fructose.”

    Deepak Nautiyal, Consumer and Retail Commercial Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, GlobalData, adds: “The prevalence of diet-related diseases, particularly diabetes and hypertension, is notably high in Indonesia, which underscores the potential benefits of the Nutri-Level system for public health. The 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) reveals that diabetes prevalence stands at 10.9%, while hypertension affects 34.1% of the population. Nutri-Level in Indonesia will implement a rating label that evaluates sugar, saturated fat, and various nutritional components. The finalization of the draft regulation is anticipated to occur by the end of 2024.”

    Shukla notes: “By encouraging manufacturers to innovate and craft healthier products that do not sacrifice flavor, it can effectively respond to the rising consumer preference for nutritious choices. This transition towards healthier alternatives can significantly benefit public health and bolster the industry’s reputation and market share.”

    Nautiyal continues: “Despite the promising outlook of the Nutri-Level system, the Indonesian population may encounter various obstacles. Resistance from the F&B industry poses a notable obstacle to the implementation of this regulation. Large manufacturers may perceive the regulation as a threat, especially since many of their products are high in sugar and saturated fats, which could lead to negative ratings. Thus, it is imperative for the government and industry to collaborate in order to reach a solution that serves both interests.

    “An additional challenge lies in educating and socializing the public regarding this rating system. A large portion of the population may still be unfamiliar with it. Consequently, it is essential for the government to effectively promote Nutri-Level, ensuring that the public comprehends and can utilize the information from this nutrition label to make healthier choices.

    “The successful implementation of Nutri-Level relies heavily on collaboration among the government, industry, and community. The government has a role in providing effective regulations and education, the industry must adapt and innovate accordingly, and the community needs to accept and utilize the system to create a substantial positive effect on public health. In Singapore, the Nutri-Grade nutrient labeling system is in place, while both Malaysia and Thailand have implemented a voluntary Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) label along with the Healthier Choice Logo. Conversely, the Philippines has chosen to adopt only the voluntary GDA system.”

    Shukla concludes: “Efforts are underway by authorities to rectify the shortcomings in the rating systems, especially regarding the complexities involved in comparing different product categories across each system. The F&B industry may push back against these measures, as the presence of multiple nutrient labeling systems across borders will likely lead to increased expenditures in procurement, research and development, and production. Standardizing regulations across the Asia-Pacific region will drive F&B manufacturers to optimize their operations, allowing them to offset higher costs through economies of scale.”

    *GlobalData Q4 2023 Consumer Survey­ – Indonesia, published in December 2023, with 531 respondents

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: US accounts for over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US accounts for over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The US continues to remain the top destination for venture capital (VC) investments globally. Moreover, it also outpaced peer countries by a significant margin for high-value* VC investments and accounted for more than half of deal volume as well as value of those investments during Q1-Q3 2024. The US accounted for 55.4% share of the total number of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, while its share in terms of the corresponding value stood at 56.4%, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The US outpaced other nations in terms of both the volume and value of high-value VC deals by a substantial margin. The dominance of the US for high-value VC deals can also be understood from the fact that it was distantly followed by China, which held 12.7% and 16.6% share of high-value VC deal volume and value, respectively, during Q1-Q3 2024.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that the US saw announcement of 209 high-value VC deals during Q1-Q3 2024 with the total valued of these deals pegged at $48.4 billion. Meanwhile, a total of 48 high-value VC deals worth $14.2 billion in terms of disclosed funding value were announced in China during the same period.

    Bose adds: “Of the top 10 countries by high-value VC deals volume during Q1-Q3 2024, five were from Europe, three were from the Asia-Pacific region, and two countries were from the North American region.”

    The UK occupied the third spot in terms of the volume of high-value VC deals during Q1-Q3 2024, followed by Germany, India, Canada, France, Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

    *Valued more than or equal to $100 million

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit opens Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, an annual flagship event of the legal sector and the Department of Justice (DoJ) to showcase Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, was launched today (November 4).

         Themed “Hong Kong Common Law System: World-Class Springboard to China and Beyond”, the five-day event provides an opportunity for participants from all corners of the world to engage in a series of insightful discussions and fruitful exchanges with prominent experts, practitioners and government officials on a wide spectrum of topics, including international law, developments in alternative dispute resolution, opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the rule of law in the region and beyond.

         The Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024, themed “Springboard to Opportunities: Utilising International Private Law and Technology to Facilitate Access to Credit, Investment, and Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific Region”, was held as the opening event of this year’s Hong Kong Legal Week. Organised by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the DoJ, the biennial Summit brought together preeminent legal academics and renowned practitioners worldwide to discuss how the unification and co-ordination of various areas of international private law can support economic growth and facilitate smoother cross-border interactions. More than 1 100 registrations from 46 jurisdictions have been received for this event.

         In his welcome remarks, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that today’s Summit gathered leading legal minds from across the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to enormous economic potential and encompasses a diverse array of legal systems, to explore how to unlock the region’s full economic potential and ensure long-term sustainable growth, harmonisation and modernisation of private law across the region, as well as how Hong Kong could contribute in this regard. Aside from the collaborative efforts of the DoJ and UNIDROIT in promoting the development, implementation, and deeper understanding of private international law and international commercial law across the Asia-Pacific region, the DoJ and UNIDROIT have also co-operated on other fronts. In particular, the Secretary for Justice expressed his gratitude for UNIDROIT’s support to the DoJ’s secondment programme, which offers opportunities to Hong Kong’s legal professionals to work at the UNIDROIT Secretariat. He further noted that the DoJ places great importance on nurturing legal talent and will continue to provide professional development opportunities to legal talent with a view to strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a leading international legal and dispute resolution centre. To further the DoJ’s capacity building initiatives, the Secretary for Justice announced that the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy will be set up, and he extended a warm invitation to all to join the launch ceremony of the Academy, which will take place on the final day of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024.

         The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Cui Jianchun, and the Secretary-General of UNIDROIT, Professor Ignacio Tirado, also delivered their welcome remarks at the event. The closing remarks were delivered by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan.

         Mr Cui said that China has been consistently innovating its diplomatic ideas to make global governance and international law fairer and more equitable. He noted that the HKSAR has been proactively responding to national development strategies and committed to reforms that benefit the people of Hong Kong. He said he is confident that Hong Kong will make the best use of the strength of “one country” and the convenience of “two systems”, while leveraging its unique advantages, such as its systems, talent and location, to act as a “world-class springboard” for connecting China with the rest of the world.

         Professor Tirado said that he is glad to be back to Hong Kong again to join the Summit, which has become one of the legal world’s leading events in the international arena. He said he is also pleased to see Hong Kong back on its feet, stronger than ever, after getting through the pandemic, and has flourished back into its dynamic, efficient, cosmopolitan and multicultural self, an extraordinary and unique legal and financial hub that the entire world recognises.

         Other conferences and seminars of the Hong Kong Legal Week include the Second Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development organised by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR and the DoJ tomorrow (November 5); “Beyond Litigation: The Vibrant Landscape of Alternative Dispute Resolution of Hong Kong”, fireside chat on experience sharing of resolving sports disputes and the annual Hong Kong Mediation Lecture under the theme “Mediation and Sustainable Development along the Belt and Road” on Wednesday (November 6); and “Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA” on Thursday (November 7). The Legal Week will end this Friday (November 8) with “Rule of Law: The Best Business Environment”, at which the Academy will be officially launched.

         In addition, an exhibition featuring the milestones and achievements in the construction of the rule of law by the country in the modern era, as well as the role played by Hong Kong in contributing to the developments, has been set up at the venue this year.

         For more details on the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, please visit the dedicated website www.legalweek.hk. The event is broadcast live on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.                        

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: TV Interview, ABC Afternoon Briefing with Greg Jennett, Shanghai

    Source: Minister for Trade

    Greg Jennett, host: Don Farrell, thanks for making this conversation possible from Shanghai. I suppose the very fact that you’re there indicates that the resumption of trade relations with China is very much back on track. What additional Australian products and services, though, are you telling the Chinese Commerce Minister that Australia should gain access to now in the Chinese market?

    Minister for Trade: Thanks, Greg. I met with my Chinese counterpart last evening on my arrival from Canberra. This was our 9th meeting. And again, we discussed those particular products that are still waiting to get back into the China market. Of course, that’s lobster and a couple of meat establishments. I got some assurances from the Minister that everything is on track to resolve all of our outstanding issues. 

    Now, having done that, we’re not resting on our laurels. I’m here with 253 Australian companies. Some of them have been here before, but many are coming for the first time, and my job as the Trade Minister is to try and push Australian companies out of Australia and into overseas markets. Obviously, China is the largest market for Australian goods. Last year, we sold $327 billion of two-way trade between Australia and China. But I think we can do better than that. I think this Expo – the largest trading event in the world – will be held this week, and I think we can sell even more wonderful Australian products, whether it’s food, whether it’s wine, whether it’s manufactured goods. That’s my ambition for this week.

    Greg Jennett: It does sound ambitious Don Farrell. Also on the wine front, I understand you’ve announced the formation of a wine partnership, some sort of training program, I believe. Does that mean that Chinese winemakers will come to Australia to undertake this training?

    Minister for Trade: It’ll be a mixture of both Greg. I was just with Penfolds. Of course, Penfolds is the biggest Australian winemaker in China. We want to work with the Chinese officials and the Chinese wine industry firstly so that we can get our product back into China, but also so we can help them improve their product. It’s a two-way thing. As I said before, China is our largest trading market. We want a prosperous future for our wine industry. Already, almost $500 million worth of Australian wine is back on the supermarket shelves here in China. We want to do better in that, but we also want to work closely to improve the skills and the abilities of Chinese winemakers. And Penfolds Wines are at the forefront of that.

    Greg Jennett: Now, the Chinese leadership has made no secret over a very long time now about its desire to increase investment into Australia. I’m wondering in your talks whether Minister Wentao raised this and named any particular sectors for greater Chinese investment.

    Minister for Trade: On this occasion, Greg, he didn’t raise that with me. But he has raised those issues in the past, and my answer to the Minister is that Australia welcomes foreign investment, and we welcome foreign investment from China. We are agnostic as to where the investments come from. Part of our Future Made in Australia plan will mean that we need investment from overseas. Australia is very well supplied with, for instance, the critical minerals that are needed to move to net zero. What Australia sometimes struggles with is getting the capital to extract those minerals. So we welcome overseas investment, and we process all of those applications for investment on one principle, and that is our national interest, and that’s what we’ll continue to do Greg.

    Greg Jennett: All right. Now, subject to events in the US this week, and I admit here Don, that this is a highly hypothetical question, but if America goes ahead and erects higher tariff walls to Chinese goods entering that country, what do you assess the consequences of that might be for Australia? Could more Chinese manufactured goods enter this country at lower prices?

    Minister for Trade: Well, of course, our job, and my job in particular Greg, is to discourage companies from imposing additional trade barriers. Free trade provides peace and prosperity in our region, and my argument to any incoming American government, whether it be a Harris government or a Trump government, is that Australia supports the concept of free trade, and we want to continue to work with countries to ensure that the principles of the World Trade Organisation, the free trade principles, continue to apply to world commerce.

    Greg Jennett: Alright, can I tempt you into one or two questions on domestic matters, Don? As Tourism Minister, you’d be well aware of a heightened debate about ministers soliciting upgrades from the national flag carrier, of course, Qantas. If a minister did that, are they in breach of the ministerial code?

    Minister for Trade: Look, while I’m up here dealing with trade issues, I think I’ll continue to deal with international issues Greg. And I’ll be happy to talk about those issues when I get back to Australia.

    Greg Jennett: Alright, then. Electoral reform, if I can try you on that one as well. Here goes. There are very high expectations, Don Farrell, that this bill will be introduced into the Parliament in the final sitting fortnight. Can you confirm that and is it your expectation that it should also be passed this calendar year?

