Category: CTF

MIL-OSI China: Xi pays tribute to martyrs in resistance war against Japanese aggression

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

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, paid tribute to martyrs who died in a major campaign in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan of north China’s Shanxi Province on Monday.

At the monument square honoring the martyrs of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war against Japanese aggression, Xi laid a floral basket to pay tribute to the martyrs, and then visited the memorial hall commemorating this major campaign.

During the visit, Xi reviewed the history of the CPC leading both the military and civilians in the courageous fight against Japanese invaders, and learned about local efforts to carry out revolutionary history education and promote the great spirit of resisting aggression.

MIL OSI China News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign exchange reserves increase in June

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

China’s foreign exchange reserves totaled 3.3174 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of June 2025, up by 32.2 billion U.S. dollars, or 0.98 percent, compared to the end of May, official data showed Monday.

In June, the U.S. dollar index declined while global financial asset prices generally increased due to factors such as macroeconomic policies in major economies and prospects for global economic growth, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.

Driven by exchange rate conversions and changes in asset prices, China’s foreign exchange reserves increased during the month, the administration said.

China’s economy has continued to grow steadily, maintaining a strong development momentum that supports the overall stability of the country’s foreign exchange reserves, said the administration.

MIL OSI China News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China-led int’l standard for autonomous driving test scenarios released

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

An international standard on test scenarios for autonomous driving systems has been officially released, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China said on Monday.

The standard, led by China during its formulation, outlines the evaluation procedures and test methods for the test scenarios of autonomous driving systems.

The issuance of the standard represents an important international consensus on autonomous driving test and verification technologies, addressing growing industry demands for safety assessment and test verification, according to an official with the ministry.

The ministry will cooperate with Chinese institutions in the automotive industry including technology research center to further contribute to the formulation and revision of international standards in the field.

China is at the forefront of autonomous driving development. Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company has forecast that China will become the world’s largest market for self-driving vehicles, with revenue from such vehicles and mobility services exceeding 500 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.

MIL OSI China News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Imports made up 17% of U.S. energy supply in 2024, the lowest share in nearly 40 years

Source: US Energy Information Administration

In-brief analysis

July 7, 2025

In 2024, the United States imported about 17% of its domestic energy supply, half of the record share set in 2006 and the lowest share since 1985, according to our Monthly Energy Review. The decline in imports’ share of supply in the previous two decades is attributable to both an increase in domestic energy production and a decrease in energy imports since 2006.

U.S. energy supply comes from three sources: domestic energy production, energy imports from other countries, and any energy brought out of storage.

In 2024, for the third consecutive year, the United States remained a net exporter of energy, producing a record amount that continues to exceed consumption. Individually, U.S. natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), biofuels, solar, and wind each set domestic production records in 2024.

In our Monthly Energy Review, we convert different measurements for different sources of energy to one common unit of heat, called a British thermal unit. We use British thermal units to compare different types of energy that are not usually directly comparable, such as barrels of crude oil and cubic feet of natural gas. Appendix A of our Monthly Energy Review shows the conversion factors that we use for each energy source.

U.S. total energy imports were about 22 quadrillion British thermal units in 2024 and have been relatively flat since 2021. Crude oil and refined petroleum product imports combined accounted for 84% of U.S. total energy imports in 2024, with natural gas accounting for most of the remainder at 15%.

Between 2006 and 2024, U.S. imports of crude oil and petroleum products fell 39%, from about 14 million barrels per day (b/d) to 8 million b/d. All of the decrease occurred in the Gulf Coast region, home to large shares of domestic production and consumption, and the East Coast region, home to a large share of domestic consumption. However, during the same period, imports of crude oil and petroleum products increased in all other regions: the Midwest, Mountain, and West Coast.