    Minister for Trade: Both of those things are correct. I’d like to see the legislation brought forward before the end of the year and the legislation in place as quickly as possible.

    Greg Jennett: Ok, and will that be introduced into the House or into the Senate, where you’re the relevant minister, of course?

    Minister for Trade: I’ll sort that out when I get back to Australia Greg.

    Greg Jennett: Okay. Well, I understand the constraints, some might even say the conventions, in not addressing domestic matters when abroad Don Farrell. So, we’ll thank you and wish you prosperous negotiations there in Shanghai. Thanks so much for coming on.

    Minister for Trade: Thanks very much Greg.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS RELEASE: “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    NEWS RELEASE: “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX

    Posted on Nov 1, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

     

     CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIVISION

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    GEORJA SKINNER

    CHIEF OFFICER, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIVISION

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    November 1, 2024

    “RESCUE: HI-SURF” EPISODE DIRECTED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN FILMMAKER ERIN LAU TO AIR NOVEMBER 4 ON FOX 

    Hawai‘i hires for the hit series earned more than $31 million in total wages; workforce training also provided to local interns 

     

    HONOLULU – The pulse-pounding new drama “Rescue: HI-Surf,” a co-production of John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment, continues to further opportunities for Hawai‘i’s creative talent. Native Hawaiian filmmaker Erin Lau directs the seventh episode of the North Shore O‘ahu-set series as it follows the personal and professional lives of local lifeguards. Airing on FOX November 4, 2024, the episode marks Lau’s directorial debut in the network television space, furthering her impressive writer/director/producer credits across high-profile branded content and award-winning short films.

    Exploring themes of redemption, legacy and identity, Erin Lau’s dynamic body of work is known for empathetic storytelling. Since graduating from Chapman University’s MFA program, she has honed her craft through opportunities with the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Studios and Women in Film among others. Lau’s work has screened at more than 50 film festivals globally. Her Chapman thesis, “The Moon and the Night,” received support from the Sundance Native Lab and the Criterion Channel. Her short film, “Inheritance,” premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Oscar-qualifying Best Hawai‘i Short Award at the 42nd Hawai‘i International Film Festival. Through Jubilee Media, Lau has directed content for global brands such as Google. 

    “I am incredibly grateful for the support from our local film community and the collective of organizations and advocates that have helped me grow as a filmmaker and are empowering even more voices,” shares Lau. “Opportunities like this are essential for our emerging artists, and I’m thrilled to be part of ʻRescue: HI-Surf’ as it celebrates Hawai‘i’s creatives and stories.”

    Lau joins over 2,100 local cast and crew that have been part of the first season of “Rescue: HI-Surf,” collectively earning more than $31.75 million in wages. The series inspired by the water men and women of Hawai‘i has additionally invested more than $33.85 million in the local economy through food purchases, lodging, equipment and office rentals and goods and services from local vendors. Production is also championing the next generation of creative workers, bringing on local interns across various departments and offering hands-on experience in roles as production assistants.

    Said Georja Skinner, chief officer, Creative Industries Division (CID) at the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), “’Rescue: HI-Surf’ has made a significant step in providing Erin this opportunity to direct television. Already an accomplished, award-winning filmmaker, she is committed to her community to see others realize their dreams. The series not only authentically captures the courage and care of Hawai‘i’s lifeguard community but is also creating valuable workforce opportunities for local creatives on a network series.”

    “Rescue: HI-Surf” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. in Hawai‘i on FOX affiliate KHON-TV. 

    The teaser trailer of the new “Rescue: HI-Surf” episode and photos of Erin Lau’s journey as a filmmaker in Hawai‘i are available here.

    About Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) 

    DBEDT is Hawai‘i’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information as well as foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawai‘i economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawai‘i’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments and promotes innovation sector job growth.

    About Creative Industries Division (CID)  

    CID, a division within DBEDT, is the state’s lead agency dedicated to advocating for and accelerating the growth of Hawai‘i’s creative economy. Through initiatives, program development and strategic partnerships, the division and its branches implement activities to expand the business development, global export and investment capacity of Hawai‘i’s arts, culture, music, film, literary, publishing, digital and new media industries. As a major branch of CID, the Hawai‘i Film Office (HFO) was established as the one-stop central coordinator for film and photographic use of state-administered parks, beaches, highways, and facilities and is committed to developing Hawai‘i’s film industry, which provides desirable jobs for residents, as well as opportunities to build the creative and technical skillsets of the local workforce.    

    # # # 

    Media Contacts: 

    Laci Goshi
    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
    808-518-5480 

    [email protected]

    Georja Skinner

    Chief Officer, Creative Industries Division
    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    808-586-2590 
     [email protected]

    Susan Wright 

    Becker Communications 

    808-799-4293 

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NDA supply chain award winners 2024 revealed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group have announced five organisations as winners of this year’s supply chain awards.

    NDA supply chain award winners revealed

    Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership, PA Consulting, Antech and The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment Tranche 1 Team are the big winners in this year’s supply chain awards.

    The awards recognise the vital role that supply chain companies play in helping the NDA group deliver its nationally important mission and clean-up its 17 nuclear sites across the UK.

    NDA Group Chief Commercial and Business Development Officer, Emma Ferguson-Gould, said:

    These awards not only recognise how important the supply chain is to our mission, but they also showcase the variety of innovative work being delivered by businesses throughout the UK and beyond on our behalf.

    We’re looking forward to presenting the winners with their awards at the event in January.

    The event is a fantastic opportunity to see pioneering work from our mission critical supply chain, who the NDA group are committed to encouraging, supporting, and developing, not just for today, but for the future.

    NDA’s supply chain conference, which usually attracts around 1,700 delegates and 300 exhibitors, will take place on 16 January 2025 at The International Centre in Telford. Registration is open now with full details available on the supply chain event website.

    The full list of winners is below. Visit our LinkedIn page to view the films explaining more about each category and those shortlisted:

    Best approach to achieving social value
    Winner: The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership

    Best approach to environmental sustainability
    Winner: Morgan Sindall Infrastructure

    Best example of applying creative and innovative solutions
    Winner: PA Consulting for harnessing AI at Sellafield Ltd

    Best example of delivering excellence through collaboration
    Winner: The Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment Tranche 1 Team

    Best small and medium enterprise
    Winner: Antech

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cop16: the world’s largest meeting to save nature has ended with no clear path ahead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Harriet Bulkeley, Professor of Geography, Durham University

    Increasing rights for Indigenous people and local communities was one of the few steps forward at Cop16. Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    Progress at the UN’s biodiversity summit, Cop16, in Cali, Columbia, has been slow. Frustratingly so.

    There were high hopes that the Colombian hosts could coordinate action between developed and developing countries towards reaching the landmark global biodiversity agreement reached in Montreal, Canada at Cop15 two years ago. But after two weeks and one long night, negotiations ended abruptly. Many delegates had to leave to catch flights home with key issues unresolved.

    This conference started with alarming news that the latest edition of the red list – the official record of threatened species – shows that more than one third of tree species face extinction in the wild. That’s more than the number of threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.

    Urging negotiators to recognise the seriousness of this nature crisis, Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro warned they were facing “the battle for life”.

    There was certainly no shortage of people seeking solutions.

    In the heart of the city, Cop16’s green zone hosted vibrant music, film screenings, indigenous arts and crafts. Local people, businesses and conference delegates discussed creative and collaborative ways to address the nature crisis.

    Over in the blue zone, the official conference space, there was a notable increase in the diversity of communities participating across side events and pavilions. The links between biodiversity and human health were highlighted. So too was the importance of nature for water and food security.

    In his opening video message, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres urged countries gathered to “engage all of society” as “la Cop de la gente” (a Cop of the people).

    So protests from Indigenous people and local communities were particularly powerful. Including greater recognition for these groups in the final decisions from the meeting was a rare sign of progress. A new fund to ensure that these groups would receive a share of the profits from the commercial use of digital sequence information – genetic information from native plants and animals – was another victory.

    A new set of principles developed by the UK government to prioritise gender issues in conservation and ensure fair access to the benefits biodiversity action for all marginalised groups received widespread support.

    The focus on economic resilience was more prominent than ever, with two days dedicated to business and finance. In 2018, only 300 businesses attended Cop14 in Egypt. In Cali, this number was 3,000.

    Delegates assemble for the negotiations at Cop16​.
    Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    Private investors, pension funds, the insurance industry and public banks stressed the importance of creating robust measures of biodiversity improvement. Business sectors focused on transition plans that could support fair and transparent means of reporting progress. The nature tech sector is growing too, with start-ups expected to attract up to $2 billion (£1.5 billion) in investments by the end of 2024.

    Back in the negotiating halls, delegates faced an uphill struggle. Only 44 out of 196 national plans to protect biodiversity have been updated to reflect the new targets. So, it’s no surprise that a gap is widening between current reality and the ambitious set of 23 targets which governments must reach by 2030. While countries agreed to a progress review in 2026, no consensus was reached on the indicators to be used. Progress was painfully slow.

    Negotiators debated how the global agreement on biodiversity should interact with its sister conventions on climate and desertification. Further discussions next year might identify how this could work but this probably won’t lead to drastic change. Some countries, including India and Russia, still seemed unwilling to accept the critical risks posed to nature and society of exceeding the 1.5°C global target for climate change.

    Many developing nations were concerned that greater integration between the climate crisis and biodiversity would lead to “double counting” of funding with the danger that developed countries could backtrack on their promises to support dedicated action on nature. Others, including the EU, argued that action to conserve and restore nature was an essential part of tackling all environmental and societal global challenges.

    The deadlock between these positions continued for days. In the final hours of Cop16, negotiators reached a compromise that sets out a more integrated pathway for bringing action on climate and nature together. While the effects of climate change directly exacerbate biodiversity loss, restoring nature can be a powerful tool in the fight to mitigate the climate crisis and benefit biodiversity. Nature-based solutions – measures like restoring peatlands and wetlands, planting trees and mangroves – help build that resilience.

    Heads of state and ministers joining at the midpoint of the meeting pointed out the need to ensure that nature is protected both for its own sake and for the communities that depend on healthy ecosystems for their livelihood and wellbeing.

    But at the end of a long final night, these words were not accompanied by concrete plans for action or the financial commitments about how nature protection should be paid for that many at Cop16 were hoping for.

    Whole of society, all of government?

    The global biodiversity agreement set in 2022 called for a whole of society approach to address the nature crisis. Cop16 certainly delivered. From local communities to huge businesses, there was a spirit of rolling up sleeves and putting investment and innovation to work using nature-based solutions to restore and conserve biodiversity.

    One of many packed side-events which bought the ‘whole of society’ together at Cop16.
    Philipp Montenegro, CC BY-NC-ND

    The same energy and commitment was clear from many of the local and sub-national governments assembled at Cop16. The first gathering of Mayors for Nature demonstrated significant commitment to action.

    Leaders from California and Quebec set the tone by investing in large-scale programmes, with Quebec not only committing to fund their own biodiversity action but also contributing to the global biodiversity fund – the first regional government to do so.

    But national governments struggled to move forward. The complexity of addressing biodiversity and its necessary interactions with sectors such as agriculture, transport and mining, as well as concerns over historic injustices between developing and developed countries, was perhaps too much for Cop16 to resolve.

    The risk is that, as governments navigate these challenges, the private sector could accelerate action without scrutiny. I worry that the lack of policy coordination could deter investors and slow the pace of action that local communities and regional governments want to make. Rather than waiting for global consensus, groups can catalyse change while holding each other accountable to make swift progress to save nature.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Harriet Bulkeley receives funding from the European Commission and currently serves as an advisor to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    – ref. Cop16: the world’s largest meeting to save nature has ended with no clear path ahead – https://theconversation.com/cop16-the-worlds-largest-meeting-to-save-nature-has-ended-with-no-clear-path-ahead-242160

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: China leverages fiscal toolbox to consolidate economic growth

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, Nov. 4 — China has appropriately enhanced the intensity of the proactive fiscal policy so far this year, utilizing a combination of policy tools, including ultra-long special treasury bonds and tax and fee reductions to promote its sustained economic recovery.

    The country has leveraged the multiplier effect of government spending to support development in key areas.

    Some 700 billion yuan (about 98.31 billion U.S. dollars) in the central government budget has been earmarked for investment this year, with the focus on supporting scientific and technological innovation, new infrastructure and carbon reduction, and improving people’s livelihoods, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

    The special-purpose bonds for local governments to be issued this year stand at a record 3.9 trillion yuan. In the first three quarters, the MOF said that 3.6 trillion yuan of bonds had been issued to support over 30,000 projects.

    Some 700 billion yuan of funds raised via the ultra-long special treasury bonds have been allocated to support the implementation of major national strategies and build up security capacity in key areas.

    To promote steady consumption growth, China introduced a large-scale equipment upgrade and consumer goods trade-in program in March this year and stepped up policy support in July with a fund injection of 300 billion yuan via ultra-long special treasury bonds.

    Since its launch, the trade-in program for automobiles and home appliances has achieved positive results. It is set to help further spur consumer spending and consolidate the country’s ongoing economic recovery, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

    As of Oct. 24, the MOC had received 1.57 million applications for scrappage incentives and 1.26 million applications for automobile replacement subsidies.

    The trade-in policy has revitalized consumer demand, propelled the development of new quality productive forces, promoted the green transformation of relevant industries, and injected strong impetus into consolidating the upward economic trajectory, said Li Gang, an official with the MOC.

    China has also optimized preferential tax and fee policies to boost the vitality of market entities.

    In the first eight months of the year, tax and fee cuts and tax rebates in support of scientific and technological innovation and the development of the manufacturing industry exceeded 1.8 trillion yuan, according to MOF.

    Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an told a press conference last month that China will introduce a package of targeted incremental fiscal policy measures in the near future to boost the economy.

    The package includes increasing the debt ceiling on a relatively large scale in a lump sum to replace existing hidden debts of local governments and help defuse their debt risks.

    Calling it “the strongest debt alleviation measure introduced in recent years,” Lan said the move is “undoubtedly a timely policy rain.”

    “It will greatly reduce the pressure on local governments to dissolve debts, free up more resources for economic development, and boost the confidence of business entities,” the minister said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government incentive for second-hand electric business vans closed04 November 2024 An incentive to encourage local businesses to switch to second-hand electric vans has seen all 25 available incentives successfully applied for in just six weeks. When the scheme launched on 16 September,… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    04 November 2024

    An incentive to encourage local businesses to switch to second-hand electric vans has seen all 25 available incentives successfully applied for in just six weeks. 

    When the scheme launched on 16 September, local businesses had an opportunity to apply for funding towards the purchase of a second-hand electric van on a first-come, first served basis, as part of the Government of Jersey’s incentive to reduce the Island’s transport emissions. 

    The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, said: “I’m pleased to see such an immediate and positive response from local businesses to the second-hand electric van incentive. This shows a real desire from businesses to switch to electric and support Jersey’s decarbonisation efforts. 

    “Business transport vehicles are responsible for a significant proportion of our transport emissions, so by making the switch to electric, businesses are supporting with the Island’s transition towards a more sustainable transport future.” 

    A separate Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive (EVPI) continues to be available to both individuals and businesses; at a value of up to £3,500 towards the cost of an electric car or van, or up to £300 towards the cost of an electric moped or motorcycle. 

    Due to the successful uptake of this to date, it is likely to close by the end of 2024. For more information about the Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive, visit: gov.je/GoElectric​.​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Liquidia Corporation to Report Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results on November 11, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MORRISVILLE, N.C., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ: LQDA), a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease, announced today that it will report its third quarter 2024 financial results on Monday, November 11, 2024. The company will host a live webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results and provide a corporate update.

    The live webcast will be available on Liquidia’s website at https://liquidia.com/investors/events-and-presentations. A rebroadcast of the event will be available and archived for a period of one year at the same location.

    About Liquidia Corporation
    Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease. The company’s current focus spans the development and commercialization of products in pulmonary hypertension and other applications of its proprietary PRINT® Technology. PRINT enabled the creation of Liquidia’s lead candidate, YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder, an investigational drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). The company is also developing L606, an investigational sustained-release formulation of treprostinil administered twice-daily with a next-generation nebulizer, and currently markets generic Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH. To learn more about Liquidia, please visit www.liquidia.com.

    Contact Information

    Investors:
    Jason Adair
    Chief Business Officer
    919.328.4350
    jason.adair@liquidia.com

    Media:
    Patrick Wallace
    Director, Corporate Communications
    919.328.4383
    patrick.wallace@liquidia.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Consumer Portfolio Services Partners with SentiLink to Enhance Fraud Prevention

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, NV, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPSS) (“CPS” or the “Company”), a leader in providing indirect automobile financing to consumers, today announced that it has partnered with SentiLink, a leading provider of advanced identity verification and fraud detection solutions. The partnership enables CPS to improve its fraud prevention efforts while also saving the Company approximately $1 million per quarter so far.

    SentiLink’s AI-driven technology analyzes key identity and fraud indicators to generate actionable reports for CPS, helping the Company lend to legitimate, verified borrowers. This improvement in fraud detection directly supports CPS’s goal of significantly reducing lifetime portfolio losses, ultimately reinforcing financial performance.

    “Fraud prevention is an increasingly vital component of our risk management strategy,” said Robert DeJarnette, VP of Risk Management at CPS. “With the rise in fraud attempts across the subprime auto sector, SentiLink’s technology will continue to be instrumental in helping us detect fraudulent activity early and reduce exposure within our portfolio.”

    Mike Lavin, COO of CPS, added: “SentiLink’s fraud detection capabilities have already helped us lower our fraud exposure by over $1 million each quarter so far. As we continue to optimize our technology, we expect to further reduce risks for our lending partners while supporting our continued growth in the subprime lending market.”

    Staying at the forefront of technology has become a key performance differentiator for CPS, enabling the Company to refine its underwriting processes, enhance dealer performance, and strengthen risk management. Through the thoughtful application of advanced AI and machine learning, CPS is well-positioned to drive sustained growth in the years ahead.

    About Consumer Portfolio Services:
    Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. is an independent specialty finance company that provides indirect automobile financing to individuals with past credit problems or limited credit histories. We purchase retail installment sales contracts primarily from franchised automobile dealerships secured by late model used vehicles and, to a lesser extent, new vehicles. We fund these contract purchases on a long-term basis primarily through the securitization markets and service the contracts over their lives.

    About SentiLink
    SentiLink, the leader in identity verification technology, provides financial institutions and fintechs with best-in-class solutions to prevent synthetic fraud, identity theft, and emerging forms of first-party fraud, as well as access to the eCBSV SSN verification service. Founded in 2017 by Naftali Harris and Max Blumenfeld, creators of the risk and fraud systems at Affirm, SentiLink has raised $85M to date from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Craft Ventures, and NYCA Partners, among others.

    Company Contact
    Danny Bharwani
    Chief Financial Officer
    949-753-6811

    Investor Relations Contact
    Tom Colton and Alec Wilson
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    CPSS@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: This Week in NJ – November 1st, 2024

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    Governor Phil Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman Launch New Jersey’s Commemoration of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration

    At Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Governor Phil Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman launched New Jersey’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, kicking off a multi-year schedule of events and projects that will take place through the nation’s semiquincentennial. As a leader in education, technology, AI, film, science, and more, New Jersey will celebrate its revolutionary legacy and its critical role in American history.

    “New Jersey is not just home to revolutionary history—we are, to this day, the birthplace for revolutionary possibilities,” said Governor Murphy. “From our eclectic culinary landscape, to our leadership in emerging industries like clean-energy and generative Artificial Intelligence, to our steadfast reputation as one of the most diverse states in the nation, New Jersey is where the future is being built. As we launch New Jersey’s official Commemoration of America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration—and prepare to welcome in visitors from across the globe—we are going to unite together around our core, American values every step of the way.” 

    “Our nation’s rich and diverse history has unfolded over the last 250 years,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way. “In my role as Secretary of State, I oversee the New Jersey Historical Commission, and I am thrilled to celebrate our country’s layered history—much of which has roots here in New Jersey. This shared legacy reflects our resilience and strength as united Americans, standing together through generations.” 

    “The Battle of Monmouth was a vital turning point to winning our nation’s independence nearly 250 years ago. So much of the story of our nation’s founding took place right here in New Jersey,” said Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. “As a member of the Semiquincentennial Commission, I’m so excited to help New Jersey show the rest of the country why we’re known as the ‘Crossroads of the American Revolution.’”

    The launch event included musical accompaniments by the Washington Crossing Fifes and Drums; a posting and retirement of the colors by reenactors of the Continental Army; the Pledge of Allegiance led by Ava Porta, a fifth grade student from Taylor Mills Elementary School in Manalapan; the National Anthem performed by Melissa Walker, an acclaimed jazz vocalist and recording artist from Montclair; and an essay read by Malay Gupta, an eighth grade student and first-place winner in America’s Field Trip scholastic contest at John Adams Middle School in Edison.

    READ MORE

    Governor Murphy Joins NJ TRANSIT to Showcase Brand New Multilevel Rail Cars

    Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett previewed the next generation of multilevel rail cars, modernizing the fleet which will significantly improve reliability, capacity and customer comfort. The latest generation of multilevel rail cars was unveiled at an event at NJ TRANSIT’s Meadows Maintenance Complex (MMC) in Kearny.

    “Providing modern, reliable equipment is a critical component to improving New Jersey’s infrastructure, particularly with regard to public transit,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “These multilevel rail cars are equipped with innovative features that meet the everyday needs of our commuters. Upon their completion, these upgraded rail cars will expand access to reliable and comfortable transportation for NJ TRANSIT riders.”

    “NJ TRANSIT is committed to improving every aspect of the customer journey, and the 174 new multilevel rail cars will help achieve that by significantly improving reliability, increasing capacity and enhancing the onboard experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful to Governor Murphy, the New jersey legislators and our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for delivering the necessary funding to ensure our system continues to meet the growing demands of our region, and the expectations of our customers.” 

    Governor Murphy and Corbett previewed the first of 174 Multilevel III cars during an event at the agency’s MMC in Kearny. They highlighted many of the new car’s amenities, including USB charging ports and onboard information displays. The new cars, manufactured by Alstom Transportation in Plattsburgh, NY, will offer a range of benefits over the older, 40+ year-old single level cars they will replace, including dramatic improvement in mechanical reliability. The vehicle maximum speed will increase to 110 miles per hour. The cars, which will begin entering service mid-next year, will be compliant with the latest federal regulations, including Positive Train Control.

    READ MORE

    Governor Murphy Holds Roundtable Discussion on Expanding Access to Public Contracting Opportunities for Historically Marginalized Businesses

    Governor Phil Murphy held a roundtable discussion where he met with legislators and stakeholders to gather input on potential legislative remedies and ongoing administrative initiatives to eliminate disparities in the public procurement process and create a more equitable business environment for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) in New Jersey.

    The discussion follows the release of a comprehensive statewide disparity study earlier this year – the first since 2005 – which reviewed statewide procurement data relating to goods and services, professional services, and construction between 2015 and 2020, and found statistically significant disparities in the awarding of public contracts to MWBEs. The study was necessary so that the State had a legal basis for addressing these gaps. This discussion also follows a series of meetings over the past months led by the Governor’s Office and the Department of Treasury with community partners, faith leaders, labor, and diverse business chambers across the state.