In 2006, OPEC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Iraq, in aggregate accounted for the largest share of U.S. crude oil and petroleum imports. Since then, imports from OPEC countries decreased 77% while imports from Canada nearly doubled. Total crude oil and petroleum imports from Canada to the United States exceeded those from OPEC for the first time in 2014 and have every year since. Following the recent expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline, U.S. imports of crude oil from Canada reached record highs in 2024. Nearly all crude oil used by U.S. refineries in the Midwest and Mountain regions comes from Canada.

Principal contributor: Mickey Francis

MIL OSI USA News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: War-Torn Central America in the 1980s Comes to Life in New Historical Memoir

Source: US State of Connecticut

Some six decades ago, when Scott Wallace’s parents gifted him a Polaroid Swinger camera and leather-bound diary as a child, the seeds of journalism were planted.

No one knew back then that Wallace, now an associate professor in the UConn journalism department, would go on to become an award-winning writer, television producer, and photojournalist who’s reported from places including the front lines of war-torn Central America, jungles of South America, and post-Soviet Russia.

Similarly, no one could have foreseen the foreign policy decisions made by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, from around the same time Wallace opened that gift of a camera and journal, would have an influence on some of today’s most divisive issues.

That’s the thread woven through Wallace’s new historical memoir, “Central America in the Crosshairs of War: On the Road from Vietnam to Iraq,” which has won Gold in the Foreward INDIES Awards in the category of political and social sciences, along with a Gold IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Association as best history book (oversized/coffee table).

He maintains the U.S. government’s decisions, denials, and deceit during Vietnam inevitably led to disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan many decades later, coming through the conflicts, civil wars, and revolutions in Central America in the 1980s.

“Our country would be less polarized,” he says of what would have happened if the U.S. behaved differently in places like El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala during those years.

“We would be dealing with a diminished immigration crisis if we had encouraged democracy in Central America and redirected the resources that we gave them for training armies and waging war,” he says. “If we instead used those same resources to build up their economies, there would have been far fewer reasons for them to leave. They’d still be there. We seriously contributed to the tearing apart of the social fabric there, and I think a lot of the people who’ve come here in the last 40 years never would have left their homes.”

Wallace sat with UConn Today recently to talk about how he got started as a journalist, his unique perspective as a firsthand witness to war, and his advice to others who want to report from the front lines.

Why have you decided to share your story now?

I was in the middle of a project in Brazil involving the struggles of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and their efforts to defend their territories and the rainforest from predatory logging and other forms of what passes for development down there. Then, the pandemic hit, and I realized I had to move in another direction if I was to work on a monograph during that time. Even after the pandemic passed, it was near-impossible to gain entry to Indigenous communities. Even into 2021 and 2022, it was still too difficult to get into the territories where I’d been conducting my research. Part of the reason I chose the Central America project was to pivot away from Brazil, at least until it was possible to return to those sensitive Indigenous territories. Secondly, there was a lot I’d been wanting to say for a long time about my experiences as a young journalist in Central America and the abiding relevance of so many issues that have come to the fore today, including immigration and the crisis at the border. Very few people understand how much the issue of immigration from Central America has been driven by our policies from 40 years ago, when we were actively involved in supporting and fueling the military conflicts that were going on down there. It drove a lot of the immigration into the U.S. and made the conditions in those countries so difficult that people left en masse. It’s a story of unintended consequences. The third impetus for the project was the very rich trove of images I’d taken while covering those conflicts, most of which had not previously been published, along with detailed notes and compelling stories that have withstood the test of time. Those experiences formed the foundation of my career and what I’ve ended up doing as a journalist over the last 40 years.

What’s one of your ‘I-can’t-believe-I did-that’ experiences from the front lines?