    “One of New Jersey’s best attributes has always been its vast diversity. Our state is home to people of so many different backgrounds, who all deserve the opportunity to succeed in their chosen field; however, lingering inequities continue to create barriers to entry for our minority and women-owned businesses that want to contract with our state government. This is unacceptable and, with the help of our lawmakers and business community, we will take action,” said Governor Murphy. “Today’s meeting underscores our steadfast commitment to building a stronger, fairer, more equitable, and more inclusive New Jersey. I look forward to continuing this conversation and working with our partners in the Legislature and our state’s business community to create a system where all businesses can thrive.”

    READ MORE

    Governor Murphy Announces Creation of Economic Council

    Governor Murphy signed an Executive Order establishing a new Economic Council, which will be supported by a newly established Development Coordination Committee. Under the executive order, the Economic Council will provide a regular forum for the business community and state government to discuss, collaborate, and solve issues important to the public and private sectors, and stimulate economic growth and prosperity. The new Development Coordination Committee will support the Council’s work in advancing development projects that require multiple state, county and local government approvals. 

    “The Economic Council will ensure that we continue to have a healthy collaboration between the business community and the state government,” said Governor Murphy. “Deepening our Administration’s strong relationship with various sectors across our state will stimulate growth within our economy. I look forward to the forum for ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and problem-solving to advance our shared economic goals.” 

    Since the beginning of the Murphy Administration, state officials have worked with legislative partners and industry stakeholders on policies to improve the role and function of the government in facilitating economic development. Since 2018, New Jersey has seen small businesses increase by over 40,000 or 19%, despite the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Economic Council’s co-chairs will be Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Growth Eric Brophy and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Tim Sullivan. The co-chairs will designate representatives from industry to participate in working group discussions with the Council. Along with the co-chairs, the Council will also consist of the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Chief Counsel, Chief Policy Advisor, the State Treasurer; and the Executive Director of the Business Action Center, or their respective designees.

    READ MORE

    Governors of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, and Delaware Issue Joint Letter to Grid Operator PJM

    Governor Phil Murphy joined Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Delaware Governor John Carney in issuing a letter to PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for New Jersey and the aforementioned states. The governors have called on PJM to take urgent action to address the increasing cost of electricity bills after the record-high prices coming out of the region’s capacity auction.

    The letter addresses issues that impact the path to renewable energy goals, including market structure and the efficacy of the generator interconnection process. In the recent PJM capacity auction for the 2025/2026 Delivery Year, clearing prices surged to almost 10 times higher than the previous year, leaving residents and businesses with much higher bills. Serious flaws with the rules this auction contributed significantly to these unnecessarily high prices. 


    “PJM must take action now to address record high prices,” said Governor Murphy. “In New Jersey, we’re doing our part by bringing new resources to the market and making electricity more affordable for families and businesses as we look to a clean and resilient energy future. However, our grid operator must work in lockstep with the states and recognize that the market isn’t responding quickly enough due to current conditions of slow interconnection. I’m looking forward to working together to stop customers from facing unnecessarily high utility bills, along with facilitating the development of increased capacity and reliability, which will stimulate economic growth and limit the effects of climate change.”

    READ MORE

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New skills programme seeks to link employers and students

    Source: City of Manchester

    Talented students at schools and colleges in Manchester are being connected to future employers helping to cultivate new opportunities as they look to enter the workforce.

    The BREE (Building Relationships with Employers and Educators) project has been launched by Manchester City Council to bring together employers, educators and students to help them succeed in their future career path. 

    The first opening event was held in the city on Wednesday, 30 October, where representatives from businesses, schools and colleges were present to celebrate the initiative alongside the Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig, as well as partner organisations and stakeholders. 

    As the Council works towards Manchester becoming accredited as a Child Friendly City, it is important the city develops these relationships to give young people the best possible start in life, helping to develop skills and talent that will help them succeed in the years to come. 

    Businesses across Manchester are being called to join the project and lend their expertise and voice to growing this community, and establish strong bonds between the education sector and further work and training. It is a simple process, completed via a form on the Council’s website. 

    Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said: “We know how important it is to provide young people the options and pathways to a future career. Whether it is sparking interest in a trade or sector, to showing what extra training is on offer for them we want to ensure there are no doors left unopened for school and university leavers. 

    “Work and Skills is a hugely important part of the work the Council does, working in tandem with our wider economic strategy, we want to see more people getting into well-paying jobs, helping to grow our city and economy in an inclusive and progressive way.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Insider Announces $500M Series E Led by General Atlantic to Accelerate AI Investments, Fuel U.S. Expansion, and Continue to Scale Global Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Insider, a leading AI-native omnichannel experience and customer engagement platform, today announced a $500 million Series E funding round led by General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor.

    Insider plans to further develop its next-generation marketing software offering and invest heavily in research and development, focusing on expanding and evolving its AI solutions. The company also intends to scale its talent base and geographic footprint, leveraging General Atlantic’s global platform. With an established market position in 28 countries across five continents, including North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America, Insider plans to increase its regional investments on the back of strong demand in the U.S. market, where it has achieved significant growth. Additionally, the company will use the funds to explore strategic M&A opportunities.

    As a leading enterprise marketing software provider, Insider enables marketers and customer experience teams to create highly personalized omnichannel experiences and manage customer engagement from a single platform. With an integrated CDP that vertically integrates data and marketing application layers to fuel marketing automation and personalized customer journey orchestration across 12+ natively-supported channels – including WhatsApp, SMS, Email, Web, App, Site Search, and more – Insider helps marketers to efficiently collect, analyze, and predictively use first-party data in real-time. As a result, brands can accelerate growth, realize higher marketing efficiency, and create more valuable customer relationships.

    Hande Cilingir, Co-Founder and CEO at Insider, said, “Our mission is to empower marketing and CX teams to deliver a holistic omnichannel experience and deepen customer engagement. Unlike traditional technology companies that focus on a single area or product, our approach has always been to build multiple best-in-breed and industry-leading products, bringing them together in one complete platform that outperforms single-point solutions. As a pioneer of predictive models in customer experience, this funding positions us to further build upon that foundation to disrupt the MarTech industry. We believe that our differentiators, especially AI-enabled tools, will set Insider apart as the preferred choice for marketing and customer experience teams, and we look forward to leveraging General Atlantic’s deep experience backing growth companies to drive the marketing technology shift.”

    “Many brands are eager to move away from traditional marketing clouds that limit their growth. We are on a mission to help as many users as possible transition from legacy marketing clouds to Insider. We have developed a white-glove migration blueprint designed to make the transition seamless. In the last year, 150 brands have successfully made the switch to Insider using our automatic migrator and pre-built integrations, and achieved up to 5X faster time to value compared to their previous vendor,” said Serhat Soyuerel, Co-Founder and CRO at Insider.

    Insider launched patent-pending Sirius AI™, a comprehensive solution for end-to-end omnichannel experience creation. The technology combines the transformative power of generative, conversational, and predictive AI.

    “This funding will help accelerate our ambitious product roadmap and grow our 350+ in-house engineering team. Over the next two years, we plan to focus on realizing our vision to build an end-to-end AI-native omnichannel experience and customer engagement platform that compounds promotional, transactional, and support capabilities into a seamless solution powered by an extensive set of channels. Harnessing Generative AI to make user interactions more conversational at every level, we plan to further invest in Sirius AI™ Co-Pilot, which guides teams at every stage of customer journey creation,” said Muharrem Derinkok, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Insider.

    Sascha Guenther, Managing Director and Head of DACH at General Atlantic, commented, “The MarTech industry is benefitting from a secular shift levered to ongoing tailwinds, including the proliferation of data traffic and channels, the growing importance of first-party data, and evolving customer expectations regarding personalized experiences across channels. Insider has successfully positioned itself as a leading and dynamic innovator in the B2B SaaS space and delivers tangible ROI to its customers. We believe the company is well placed to capture a greater share of the $15+ billion total addressable market, as businesses race to upgrade their marketing strategies around the world in need of higher marketing efficiency and effectiveness.”

    Alex Crisses, Managing Director, Enterprise Technology, and Global Head of New Investment Sourcing at General Atlantic, continued, “Insider has disrupted traditional marketing cloud operators in the enterprise space by offering a differentiated and well-integrated suite of next-gen products. Insider’s success lies in consistently delivering unmatched value to their customers. Few platforms are capable of achieving this, setting Insider apart. We believe Hande and her team are talented product visionaries and entrepreneurs, and we’re excited to help them scale further.”

    As part of the transaction, Sascha Guenther, Alex Crisses, and Christopher Apfel, Vice President at General Atlantic, will join the Insider Board of Directors.

    Insider is hiring across 28 regions. Explore open positions at useinsider.com/careers. For more information about Insider, visit https://useinsider.com/.

    About Insider

    Insider is a leading AI-native Omnichannel Experience and Customer Engagement Platform – enabling marketing and customer experience teams to deliver a unique experience per person, from a single platform. Insider’s integrated CDP vertically integrates data and marketing application layers to fuel marketing automation and personalized customer journey orchestration across 12+ natively-supported channels, like WhatsApp, SMS, Email, Web, App, Site Search, and more. Insider helps marketers to efficiently collect, analyze, and predictively use first-party data in real-time. As a result, brands accelerate growth, realize higher productivity, maximize marketing ROI, increase customer lifetime value, and create more valuable customer relationships.

    Insider powers omnichannel experiences and customer engagement for 1,500+ global customers across retail, automotive, travel, and telecommunications, including Nike, Samsung, L’Oreal, Unilever, Allianz, Walt Disney, ING Group, Toyota, Singapore Airlines, and GAP.

    Loved by customers and recognized by analysts, Insider is recognized as a leader in the areas marketing and CX teams care most about, including Cross-Channel Campaign Management, Personalization, and Customer Data Platforms, offering brands unrivaled product excellence within a single consolidated platform. Insider was named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Personalization Engines 2021, the Forrester Wave for Cross-Channel Campaign Management 2021, and Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Omnichannel Marketing Platforms for B2C Enterprises 2023 Assessment. The company was recently recognized in The Top 1% of all software companies worldwide in G2’s 2024 Software Awards and named the #5 Best Software Product with the most #1 rankings alongside other software legends like Google, Zoom, and Monday.com. According to G2’s Fall’24 reports, Insider is also the #1 G2 Leader in 9+ categories, including Customer Data Platforms (CDP), Personalization Engines, Personalization Software, Mobile Marketing, Customer Journey Analytics, SMS Marketing, WhatsApp Marketing, eCommerce Search, and eCommerce Personalization, with a 4.8/5.0 ranking for 21+ consecutive quarters.

    Today, Insider has more than 1,100 team members representing 51 nationalities across 28 countries worldwide. The company is woman-founded, with 70% of top executive roles, including the CEO, CMO, CHRO, and CFO, being held by women. With initiatives such as 100 cities, 100 projects, Young Engineers Club, shecodes, and sheleads, Insider is committed to scaling its impact across its communities. For more information about Insider, please visit: https://useinsider.com.

    About General Atlantic

    General Atlantic is a leading global growth investor with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 520 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980, General Atlantic continues to be a dedicated partner to visionary founders and investors seeking to build dynamic businesses and create long-term value. Guided by the conviction that entrepreneurs can be incredible agents of transformational change, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector-specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon, and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with and scale innovative businesses around the world. The firm leverages its patient capital, operational expertise, and global platform to support a diversified investment platform spanning Growth Equity, Credit, Climate, and Sustainable Infrastructure strategies. General Atlantic manages approximately $97 billion in assets under management, inclusive of all strategies, as of October 1, 2024 (based on valuations as of June 30, 2024), with more than 900 professionals in 20 countries across five regions. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit: www.generalatlantic.com.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d23219b3-1e4a-4c8e-83dd-b8ad780dba13

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d23d86b-d14e-4ddb-bf67-0d0d4ab87b04

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26f93f38-9c6b-458a-8506-460a9a55e491

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union Members at South Charleston’s Dow Chemical Ratify Improved Contract, End Strike

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    SOUTH CHARLESTON, W. Va.– Approximately 77 members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 598 (District 54) at Dow Chemical in South Charleston have voted to ratify an improved contract offer and end their strike at the employer.

    On Oct. 21, IAM Local 598 members went on strike for fair wages and work-life balance. IAM International President Brian Bryant recently visited striking members, and members held a rally with the West Virginia AFL-CIO.

    “Congratulations to the membership of IAM Local 598 for standing strong for the contract they deserve,” said IAM District 54 President and Directing Business Representative T. Dean Wright Jr. “Thanks to their solidarity, we have won a victory for our members, their families and the entire community. I would like to thank the District 54 staff, Local 598 officers, our members and their families, the South Charleston community, and International President Brian Bryant for all of their support.”

    Highlights of the improved agreement include: 

    ·      General wage increase from 15.91% up to 20.28% over the life of the agreement.

    ·      New employees will reach top rate in 36 months or sooner.

    ·      The majority of the bargaining unit will exceed $40 per hour for their base salary, and has a defined path to making top rate or certification.

    ·      15% of total yearly salary contribution to 401(k) savings plan.

    ·      Increases to safety, including Emergency Squad Pay (ESP) of $2,700 per year.

    ·      Secured seniority language.

    ·      Secured hours of work language, improving overtime practices and distribution for work-life balance.

    ·      Increased shift premiums up to 200%.

    ·      Gained paid family illness leave.

    ·      Contributions to FSA dependent care reimbursement account.

    ·      Contributions to childcare annually.

    “Our Local 598 members have fought hard and won an exceptional contract that will benefit them for years to come,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “This contract delivers significant and lasting improvements to their wages, benefits, and quality of life and sets a new benchmark for our members in the Eastern Territory.” 

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

    “The unwavering solidarity of IAM Local 598 members at Dow Chemical in South Charleston was crucial in securing this landmark victory,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “This contract is a testament to their collective power, delivering substantial gains in wages, benefits, and work-life balance. It was an honor to walk the picket line with them.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FEHD highly concerned about illegal sale of food such as meat by unlicensed hawkers

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    FEHD highly concerned about illegal sale of food such as meat by unlicensed hawkers
    FEHD highly concerned about illegal sale of food such as meat by unlicensed hawkers
    ***********************************************************************************

         In response to a media report on the illegal sale of food items like meat by unlicensed hawkers on Tak Tai Path, Kwai Chung, a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (November 4) said that the department has deep concern and has taken prompt action to combat these illegal acts in order to safeguard public health and food safety.     The FEHD spokesman said that during an enforcement operation in August this year, the FEHD staff arrested an unlicensed hawker for selling frozen meat and sushi illegally. In addition, they arrested three unlicensed hawkers for selling second-hand goods at the same location last week. To prevent similar irregularities, the FEHD has strengthened inspections at the location. Furthermore, the FEHD will organise special operations and conduct blitz inspections at locations across the territory that have frequent illegal hawking activities. The FEHD will take stringent enforcement actions against the illegal sale of food by hawkers. The FEHD also encourages members of the public to report hawkers selling suspicious food to the department.     The spokesman emphasised that under the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X), any person who sells restricted food (including frozen meat, sashimi and sushi) without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction. No one should defy the law. The spokesman reminded members of the public that consuming food from unknown sources and expired food, particularly high-risk food like meat, sashimi and sushi, may pose serious food safety risks. Members of the public should refrain from patronising illegal hawkers when purchasing any food. 

     
    Ends/Monday, November 4, 2024Issued at HKT 22:26

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Business Recovery Centers in Georgia to Close for Election Day

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Business Recovery Centers in Georgia, on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Wednesday, Nov.6 in observance of Election Day.  The Centers will resume normal operations on Thursday, Nov. 7.
    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are a cornerstone of our support for business owners,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “At these centers, business owners can meet face-to-face with specialists to apply for disaster loans and access ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today it will temporarily close its a wide range of resources to guide them through their recovery.”

    Customer Service Representatives at SBA’s Business Recovery Centers can assist applicants complete their disaster loan application, accept documents for existing applications, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Recovery Center in advance. The centers will operate as indicated below until further notice.

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)
    Lowndes County 
    Turner Center for the Arts, Art Annex
    601 North Patterson Street
    Valdosta, GA 31601
    Hours:         Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
                          Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Closed:       Sunday
    Closed:      Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 5-6 for Election Day 

     Business Recovery Center (BRC)
    Richmond County 
    CSRA Regional Commission
    3626 Walton Way Ext , Suite 1  
    Augusta, GA 30909
    Hours:         Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
                          Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Closed:        Sunday

     Business Recover Center (BRC) 
    Chatham County
    Savannah Entrepreneurial Center
    801 E Gwinnett St  
    Savannah, GA 31404
    Hours:        Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
                          Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Closed:       Sunday
    Closed:      Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 5-6 for Election Day 

     Business Recovery Center (BRC)
    Richmond County 
    CSRA Regional Commission
    3626 Walton Way Ext , Suite 1  
    Augusta, GA 30909
    Hours:         Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
                          Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Closed:        Sunday

    Portable Loan Outreach Center (PLOC) 
    Richmond County

    Behind Parker’s Kitchen 
    4104 Windsor Spring Rd 
    Hephzibah, GA 30815

    Opening:   Monday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 
    Hours:        Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
                       Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
    Closed:       Sunday 
    Closed:       Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 5-6
                         for Election Day 

       Business Recovery Center (BRC) 
    Richmond County 
    CSRA Regional Commission 
    3626 Walton Way Ext , Suite 1 
    Augusta, GA 30909

    Hours:        Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
                       Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
    Closed:       Sunday 
    Closed:       Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 5-6
                         for Election Day

    Business Recover Center (BRC) 
    Bulloch County
    Eastern Heights Baptist Church
    23805 US Hwy 80 E
    Statesboro, GA 30461
    Hours:        Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
                          Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    Closed:      Sunday
    Closed:      Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 5-6 
                         for Election Day

    On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.

    With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover.  FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.

    Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 25, 2024, for Tropical Storm Debby and Nov. 29, 2024, for Hurricane Helene. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2025, for Tropical Storm Debby and June 30, 2025, for Hurricane Helene. 
    ###
    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 
    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Invests in Mineral Development Future

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    November 4, 2024

    Manitoba Government Invests in Mineral Development Future

    – – –
    Manitoba Mineral Development Fund, Modernized Early Mineral Exploration Guidelines, Infrastructure Study Will Help More Companies and Projects Thrive: Moses

    The Manitoba government is announcing an additional intake of up to $2 million in funding through the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund (MMDF) to spur immediate economic growth, Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses announced today. 

    “Our government is growing the critical mineral sector and creating good jobs for Manitobans by enabling the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund to advance projects in Manitoba,” said Moses. 

    Administered through the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, the MMDF strategically funds economic development and mining projects of up to $300,000 per project that create Indigenous partnerships, increase local employment and stimulate investment in northern Manitoba. Since 2020, $14.7 million has been provided to 90 projects. This has leveraged over $128 million in private sector capital, generated over 660 jobs and 128 community and Indigenous partnerships. 

    “The MMDF has been an overwhelming success in providing funding that has resulted in increased opportunities for partnerships and development along with employment opportunities that have strengthened and greatly benefited communities in the north and across the province,” said Chuck Davidson, president and CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, and chair of the MMDF board. “The Manitoba government’s ongoing commitment to supporting and investing in projects that contribute to sustainable mineral development will help position Manitoba as a leader in the mineral sector.” 

    The Manitoba government has also partnered with the Mining Association of Manitoba Inc. to revise and modernize the guidelines for early mineral exploration. The guidelines provide clear direction to industry for undertaking early mineral exploration in the province to support and educate companies as they plan early mineral exploration projects to the highest environmental and industry standards. The new guidelines will also serve as a reference tool for Indigenous communities and regulatory bodies evaluating mineral exploration projects in Manitoba, said Moses. 

    The federal government has identified 34 minerals as critical for promoting green energy and sustainable economic success. Manitoba, which is sixth on the Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies’ Investment Global Attractiveness Index, has 30 of these 34 critical minerals. Critical minerals are crucial for Manitoba’s growth as a low-carbon leader and are essential to developing clean technologies, energy storage systems, electric vehicles and other technologies that advance net-zero targets, noted the minister. 

    For more information on critical minerals in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/minerals. For more information on the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund and the next intake, visit https://mmdf.ca/. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Visions of development have shifted in Africa over the past two decades: study explores how Rwanda and Ethiopia tried to shape the future

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Barnaby Joseph Dye, Lecturer, King’s College London

    Contemporary economic challenges in Africa appear to be shifting the continent into a new era of development. From COVID-19 to war-induced inflation, many countries in Africa are facing significant economic challenges. The crises of recent years come on top of longer-term increases in debt, especially after the 2014 commodity price shock.

    These circumstances have been the backdrop to recent conflicts, coups, and regime changes. But these contemporary crises follow a period of relatively successful state-led development in the first two decades of the 21st century, resulting in a hype about the new “African lions” and the emergence of an “Africa rising” narrative.

    Two cases stand out as emblematic of this era: Rwanda’s vision of a Dubai-style financial and service hub, and Ethiopia’s rapid manufacturing and infrastructure ambitions.

    Much has been written about the international factors behind this era of state-led development. The focus has been on the extension of private finance and the growth of “new” lenders such as China, India and Brazil. But these perspectives often overlook important questions. What has inspired ambitious African national plans over the last two decades? What assumptions were made about how development happens and how it should look?

    In new research published in a special issue of a journal, we analyse these modernising visions. We unpick their differences and commonalities using cases from multiple countries.

    Our emphasis is on understanding ideas, beliefs, and norms in shaping development plans. Such perspectives are often overlooked in the study of Africa. Scholars have often presumed that ruling elites are primarily interested in narrow material power or self-enrichment. We argue that ideas and beliefs underpin the goals and content of development plans.

    The research covered in the special issue covers Angola, Eritrea and Tanzania, but in this article we will unpack our analysis of Ethiopia and Rwanda.

    20th century modernist development

    Many of the elements of development this century look like resurgent 20th century “high modernism”. This is a term coined by scholar James Scott to describe top-down, state-led, authoritarian programmes of economic development. These programmes typically used infrastructure and technology to engineer supposedly “backward”, “traditional” people and landscapes into efficient, modern, rational alternatives.

    Perhaps the chief examples here are large dams. Historically, dams were viewed as the hallmark projects of modernisation. They could tame nature and deploy technology, whether electricity or irrigation, to found modern economies and workers. Ghana’s Akosombo Dam is one such project.

    But building dams paused from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s as the World Bank and other major funders withdrew. Dam projects were seen as having too-high social and economic costs and as not performing well. Such negative impacts also generated significant protests.

    Rwanda’s case

    Underpinning Rwanda’s model is a concentrated Leninist-style power structure. The president and associated elites chart the path to progress. The party, with its affiliated companies and investment funds, is all powerful – not solely the state. Rwanda also revived mid-century plans, from dams to an east African railway corridor. Electricity was deemed central, resulting in a rapid, but overambitious five-fold increase in over 15 years.

    This recent period was not just a reproduction of the 1960s, however. It had new elements. A Dubai-style aesthetic is central to the reinvented capital, Kigali, where the goal is to create a new corporate service hub, replete with skyscraper, conference centres, shopping malls and a new international airport. This replaces the 20th century obsession with industrial sites and brutalist concrete.

    Rather than the state-led programmes of the 20th century, pro-market reforms have been incorporated. There’s an embrace of private enterprise, a stock market and investment. The country’s electricity boom was largely enacted by private firms and Rwanda consistently ranks as one of the top countries in the Ease of Doing Business index. It takes hours, not weeks, to set up a company and there’s a speedy regulatory bureaucracy.