We managed to get ourselves into this rural area of El Salvador in the rebel stronghold of Chalatenango Department, where there had been allegations of a massacre perpetrated by the army that the United States was arming and supporting. We managed to bluff our way past a series of roadblocks, got into rebel-controlled territory, and then got permission from the guerrillas to undertake a journey on foot down into the scene of this atrocity. After most of the day walking, we came upon a dilapidated footbridge stretching across this yawning chasm with a rushing river beneath us. The bridge was such a wreck that, out in the middle, the boards were sagging vertically to the surface of the water, and the wires on one side were basically useless. You had to pick your way across, hand over hand, with your feet on the tops of the boards. The water below was rushing at such a furious speed that the rebels advised us not to look down as we crossed because the rush of the water would make us dizzy, and we’d lose our balance and fall. Had we known what we were getting into, I’m not sure we would have gone there. But by then, we were already so far into the journey there was no going back. When we got to the scene, a horrific stench came from a good way off. It looked like a scene from a plane crash, with clothing and belongings strewn across the brush and hanging from the trees and bodies lying on the ground. It was horrific. I did my best to piece together what had happened from interviews with survivors and what we could see on the ground.

Something like that must stick with you.

I think you develop a little bit of a thick skin, and you just have to move through it. You’re there to find out what happened, and your own personal feelings are kind of secondary.

Sandinista Popular Army soldiers forcibly remove peasants to create a free-fire zone to battle Contra rebels in El Ventarrón, Nicaragua, in 1985. (Photo courtesy of Scott Wallace)

How did you get your start as a journalist?

I was thirsty for adventure and for finding out about the bigger world. I took a year off from college as an undergraduate, and, with advice from some students who were a little older than me and who had done something similar, I lined up a volunteer position in the Peruvian jungle. I went first to Mexico, studied intensive Spanish for the summer, then traveled overland through Central America, down the spine of the Andes, and out into the jungle, where I worked as a literacy instructor in an Indigenous community. During that year I discovered something new about myself. I didn’t know Spanish at all before I left, and through the process of having to put myself out there, I kind of developed a new persona as I interacted with Latin Americans and mastered the language and the culture. I loved the music, the people, and the literature. I returned to college after that, doubled up on Spanish classes, and learned how to write it and read it. I also became fascinated with what was going on in Latin America in the news. I was already a few years out of college when it dawned on me that maybe I could make a career as a journalist covering events in Latin America, since I loved writing, taking pictures, and travel. I decided to go back to school to get a master’s in journalism with the objective of going to Central America when I graduated. By this time, the early 1980s, Central America was in turmoil. The Sandinistas had taken power in Nicaragua, a civil war had erupted in El Salvador, and the Reagan Administration vowed to ‘draw the line’ against what it perceived to be communist aggression in Central America. The region was a tinderbox that seemed poised to become a new Vietnam. I knew that no news organization would send a new graduate straight into a big story. I would have to go as a freelancer, so I decided to learn as many skills as I could, because as a freelancer I knew I would have to have as many skills as possible to earn a living: write news stories, take photographs for my stories, sell my photographs to other news outlets. I also got a tip that doing radio for one of the networks was a really good way to establish yourself and bring in a steady stream of work. Just as I was about to graduate, one of my professors, who had previously been a CBS Radio correspondent, introduced me to network executives when they came to campus, and one thing led to another. They didn’t have anyone in El Salvador at that time, so I was able to land a gig as their freelance ‘stringer’ there.

What would your advice be for a journalism student or working journalist who’s hungry to do this kind of work today?

It takes a certain kind of person. You have to be passionate about the world, curious about the way the world works. You need to be an avid reader of literature as well as nonfiction, be up on current events, and follow the news closely. In all the writing classes that I teach, I require my students to accompany their stories with images, because everyone should know how to take decent pictures and how to do solid interviews. They should learn how to shoot video and record audio. Of course, now you must have a social media presence and put your stuff out there. It’s also very important to make contacts. Ply your professors or the people you meet, go to places where you’re going to meet the professionals you admire. Follow them on Instagram. See who’s excelling at the kind of work you’re interested in and reach out to them. You also should build a portfolio of writing, images, and multimedia. Persistence and patience are also important.

Compared to historians and others who’ve studied Central America and the conflicts there, do you think you have a unique perspective seeing it all firsthand?

It’s definitely a unique perspective, but sometimes I’m a little bit daunted by the intellectual capabilities and rigor of my colleagues in other departments at the University. I think my strength lies in bringing personal experiences and storytelling acumen to the narrative. In June, I was asked to do a presentation at a seminar of academics on genocide and its relationship to ‘ecocide’ – the criminal destruction of the environment – based on my work covering Indigenous struggles in jungles of the Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception to my presentation, in which I showed my photographs and told stories of people whose lives are impacted and threatened by deforestation, land grabbing, and the violent destruction of habitats and biodiversity. It was a way of bringing abstract concepts down to ground level. I’m not the only one who does that. All my colleagues in the journalism department similarly bring that kind of ground-truthing and storytelling to the subjects they report on.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Scene Summer: UConn Film Student Documenting Underground Music in Connecticut

Source: US State of Connecticut

Their names are as iconic as some of the musicians that graced their stages.

CBGB in New York.

The Troubadour in Los Angeles and Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood.

The 40 Watt Club in Georgia.

Toad’s Place in New Haven.

They’re the places where careers were launched and artists made names for themselves – bands like The Ramones and The Doors; Guns N’ Roses and R.E.M.; singers like Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell and Neil Diamond; and musicians like Frank Zappa and Michael Nesmith.

But for each iconic venue, there have been hundreds more – smaller, lesser known, underground places packed to the gills on show nights.

And for each legendary name, there have been thousands more – bands trying to make it big, songwriters looking to write a hit, or artists just looking to share their music with a welcoming audience that will resonate with them.

Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA) is working on a documentary project about Connecticut’s underground music scene, with support from an Office of Undergraduate Education IDEA Grant. (Contributed photo)

You don’t have to look to the cities to find those venues and artists either – they’re in areas both urban and rural, and right here in Connecticut as well – some advertised and others hidden from plain sight, but there for the audiences who know where to find them.

And sometimes in those audiences, and other times behind the scenes, you might find Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), who grew up in West Hartford and started seeking out those underground venues and those independent artists – often with a camera in hand – when he was 18 years old.

“About two years ago, I started going to local shows, because some of my friends make music and they perform sometimes,” says Elmore. “They knew someone who hosts shows, so they get to perform, and I just saw what a cool community the local music scene has.”

Elmore isn’t a musician, but he is an artist – his medium is film, with a little photography thrown in as well. Which is why he started going with his musician friends to their shows.

“I was kind of backstage, since I was photographing and taking video for my friends, but it was super cool to see how it was all run,” he says. “It was just five bucks to get in, and it was an artist that I didn’t really know, but it was cool to be a part of that and see that, even though it’s on a small scale, kind of in the middle of nowhere, it was still run and still had the same energy as a big concert.”

That energy has kept Elmore going back to shows in an underground music scene that’s active and alive in Connecticut, he says, at places like Howard’s Bookstore in Torrington, which hosts open mics every Wednesday and regularly produces shows with local rappers and hardcore bands.

And at Cheery Street Station, a stomping ground for punk and metal bands in Wallingford.

And at The Dog Pound, a relatively new and inclusive basement venue in Storrs that hosts local bands of all kinds.

What all three venues and the people who frequent them have in common, Elmore notes, is the same sense of community.

“I think a lot of people would be surprised how supportive and respectful people are at these shows,” he says. “No matter where you’re coming from, and no matter if it’s bands of different fan bases or genres, everyone’s really supportive. All the bands support each other, and all the crowds are respectful, and everyone just wants to have a good time.”

It’s the scene’s energy and sense of community that Elmore is hoping to capture and share through a documentary project he’s working on this summer, supported by an IDEA Grant from the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research.