    Read more: Rwanda is creating shiny, modern cities after the genocide – but this won’t help communities heal from the past

    In some cases, “neoliberal” reforms have been brought in, with private enterprise and investment in previously state-controlled domains. Rwanda embraced corporate investment and ownership while making business-friendly, low-tax reforms. The private sector was given a big role in Rwanda’s boom to build over 40 microhydro plants in 15 years.

    New public management techniques, with individual incentives and civil service targets, were adopted.

    Ethiopia’s case

    Ethiopia focused on investments in large agricultural plantations and industrial parks. The result evoked 20th century modernisation drives. A broad-based infrastructure boom and an industrialisation strategy that moved agricultural produce up the value chain would transform the structure of the economy. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Addis-Djibouti Railway and other megaprojects became symbols of this vision. The aim was to maintain state control of the commanding heights of the economy (electricity, water, telecommunications and aviation, among others), while building an industrial base that would absorb the surplus agricultural labour.

    This was coupled with investments in education and health. In 2016, Ethiopia had the third highest ratio of public investment to GDP, but also one of the fastest economic growth rates globally.

    Unlike Rwanda, this ideology has not survived. Progress in health, education and income was achieved but political tensions grew. By the mid 2010s, the material reality of people’s livelihoods could no longer keep up with the promises the ruling party had evoked. Dissent was not tolerated and led to mass protests, riots, and the eventual demise of the party. Since 2018, there has been a dramatic shift in ideology and vision with an openness to liberalisation, and a focus away from industrialisation to the service sector.

    Continuity and change

    Overall, our analysis reveals a combination of continuity and change during this period. It marks the triumph of an “African left”, with old titans like Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi or Mozambique’s Frelimo joined by new revolutionary parties also inspired by Marxism.

    The language of communism or socialism is not used explicitly. But a belief endures that top-down schemes and mega-infrastructure can catapult people into an “enlightened” future. Structural economic barriers are surmountable through technology and engineering.

    Simultaneously, one cannot escape the language of the Davos establishment about the supremacy of markets, importance of foreign investment and pledges to tackle climate change and poverty. This illustrates the degree to which these illiberal modernisers are connected to international policymaking.

    Our publication conceptualises this pattern of continuity and change, as a 10-point “illiberal modernisers” manifesto. Although holding considerable variation between countries, we argue that these these hegemonic ruling parties shared common goals of transforming society through an elite-defined programme.

    Ultimately, the pattern of continuity and change demonstrates the importance of analysing ideas, beliefs, and values. Elites in Africa, just as elsewhere, are not only interested in power but are influenced by ideas about development.

    – Visions of development have shifted in Africa over the past two decades: study explores how Rwanda and Ethiopia tried to shape the future
    – https://theconversation.com/visions-of-development-have-shifted-in-africa-over-the-past-two-decades-study-explores-how-rwanda-and-ethiopia-tried-to-shape-the-future-224988

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ICC and World Governments Summit announce knowledge partnership

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC and World Governments Summit announce knowledge partnership

    The agreement was formalised in a signing ceremony between ICC Secretary-General John W.H. Denton AO and Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Director of the WGS.

    Under the partnership, ICC and WGS will work closely to exchange insights and best practices to support the design of resilient economic models and international standards conducive to sustainable development, at both regional and global levels.

    Mr Al Olama underscored the WGS’ commitment to improving governance models, enhancing community quality of life, and creating better opportunities for future generations.

    “Enhancing international partnerships to define future pathways and proactively tackle challenges is central to the vision and mission of the World Governments Summit,” he said.

    Mr Al Olama said the partnership would add depth to WGS’s knowledge resources and strengthen its capacity to support decision-makers with innovative, yet practical, solutions. “Economic, trade, and business sectors hold a prominent position on the summit’s agenda, as they are crucial drivers of development and prosperity,” he added, highlighting the need for cooperation to design future-oriented economic models.

    Recognising WGS’s role in fostering dialogue on global issues, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said:

    “The World Governments Summit is increasingly recognised as a critical platform for discussing and influencing the future of global governance. As the world’s largest business organisation, ICC firmly believes that no global challenge can be effectively addressed without the involvement of the private sector. Through our partnership with WGS, we look forward to leveraging the expertise and resources of our vast network, representing over 45 million companies across 170 countries, including 70% from the Global South, to foster innovative approaches to international cooperation.”

    Mr Denton stressed ICC’s commitment to collaborative solutions that are not only innovative but also inclusive, ensuring developing economies have a voice in shaping the global economic landscape.

    The World Governments Summit is a global platform that brings together leaders from government, business, and civil society to address pressing global challenges and explore future trends. Through collaborative efforts and knowledge-sharing, the Summit aims to shape the future of governance, foster innovation, and develop sustainable solutions that improve quality of life for communities worldwide.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Visions of development have shifted in Africa over the past two decades: study explores how Rwanda and Ethiopia tried to shape the future

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Barnaby Joseph Dye, Lecturer, King’s College London

    Contemporary economic challenges in Africa appear to be shifting the continent into a new era of development. From COVID-19 to war-induced inflation, many countries in Africa are facing significant economic challenges. The crises of recent years come on top of longer-term increases in debt, especially after the 2014 commodity price shock.

    These circumstances have been the backdrop to recent conflicts, coups, and regime changes. But these contemporary crises follow a period of relatively successful state-led development in the first two decades of the 21st century, resulting in a hype about the new “African lions” and the emergence of an “Africa rising” narrative.

    Two cases stand out as emblematic of this era: Rwanda’s vision of a Dubai-style financial and service hub, and Ethiopia’s rapid manufacturing and infrastructure ambitions.

    Much has been written about the international factors behind this era of state-led development. The focus has been on the extension of private finance and the growth of “new” lenders such as China, India and Brazil. But these perspectives often overlook important questions. What has inspired ambitious African national plans over the last two decades? What assumptions were made about how development happens and how it should look?

    In new research published in a special issue of a journal, we analyse these modernising visions. We unpick their differences and commonalities using cases from multiple countries.

    Our emphasis is on understanding ideas, beliefs, and norms in shaping development plans. Such perspectives are often overlooked in the study of Africa. Scholars have often presumed that ruling elites are primarily interested in narrow material power or self-enrichment. We argue that ideas and beliefs underpin the goals and content of development plans.

    The research covered in the special issue covers Angola, Eritrea and Tanzania, but in this article we will unpack our analysis of Ethiopia and Rwanda.

    20th century modernist development

    Many of the elements of development this century look like resurgent 20th century “high modernism”. This is a term coined by scholar James Scott to describe top-down, state-led, authoritarian programmes of economic development. These programmes typically used infrastructure and technology to engineer supposedly “backward”, “traditional” people and landscapes into efficient, modern, rational alternatives.

    Perhaps the chief examples here are large dams. Historically, dams were viewed as the hallmark projects of modernisation. They could tame nature and deploy technology, whether electricity or irrigation, to found modern economies and workers. Ghana’s Akosombo Dam is one such project.

    But building dams paused from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s as the World Bank and other major funders withdrew. Dam projects were seen as having too-high social and economic costs and as not performing well. Such negative impacts also generated significant protests.

    Rwanda’s case

    Underpinning Rwanda’s model is a concentrated Leninist-style power structure. The president and associated elites chart the path to progress. The party, with its affiliated companies and investment funds, is all powerful – not solely the state. Rwanda also revived mid-century plans, from dams to an east African railway corridor. Electricity was deemed central, resulting in a rapid, but overambitious five-fold increase in over 15 years.

    This recent period was not just a reproduction of the 1960s, however. It had new elements. A Dubai-style aesthetic is central to the reinvented capital, Kigali, where the goal is to create a new corporate service hub, replete with skyscraper, conference centres, shopping malls and a new international airport. This replaces the 20th century obsession with industrial sites and brutalist concrete.

    Rather than the state-led programmes of the 20th century, pro-market reforms have been incorporated. There’s an embrace of private enterprise, a stock market and investment. The country’s electricity boom was largely enacted by private firms and Rwanda consistently ranks as one of the top countries in the Ease of Doing Business index. It takes hours, not weeks, to set up a company and there’s a speedy regulatory bureaucracy.



    Read more:
    Rwanda is creating shiny, modern cities after the genocide – but this won’t help communities heal from the past

    In some cases, “neoliberal” reforms have been brought in, with private enterprise and investment in previously state-controlled domains. Rwanda embraced corporate investment and ownership while making business-friendly, low-tax reforms. The private sector was given a big role in Rwanda’s boom to build over 40 microhydro plants in 15 years.

    New public management techniques, with individual incentives and civil service targets, were adopted.

    Ethiopia’s case

    Ethiopia focused on investments in large agricultural plantations and industrial parks. The result evoked 20th century modernisation drives. A broad-based infrastructure boom and an industrialisation strategy that moved agricultural produce up the value chain would transform the structure of the economy. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Addis-Djibouti Railway and other megaprojects became symbols of this vision. The aim was to maintain state control of the commanding heights of the economy (electricity, water, telecommunications and aviation, among others), while building an industrial base that would absorb the surplus agricultural labour.

    This was coupled with investments in education and health. In 2016, Ethiopia had the third highest ratio of public investment to GDP, but also one of the fastest economic growth rates globally.

    Unlike Rwanda, this ideology has not survived. Progress in health, education and income was achieved but political tensions grew. By the mid 2010s, the material reality of people’s livelihoods could no longer keep up with the promises the ruling party had evoked. Dissent was not tolerated and led to mass protests, riots, and the eventual demise of the party. Since 2018, there has been a dramatic shift in ideology and vision with an openness to liberalisation, and a focus away from industrialisation to the service sector.

    Continuity and change

    Overall, our analysis reveals a combination of continuity and change during this period. It marks the triumph of an “African left”, with old titans like Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi or Mozambique’s Frelimo joined by new revolutionary parties also inspired by Marxism.

    The language of communism or socialism is not used explicitly. But a belief endures that top-down schemes and mega-infrastructure can catapult people into an “enlightened” future. Structural economic barriers are surmountable through technology and engineering.

    Simultaneously, one cannot escape the language of the Davos establishment about the supremacy of markets, importance of foreign investment and pledges to tackle climate change and poverty. This illustrates the degree to which these illiberal modernisers are connected to international policymaking.

    Our publication conceptualises this pattern of continuity and change, as a 10-point “illiberal modernisers” manifesto. Although holding considerable variation between countries, we argue that these these hegemonic ruling parties shared common goals of transforming society through an elite-defined programme.

    Ultimately, the pattern of continuity and change demonstrates the importance of analysing ideas, beliefs, and values. Elites in Africa, just as elsewhere, are not only interested in power but are influenced by ideas about development.

    Barnaby Joseph Dye receives funding from the Economic and Social Science Research Council (UK).

    Biruk Terrefe received funding from the Heinrich Böll Foundation (Germany).

    – ref. Visions of development have shifted in Africa over the past two decades: study explores how Rwanda and Ethiopia tried to shape the future – https://theconversation.com/visions-of-development-have-shifted-in-africa-over-the-past-two-decades-study-explores-how-rwanda-and-ethiopia-tried-to-shape-the-future-224988

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: easyJet launch first flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry Airport

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    easyJet launch first flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry Airport

    4 November 2024

    easyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline, has this week launched the first flights on two new domestic routes from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh.

    The new twice-weekly services – providing customers in Northern Ireland even more convenient connections across the UK – took off for the first time today with both routes operating every Monday and Friday throughout the year.

    To mark the occasion, the Airport surprised the inaugural departure and arrival passengers with an easyJet orange celebration where they were treated to complimentary drinks, refreshments and giveaways before setting off.