The IDEA Grant program awards funding up to $6,000 per undergraduate student to support student-designed and student-led projects, including creative endeavors, community service initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, and research projects and other original and innovative projects. The program is available to undergraduate students of all majors at all UConn campuses.

Elmore learned about the opportunity for IDEA Grant funding for an original project through the UConn Student Daily Digest as a first-year student, and decided to apply during his sophomore year.

“I was like, I should take this opportunity and make a documentary, because that’s been done a lot of time before that with the IDEA Grant, and I enjoy documentaries, and I think they’re very doable by yourself,” says Elmore, who watches a lot of documentaries himself. “And also, just on a small scale, even with not a lot of gear or experience, you can really make something that’s impactful.”

And impact is what he’s going for, as he’s spent the first part of the summer filming at the those three venues in order to share the essence of the local music community; the feel of the venues; the histories they hold within their walls; and the stories of some of the rappers, solo artists, and indie bands who play there.

For Elmore – who started making YouTube videos when he was 15, which sparked his interest in pursuing film – this IDEA Grant documentary project is a step toward his ultimate goal, which is to start his own business that would partner with music artists and work alongside them to produce visual content.

“All types of visual content, like graphics, photos – to go on tour with artists and take photos and videos for them,” he says. “Being part of any sort of process of artistic process with music would be super cool.”

The growing film concentration at UConn, part of the School of Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts program offered through the Department of Digital Media and Design, is helping Elmore work toward that goal as he hones his skills as a young filmmaker.

During the semesters in Storrs, he also works for the Neag School of Education as a student photographer and multimedia producer and as the advertising director for UCTV, the University’s student television station.

Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), a film concentration student in the School of Fine Arts Digital Media and Design program, shoots video on scene. (Contributed photo)

“It’s pretty good to just get out there, and use gear, and work with other students on ideas and projects, and just make mistakes,” he says. “That’s the best way to learn. Just doing it.”

He faces a busy summer, though: he spent much of May and June filming, and plans to dedicate most of his time in July and August to editing, as he pushes through an ambitious timeline for his one-man, self-produced, first feature-length documentary production.

He hopes to advertise, market, and screen his film at UConn Storrs, and at some of the featured music venues, this fall.

Elmore says that anyone – whether they’re familiar with Connecticut’s underground music scene or brand new to it – would find most of the state’s local venues a welcome place.

But if you’re brand new, where should you start?

One place would be by checking out his documentary screening during the fall semester in Storrs.

But another would be with a Ruby Leftstep show, he recommends.

“They’re very popular in the local scene,” he says of the three-man, New Hartford-based indie band. “A lot of people know them, and they have a real fan base that knows all their lyrics.

“And that’s another part of the documentary,” he continues. “Getting a kind of behind-the-scenes look at these bands, their backgrounds, how they make music, how they record it, how they perform, how the band members interact with each other and their fans. That’s a big part of it.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ambiq Micro, Inc. Announces Filing of Registration Statement For Proposed Initial Public Offering

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AUSTIN, Texas, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ambiq Micro, Inc. (“Ambiq”), a technology leader in ultra-low-power semiconductor solutions for edge AI, today announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The proposed offering is subject to market and other conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the proposed offering may be completed. The number of shares of common stock to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. Ambiq intends to apply to have its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AMBQ.”

BofA Securities and UBS Investment Bank will act as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. Needham & Company and Stifel will act as joint book-running managers for the proposed offering.

The proposed offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to the proposed offering may be obtained by contacting: BofA Securities, NC1-022-02-25, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com or UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, by telephone at (888) 827-7275 or by emailing ol-prospectus-request@ubs.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Ambiq

Ambiq’s mission is to enable intelligence (artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond) everywhere by delivering the lowest power semiconductor solutions. Ambiq enables its customers to deliver AI compute at the edge where power consumption challenges are the most profound. Ambiq’s technology innovations, built on the patented and proprietary subthreshold power optimized technology (SPOT®), fundamentally deliver a multi-fold improvement in power consumption over traditional semiconductor designs. Ambiq has powered over 270 million devices to date.