    Special guests, the Mayor Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Chief Executive at Visit Derry, Odhran Dunne, President of Derry Chamber of Commerce, Greg McCann, President of Causeway Chamber of Commerce, James Kilgore, and Chief Executive of Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, Toni Forrester, joined the celebrations.

    The new routes provide stronger domestic connectivity and serve increasing demand for flights between Northern Ireland and key cities across the UK.

    Both Edinburgh and Liverpool are known for their rich history and wide range of cultural attractions, including museums, art galleries, theatres, and music venues. Edinburgh is famous for its festivals, while Liverpool is known for its music scene, particularly The Beatles.

    Whether customers are looking for a city break, to visit friends and family, need a convenient business connection, or are connecting to onward destinations across Europe and beyond, easyJet offers great value fares and flights for business and leisure travellers alike.

    Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said:

    “We are thrilled to be celebrating the launch of our year-round operations from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh today, and to be providing even more choice for our business and leisure customers alike.

    “We are proud to be the largest airline in Northern Ireland offering great value fares and convenient connections for our customers here as, well as those across the UK looking to explore the fantastic experiences Northern Ireland has to offer.”

    Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport stated:

    “This is a special day for City of Derry Airport as easyJet takes off from the Northwest for the first time. This is a day that should be celebrated for the entire Northwest region. easyJet brings an undeniable level of brand credibility, customer confidence, not to mention great value fares for travellers across our catchment area.

    “We are very pleased for the return of connectivity to Edinburgh and Liverpool for our local region as year-round services to these destinations have been in demand from both corporate and leisure travellers for some time, and the flight schedule for Monday’s and Friday’s offers ideal timings for business travel during the week and weekend breaks for the leisure market.

    “The launch of easyJet services will be an additional economic driver for business investment in the Northwest and inbound travel and tourism, we are proud to be able to help grow and develop these sectors in our local area.”

    easyJet is the largest airline in Northern Ireland, offering over 45 routes across Europe and North Africa.

    Great value seats are available to book from £14.99* on easyJet.com and via the mobile app. To discover more about easyJet’s Northern Ireland network and to book, visit easyJet.com.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Savencia Cheese USA Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Soft Ripened Cheeses

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    FDA Publish Date:
    Product Type:
    Food & Beverages
    Cheese/Cheese Product
    Foodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description

    Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogens

    Company Name:
    Savencia Cheese USA
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)

    Aldi, La Bonne Vie and others

    Product Description:

    Product Description

    Soft ripened cheeses

    Company Announcement

    NEW HOLLAND, Pa. (Nov. 2, 2024) – Savencia Cheese USA is recalling select soft ripened cheeses manufactured in our Lena manufacturing facility because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

    The following products are affected by this recall:

    Description

    Best Buy Date

    GTIN

    UPC-A

    UPC-B
    Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz Brie 12/24/2024 10041498111325 004149811132 041498111328
    Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz 12/24/2024 10071448504211 007144850421 071448504214
    La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10820581678538    
    La Bonne Vie Camembert, 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10820581678613    
    12/8oz Industrial Brie 12/24/2024 10077901005226   077901005229
    Market Basket Brie 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10049705666309 004970566630 049705666302

    The only products being recalled are those in the table above. You can identify these products by reviewing the UPC and the best buy date on the product labels. These products had limited regional distribution in the United States. The few retailers that received the product have been informed of this possible contamination and are in the process of removing products from shelves. Consumers that have any of the recalled products listed in the table above should refrain from consuming them and return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.

    At this time, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse health events due to consumption of these products.

    Through routine testing, it was identified that processing equipment at the site may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. While finished product testing has not identified contaminated product, we have initiated a voluntary recall to retrieve the potentially affected product.

    This voluntary recall is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Consumer Relations at (800)-322-2743 or email sc.customer.service@savencia.com.

    Media Contact:
    Kriston Ohm
    kriston.ohm@savencia.com

    Labels for Identification Purposes:

    Product Name:

    UPC – A

    UPC – B
    Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz Brie 004149811132 041498111328
    La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz    
    La Bonne Vie Camembert, 6/8oz    
    12/8oz Industrial Brie   077901005229
    Market Basket Brie 6/8oz 004970566630 049705666302
    Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz 007144850421 071448504214

    Company Contact Information

    Product Photos

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Administrator Guzman Highlights Record Federal Contracting Certifications in FY24, Unveils Streamlined Certification Process for FY25

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, announced a single-year record for federal contracting certifications for FY24, in which the SBA certified more than 17,000 small businesses—a nearly 40 percent increase over FY23, across its certification programs for women, veterans, socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, and HUBZones. Further, the SBA also announced that its new MySBA Certifications online platform is live and accepting applications. The announcement comes as the Administrator proposes a new procurement rule to further supercharge small business participation in government contracting by expanding the number of small business set aside opportunities. The proposed rule, “Small Business Contracting: Increasing Small Business Participation on Multiple Awards,” expands the ‘Rule of Two’ to multiple-award contracts.

    “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the SBA has taken bold action to ensure that more small businesses than ever before can compete for and win valuable government contracts,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “To increase opportunities for America’s small business owners, the SBA has rolled out MySBA Certifications, a streamlined technology tool that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to apply for multiple certifications with a single application. However, we don’t just want to certify more firms – we want those firms to have more contracts to pursue. That’s why we’re also proud to announce our proposed increase of small business set aside opportunities with a potential expansion of the ‘Rule of Two’ to multiple award contracts. All of these actions help further the SBA’s mission of driving competition, innovation, and opportunity in federal contracting.”

    During the Biden-Harris Administration, the SBA has consistently exceeded its government-wide contracting goal and is projected to again exceed the 23% goal with over 28% awarded to small firms in FY24. In FY23, 28% of prime contracts went to small businesses, representing a $178.6 billion investment in the small business economy – an increase of $15.7 billion from FY22 fiscal year and a new all-time high.

    Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have proudly championed the federal government’s record-high level of small business contracts, especially those owned by veterans and individuals who have traditionally been disadvantaged. Under President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, the SBA has worked tirelessly to fuel the nation’s economy by leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and ensuring fair competition in federal contracting. With the newly announced MySBA Certifications platform, the already-growing number of certifications is expected to increase further, thanks to the overall improvements to the customer experience embedded within the platform.

    Currently, per the SBA’s existing ‘Rule of Two,’ government agencies must set aside a contract for small businesses when there are two or more small businesses expected to submit offers at reasonable prices. Today’s new rule proposal would apply the ‘Rule of Two’ to multiple award contracts, which are becoming more prevalent in federal procurement. The SBA estimates that full implementation could increase contracting with small businesses by up to $6 billion annually.

    Small businesses and other interested parties may submit comments on the proposed ‘Rule of Two’ during the next 60 days using regulations.gov. The SBA will review those public comments before finalizing the rule. For further information please contact Donna Fudge, Lead Procurement Policy Analyst in the SBA’s Office of Policy Planning and Liaison, at donna.fudge@sba.gov.

     

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality.  As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more at www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Proclaims Employ a Veteran Week

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Proclaims Employ a Veteran Week

    Governor Cooper Proclaims Employ a Veteran Week
    mseets

    North Carolina will celebrate “Employ A Veteran Week,” Nov. 11-15, and a variety of events before and during that week will help connect veterans to jobs and other services, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.

    “Veterans strengthen our communities and enrich our businesses as citizens, skilled workers and leaders,” said Governor Cooper. “We owe veterans and their families a deep debt of gratitude for their service, and, as America’s most military and veteran-friendly state, North Carolina honors them by helping them get good jobs in growing industries.”

    “It’s our privilege to serve our Veterans, the more than 20,000 military service members who transition from active duty in North Carolina each year, and their families, through our NCWorks Career Centers and other state programs,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “The talent found within our military community brings a strong work ethic, leadership experience, adaptability, integrity, and specialized training to our workforce—attributes every business needs to be successful—and part of what makes North Carolina such an attractive state for innovative companies.”

    “Veterans bring invaluable skills and experiences to our communities and demonstrated resilience, leadership, and dedication during their service. The N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NC DMVA) expresses our profound gratitude for their sacrifices,” said NC DMVA Secretary Grier Martin. “A successful transition to civilian life is important for a veteran and also harnesses their talents to benefit our economy.”

    Local events focused on helping veterans find employment and access other services include:

    • Tuesday, Nov. 5 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Union County will hold a Veterans Appreciation Event at 1125 Skyway Drive, Monroe, NC. Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) workshops will be offered to veterans and their spouses at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. A hiring event with at least two employers will take place from 1-4 p.m., with the first hour reserved for veterans. Lunch will be provided to the first 20 veterans to attend the workshops or the hiring event. To register, call 704-283-7541.
    • Tuesday, Nov. 5 (11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center -Iredell/Statesville will hold a Veterans Lunch and Learn session at 133 Island Ford Road, Statesville, NC. Attendees will learn about VA benefits, Iredell County Veteran Services and other resources.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 6 (8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center -Iredell/Statesville will offer Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) workshops to veterans at 133 Island Ford Road, Statesville, NC. The general public is also welcome. Workshops include “Marketing Yourself & Other Job Search Tactics,” “Interview Skills,” “Networking & Professional Introductions,” and “Job Fair Strategies & On the Spot Interviews.”
    • Wednesday, Nov. 6 (9 a.m. – noon) – The NCWorks Career Center – Lincoln will present a Veterans Job & Resource Fair at Gaston College – Lincoln Campus, Room LC 139, 511 South Aspen Street, Lincolnton, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 6 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Onslow will present a Veterans Career Fair at the American Legion building, 146 Broadhurst Road, Jacksonville, NC. The event is open only to veterans and their dependents from 10 to 11 a.m.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 6 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Cumberland County will hold a Veterans Hiring Event at 490 N. McPherson Church Road, Fayetteville, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 6 (2 – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Catawba and partners will present the annual Veterans, Students & Civilians Job Fair, with approximately 25 employers, at Appalachian State University’s new Hickory campus, 800 17th St. NW, Hickory, NC.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center -Iredell/Statesville will hold a Veterans Job and Resource Fair at 133 Island Ford Road, Statesville, NC. The general public is also welcome.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Hoke County will hold a Veterans Job Fair at 304 Birch Street, Raeford, NC, with at least four employers, plus Dress for Success. The general public is also welcome.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Cumberland County will hold a Veterans Hiring Event at 490 N. McPherson Church Road, Fayetteville, NC.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Pitt County will hold a Veterans Job Fair at 3101 Bismarck St., Greenville, NC. The first hour is reserved for veterans; members of the general public are welcome at 11 a.m. 
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (2-4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Rowan will hold the “Veterans Day Expo” at 1904 S. Main St., Salisbury, NC. This event will include Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) workshops with a focus on Networking & Professional Introductions at Job Fairs, Job Fair Strategies, and On-the-Spot Interviews, and Federal Hiring, as well as an Expo with community organizations presenting information on their services, and employers seeking to fill positions.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Craven will conduct the 4th Annual Veterans Day Job Fair at the National Guard Armory, 301 Glenburnie Drive, New Bern, NC. The job fair is also open to the general public.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – The 2024 Foothills Veterans Winter Stand Down will take place at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, 1909 Hickory Blvd., Lenoir, NC. The event provides access to medical services, food, clothing, employment services and more.
    • Thursday, Nov. 7 (2:30 – 6 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Rockingham County will host a Veteran Job Fair. The event is also open to the public. At least five employers will participate, as will partnering organizations that offer resources to veterans.
    • Friday, Nov. 8 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Partners including the NCWorks Career Center – Craven will present the 9th Annual Craven County Veterans Stand-down at the National Guard Armory, 301 Glenburnie Drive, New Bern, NC.
    • Friday, Nov. 8 (10 a.m. – noon) – The NCWorks Career Center – Richmond County will hold an “Honoring Veterans” event to educate veterans and their dependents on services and benefits to which they are entitled, at 115 W. Franklin St., Rockingham, NC.
    • Tuesday, Nov. 12 (9 a.m. – noon) – The NCWorks Career Center – Haywood invites all Veterans to a “Thank A Vet” event, featuring breakfast as well as information on local veterans’ resources, at 1170 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Charlotte (Mecklenburg) will host a Veterans Hiring Event at 8601 McAlpine Park Drive, Suite 110, Charlotte, NC. Mock interviews and reviewing of resumes will be offered from 9 – 10 a.m. The hiring event will be open to veterans only from 10 – 11 a.m., and open to the public thereafter.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center -Halifax/Northampton County will hold a Veterans Career Fair at 1560 Julian R. Allsbrook Hwy., Roanoke Rapids, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Centers – Pasquotank & Chowan Counties will hold a Veterans Day Job Fair & Resource Expo at the American Legion, 1317 W. Queen St., Edenton, NC. This event is open to Veterans and the general public.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Cumberland and other partners will present a Women Veterans Career & Resource Fair at Soldier Support Building, 2843 Normandy Drive, Fort Liberty, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – NCWorks will present a Yancey County Veterans Stand Down event at Burnsville Town Center, 6 S. Main St., Burnsville, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (1 – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Randolph County and partners will hold a Veteran-Centered Hiring Event at the National Guard Armory, 1430 South Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, NC. The first hour (1-2 p.m.) is reserved for Veterans only.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (1 – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Wilkes County will present a “Veterans and Job Seekers Job/Resource Fair” at 1320 West D Street, Suite #2, North Wilkesboro, NC.
    • Wednesday, Nov. 13 (3 – 7 p.m.) – NC4ME presents a “Beers & Careers” networking event for Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, Guard/Reserve Members and Military Spouses in the Camp Lejeune area, at Angry Ginger Irish Pub, 1202 Gum Branch Road, Jacksonville, NC. Register at Eventbrite.
    • Thursday, Nov. 14 (9 a.m. – noon) – NCWorks Veterans Services invites all Veterans to a “Thank A Vet” event, featuring breakfast as well as information on local veterans’ resources, at the Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post located at 1526 Acquoni Road, Cherokee, NC.
    • Thursday, Nov. 14 (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – NCWorks will present a Macon County Veterans Stand Down event at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building, 1288 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC.
    • Thursday, Nov. 14 (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Greensboro (Guilford) will hold “Hire a Vet Day” at 2301 W. Meadowview Road, Greensboro, NC.
    • Friday, Nov. 15 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – Partners including NCWorks will present the Rocky Mount Veteran Resource Fair, at Word Tabernacle Church, 821 Word Plaza, Rocky Mount, NC.
    • Monday, Nov. 18 (2 – 4 p.m.) – The NCWorks Career Center – Cabarrus will hold a “Veterans Day Expo” at 845 Church Street North, Suite 201, Concord, NC. This event will include resources for veterans and employers onsite.

    The Department of Commerce, working in close partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, has 50 NCWorks Veterans Services professionals (all of whom are veterans themselves). Their primary mission is to help veterans find good jobs and training opportunities. These professionals are located across the state at local NCWorks Career Centers, which serve veterans and other jobseekers, while also helping employers meet their talent needs. In many parts of the state, they also play a key role as partners in Veterans Treatment Courts. The department also partners with North Carolina For Military Employment (NC4ME) on special hiring events.

    Contact information for each career center can be found at www.NCWorks.gov. In addition, veterans and employers can access services through the NCWorks Veterans Portal at veterans.ncworks.gov.

    Since 2022, the Commerce department has added a new resource for veterans, in the form of a national partnership with the Hilton Honors Military Program. Through this partnership, when veterans, transitioning service-members and qualified military spouses need to travel related to their search for work (for example, to go to an in-person job interview or to required training), they may be eligible for free accommodations at a Hilton property. To participate, veterans should contact or visit their local NCWorks Career Center and ask to speak with a veterans representative.

    Read the “Employ a Veteran Week” proclamation here.

    ###

    NCWorks Veterans Services are supported by the Jobs for Veterans State Grant from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award to North Carolina totaling $5,703,016, with 0% financed from non-governmental sources.

    Nov 4, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How energy companies are using AI to capture and store carbon, even underground

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: How energy companies are using AI to capture and store carbon, even underground

    During a time of both rapid transformation and intense scrutiny, today’s energy industry leaders are increasingly turning to advanced solutions in AI and data management to drive sustainability and efficiency as the global community works to combat climate change. This is a time-sensitive effort, as increased energy demand and the continued role of fossil fuels mean emissions could keep rising through 2035.1 As energy leaders look to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry has become a key component in the approach. Industrial carbon management (ICM) encompasses a range of technologies designed to capture, transport, and store carbon dioxide (CO2) underground to prevent it from entering the atmosphere. Microsoft is actively collaborating with energy companies on industrial carbon management solutions. One example of this collaboration is Northern Lights, a partnership between the Norwegian government and energy companies Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, which is now fully operational. This groundbreaking initiative was established to accelerate decarbonization and address emissions as we all work towards a more sustainable future.  

    Microsoft for energy and resources

    Achieve more in the energy and resources industry with trusted data and AI solutions

    Transforming the global energy industry is not a small feat, nor one that happens without the collective work of dedicated partnerships and innovative technology. The standardized data model and secure data sharing in Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Energy along with operations data management powered by Azure AI and Microsoft Copilot can accelerate innovation across the end-to-end CCS value chain. Copilot and Azure Data Manager for Energy put data and AI to work, integrating industry datasets, applications, and other cloud services—managing intensive workloads at global scale, and quickly ingesting data for analytics and decision-making. These are high-impact capabilities that ultimately help energy companies accelerate their transition to more sustainable practices by reducing time, costs, and risks associated with their complex operational requirements.     

    Enhancing energy operations with modern data management  

    Data modernization is a critical component in advancing sustainability and CCS efforts within the energy sector. By leveraging Azure Data Manager for Energy, energy companies can efficiently manage and analyze vast amounts of data—enabling more accurate and comprehensive simulations of subsurface reservoirs. This capability is essential for identifying optimal CO2 storage locations and ensuring the safe and efficient injection and storage of carbon dioxide.  

    The platform’s robust, scalable, and secure data management solutions allow for real-time data integration and continuous model refinement, which are crucial for making informed decisions and mitigating risks. Additionally, Azure Data Manager for Energy’s high-performance computing capabilities enable rapid simulations, which significantly reduce the time required for planning studies and optimizing reservoir performance. These high-impact capabilities ultimately help energy companies accelerate their transition to more sustainable practices by reducing time, costs, and risks associated with their complex operational requirements. 

    Harnessing the power of AI with Copilot 

    Along with data modernization and robust data analytics, Azure Data Manager for Energy users will have the option to take advantage of Copilot to interact with well data. Azure Data Manager for Energy helps ingest and organize domain-specific data from across the enterprise data landscape to enhance data access, analysis, and application interoperability. Developed in alignment with OSDU® standards, Azure Data Manager for Energy helps get the right data organized within the right domain workflow while providing trustworthy data delivery that sets the stage for improved and timely analysis.  

    However, the enterprise data landscape for any analysis may extend beyond domain-specific data types and require reports with different file types, as well as images, data and records stored in other databases, spreadsheets, and shared folders. Further, the entire value chain extends into data from operations, supply chain, health, safety and environment (HSE), enterprise resource planning (ERP), legal and compliance, and even social media—some of which may be hosted on external platforms.  

    In these scenarios, generative AI capabilities can help users optimize data for enhanced insights—faster. One example of how to approach this is with Microsoft Fabric, an end-to-end analytics and data platform. Fabric can help integrate the data in Azure Data Manager for Energy with other adjacent data sources, ultimately preparing it for analysis and other interactions through AI and Copilot. This means users can potentially run traditional AI-powered workflows such as automated interpretation of data or event prediction through machine learning-driven algorithms. They can also leverage Copilot to chat with the data or implement intelligent search, domain-based intelligent assistants, or cross-domain intelligent advisors.  

    In doing so, end users—people in roles across geoscience or petrophysics—have an easier and faster way to interact with and query their data, both within and outside Azure Data Manager for Energy. Plus, data engineers and data scientists have a foundation from which to build similar solutions for their end users. The Copilot capabilities also mean simplified research processes and the generation of valuable data insights, enabling enterprise and business unit leaders, as well as data scientists and geophysicists, to make more informed decisions and take advantage of greater efficiencies in reservoir management.  

    Optimize carbon capture and storage and enhance reservoir management 

    Building on the capabilities of Copilot and Azure Data Manager for Energy, we can further optimize CCS to work towards a more sustainable future. Reservoir modeling is a critical aspect of modern energy management, playing a vital role in the underground storage of CO2. This multidisciplinary field involves the integration of geological, geophysical, thermal, and engineering data to create detailed models of subsurface reservoirs. Reservoir engineers create models that simulate the behavior of fluids within the reservoir to predict future performance and optimize injection and production strategies. With global energy demand projected to increase 47% by 2050,2 the need for sustainable energy solutions and CCS is paramount.  

    Microsoft is working with partners to provide the efficiency, predictive power, and speed of reservoir simulations and optimizations. Built on top of Azure Data Manager for Energy, customers can now leverage Azure’s robust enterprise capabilities in security, scalability, and reliability, while accessing its domain-specific solutions and maintaining full control over their data.   

    Traditionally, identifying optimal CO2 storage locations requires lengthy studies, sometimes spanning months or even years. The work Microsoft is doing with partners transforms this process by enabling scalable and efficient simulations. This will enable engineers to run numerous models in parallel, leveraging high-performance computing to quickly analyze vast datasets and identify the best storage locations. The ability to perform rapid simulations at scale significantly reduces the time required for planning studies.

    Explore more energy solutions and resources 

    At Microsoft, our dedication and commitment to accelerating the energy transition to carbon-free resources is matched only by the power of our partner ecosystem and the knowledge-sharing that makes it all possible. With Azure Data Manager for Energy, industry leaders can connect to an open ecosystem of interoperable applications from independent software vendors (ISVs) and the Microsoft ecosystem of productivity tools. By harnessing capabilities and features from across Microsoft and partner solutions, energy leaders can optimize value across their entire enterprise while working towards sustainability goals.  

    Ready to dive deeper? Check out additional resources to learn more. 

    Accelerate the energy transition today

    1McKinsey & Company, Global Energy Perspective 2024, September 2024.

    2S&P Global, Global energy demand to grow 47% by 2050, with oil still top source: US EIA, October 2021.

    Uwa Airhiavbere

    Chief Commercial Officer, Worldwide Energy and Resources Industry

    Uwa Airhiavbere is the Chief Commercial Officer of Microsoft’s Worldwide Energy & Resources Industry group, overseeing commercial strategy and growth initiatives. He previously had a successful career at General Electric in the Oil & Gas Division. Uwa holds an Executive MBA from Cornell University, an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in Business Economics from Brown University.

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    Sverre Brandsberg Dahl

    General Manager, Energy, Microsoft Cloud for Industry

    Sverre is the General Manager for Microsoft Cloud for Industry, Energy team. Here he works with a range of engineering teams to bring the latest technological developments in Cloud Computing and AI to the energy industry. With a passion for technology and innovation, he is helping to position Microsoft with customers, partners, and governments as they accelerate their adoption of cloud technology, while giving equal focus to the transition to clean power and emissions management.

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    Neeraj Joshi

    Chief Technology Officer, Energy and Resources, Microsoft

    Neeraj Joshi serves as the Chief Technology Officer for WW Energy & Resources in IPS, where he leads in-depth technical collaborations to drive digital transformation within the Energy sector. With over two decades of experience at Microsoft, he is deeply passionate about data and is committed to assisting strategic customers in modernizing their solutions. Mr. Joshi holds an MBA from the University of Washington and an MS in Computer Engineering from UT Austin.

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