Contact:

Charlene Wan 
VP of Corporate Marketing and Investor Relations
cwan@ambiq.com  

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b4276024-7323-4f81-824e-f6013ad38336

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: insightsoftware Research Reveals Nearly Half of Finance Teams Questioning Tariff Preparedness

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RALEIGH, N.C., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — insightsoftware, the most comprehensive provider of solutions for the Office of the CFO, today released new research showing that 43% of finance professionals are uncertain about their organization’s readiness to navigate tariff impacts. The study reveals that access to modern forecasting tools and real-time data creates a decisive advantage in navigating economic uncertainty.

Learn how to build tariff-ready finance operations at insightsoftware’s Global Tariff Management Resource Center and discover how AI-powered solutions help bridge the gap between traditional financial planning and modern, insight-driven decision making.

Among finance professionals confident in their organization’s readiness, 59% credit their success to having adequate forecasting and modeling tools. Organizations with streamlined data access perform significantly better—79% of respondents who can easily access data without IT blockers felt prepared for tariffs. The findings also reveal an untapped AI opportunity––32% of unprepared teams blame their lack of AI capabilities for their uncertainty.

“The research confirms what we see across the market—finance teams with the right technology foundation are thriving while those stuck with outdated tools are struggling,” said Josh Schauer, Chief Financial Officer at insightsoftware. “The gap between prepared and unprepared teams is widening, and it’s directly tied to the ability to quickly access, analyze, and act on financial data. This isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about building resilient and agile finance operations that can adapt to any economic challenge.”

The study found that smaller companies demonstrate superior preparedness. Companies with 500-999 employees show 65% readiness and those with 1,000-4,999 employees report 64% preparedness, compared to only 46% of companies with 10,000+ employees. This suggests organizational agility and decision-making speed provide competitive advantages during uncertain times. Millennial finance professionals show the highest readiness rates at 68%, outpacing Gen X (47%) and Baby Boomers (51%).

The results in this report are from an online survey of 439 finance professionals in firms with 500 or more employees. The survey was fielded from May 9 to June 2, 2025, by Researchscape.

About insightsoftware

insightsoftware is a global provider of comprehensive solutions for the Office of the CFO.

We believe an actionable business strategy begins and ends with accessible financial data. With solutions across financial planning and analysis (FPCA), accounting, and operations, we transform how teams operate, empowering leaders to make timely and informed decisions. With data at the heart of everything we do, insightsoftware enables automated processes, delivers trusted insights, boosts predictability, and increases productivity. Learn more at insightsoftware.com.

Media Contacts

Inkhouse for insightsoftware insightsoftware@inkhouse.com

insightsoftware PR Team PR@insightsoftware.com

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: CoreNest Capital Announces Investments in 10 Frontier Companies Including Safe Superintelligence (SSI), Neuralink, Perceptive, Orbit Fab and Ottonomy

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CoreNest Capital, the Dubai-based venture capital firm focused on foundational technologies, today announced new investments across ten companies operating at the forefront of artificial intelligence, robotics, medtech, fintech, and Web3.

The latest round includes Safe Superintelligence (SSI), Neuralink, Coverstar, Nilo, Orbit Fab, Pax Markets, Perceptive, Ottonomy, Bond, Cheddr. Each company aligns with CoreNest’s thesis of backing platforms and technologies with the potential to redefine global infrastructure.

“We’re living through a technological supercycle where yesterday’s playbooks are obsolete. This era belongs to the builders who rethink what’s possible and move fast enough to make it real. At CoreNest, we don’t chase hype. We fund the foundations. The future doesn’t just happen. It gets architected.” – Bob Ras, General Partner & Co-Founder of CoreNest Capital

CoreNest’s latest investments include:

Bond: AI Chief of Staff that summarizes, alerts, and aligns teams in real time.

Cheddr: Social sports gaming platform offering fast, fun, and rewarding experiences.

Coverstar: Safe social media platform tailored for Gen Alpha users.

Neuralink: Brain–computer interfaces enabling direct neural control of devices.

Nilo: AI-powered platform democratizing 3D world-building for immersive content creation.

Orbit Fab: In-space refueling services extending satellite missions and enabling dynamic operations.

Ottonomy: Autonomous delivery robots for airports, retail, and last-mile logistics.

Pax Markets: Hardware-accelerated ATS offering zero-fee and ultra-fast trading.

Perceptive: AI-driven dental robotics providing precise, automated dental care solutions.

Safe Superintelligence (SSI): AI lab focused solely on building safe superintelligence.

CoreNest operates with a stage-agnostic, founder-aligned model, bringing technical depth, strategic guidance, and global reach to every partnership. The firm continues to focus on companies driving large-scale shifts in how societies operate, transact, and interact with emerging technologies.

About CoreNest Capital

CoreNest Capital is a global venture capital firm based in Dubai, UAE. The firm invests in bold founders building next-generation infrastructure across AI, robotics, medtech, fintech, and Web3. With a focus on high-impact technologies and long-term value creation, CoreNest provides capital, operating expertise, and deep ecosystem access to support its portfolio at every stage of growth.

CoreNest’s existing portfolio includes category-defining companies such as OpenAI, xAI, SpaceX, and Artisan, among others. Visit www.corenest.com for more information.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0cbe15b5-37b0-47e3-947c-1b36f6514bdb

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Yuba City’s Tutoring Program by Fullmind Drives Sustained Student Growth
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

YUBA CITY, Calif., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yuba City Unified School District announced end-of-year results from its tutoring partnership with Fullmind, showing students identified as needing additional support consistently outperformed their non-tutored peers across nearly 200 participants.

The program expanded from 24 to 194 students while maintaining effectiveness. English Language Arts participants achieved 16 points of growth compared to 10.63 points among non-participants, a 50% advantage. Mathematics participants gained 8 points versus 7.93 points for non-participants.

“When students identified as at-risk of underperformance outperform the general population, we know we’ve found an approach that truly accelerates learning,” said Dr. Nicholas Richter, the program lead.

Exceptional Individual Results

Twelve ELA students gained 50 or more points between mid-year and end-of-year assessments, with one student achieving over 100 points of growth in a single semester. Students completed 93,349 minutes of tutoring with a 71% attendance rate.

Scale Without Compromise

The eightfold expansion maintained program quality and student engagement. ELA participants averaged 9 hours each while math students averaged 7 hours, aligning with research on effective tutoring dosage.

2025 Expansion Plans

Based on strong results, the district plans to expand ELA participation to 250-plus students and expand math tutoring to over 100 students. The program will extend beyond lowest-performing students to include those just below grade level.

“We’ve proven this model works at scale,” said Nicholas Richter. “Now we’re expanding access to reach even more students who can benefit from this intensive support.”

The partnership represents a commitment to evidence-based interventions that address achievement gaps through high-quality tutoring services, using continuous monitoring to maintain effectiveness as it scales.

About Yuba City Unified School District

Yuba City Unified School District serves over 11,000 students across 17 schools in Yuba City, California, committed to providing equitable, high-quality education for college, career, and life success.

Contact:
- RE: Yuba City Unified School District
- Hayley Spira-Bauer
- Chief Operating Officer / Chief Academic Officer
- hayley@fullmindlearning.com
The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Yuba City’s Tutoring Program by Fullmind Drives Sustained Student Growth
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

YUBA CITY, Calif., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yuba City Unified School District announced end-of-year results from its tutoring partnership with Fullmind, showing students identified as needing additional support consistently outperformed their non-tutored peers across nearly 200 participants.

The program expanded from 24 to 194 students while maintaining effectiveness. English Language Arts participants achieved 16 points of growth compared to 10.63 points among non-participants, a 50% advantage. Mathematics participants gained 8 points versus 7.93 points for non-participants.

“When students identified as at-risk of underperformance outperform the general population, we know we’ve found an approach that truly accelerates learning,” said Dr. Nicholas Richter, the program lead.

Exceptional Individual Results

Twelve ELA students gained 50 or more points between mid-year and end-of-year assessments, with one student achieving over 100 points of growth in a single semester. Students completed 93,349 minutes of tutoring with a 71% attendance rate.

Scale Without Compromise

The eightfold expansion maintained program quality and student engagement. ELA participants averaged 9 hours each while math students averaged 7 hours, aligning with research on effective tutoring dosage.

2025 Expansion Plans

Based on strong results, the district plans to expand ELA participation to 250-plus students and expand math tutoring to over 100 students. The program will extend beyond lowest-performing students to include those just below grade level.

“We’ve proven this model works at scale,” said Nicholas Richter. “Now we’re expanding access to reach even more students who can benefit from this intensive support.”

The partnership represents a commitment to evidence-based interventions that address achievement gaps through high-quality tutoring services, using continuous monitoring to maintain effectiveness as it scales.

About Yuba City Unified School District

Yuba City Unified School District serves over 11,000 students across 17 schools in Yuba City, California, committed to providing equitable, high-quality education for college, career, and life success.

Contact:
- RE: Yuba City Unified School District
- Hayley Spira-Bauer
- Chief Operating Officer / Chief Academic Officer
- hayley@fullmindlearning.com
The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Plantro Requisitions Shareholder Meeting of Dye & Durham, Nominates Three Highly-Qualified Individuals to Initiate Sale of Company
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Nearly $1 Billion in Shareholder Value Destroyed Under Engine Led Board Since December 2024

Governance Failures: Four CEOs and Two CFOs in Six Months, an Entrenched Board Ignoring Credible Bids, Insiders Granted ~5% of the Company in Egregious $10 Stock Options, and Investors Actively Directing Management

If the Current Board and its Misguided Strategy Remain in Place, Shareholders Risk Further Losses – It is Time to Immediately Initiate a Sale Process and Unlock a Change of Control Premium for Shareholders

Today, a Financial Services Sale for ~$590 million or ~11x EBITDA Still Leaves Leverage at ~4.5x, with No Path to Sub-3x Until 2031

ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today announced that it has requisitioned a special meeting of Dye & Durham shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) and nominated three highly qualified individuals for the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”): Brian J. Bidulka, David Danziger, and Martha Vallance. The requisition also calls for the removal of Board Chair Arnaud Ajdler, and directors Tracey E. Keates, and Ritu Khanna, from the Board.

The value destruction at Dye & Durham since December of 2024 has reached crisis proportions and threatens the Company’s future. The current Board, steered by Engine Capital (“Engine”), EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc. (“EdgePoint”) and OneMove Capital Ltd. (“OneMove”) (together, the “Engine Activist Group”) has presided over the destruction of nearly $1 billion in shareholder value.

The Engine Activist Group and the Board have pursued a misguided and haphazard strategy of customer price cuts and overspending. This has led to sharp declines in Adjusted EBITDA, cash flow, and rising debt, as evidenced by the Company’s recent quarterly results and a new debt covenant being imposed. As global real estate markets recently weakened, the Board doubled down on its strategy instead of adjusting course. This has caused a liquidity crisis, forcing the Company to aggressively draw on its revolving credit facility to make its April 2025 interest payment. With no clear or credible plan in place, leverage is expected to approach 6.0x Adjusted EBITDA by September 30, 2025¹.

Remaining public is no longer a viable option. If the current Board remains unchanged, the Company will continue down the same failed path, resulting in further shareholder losses. A full sale of the Company is the only way to realize a control premium for current shareholders and restore stability in the business.

Unfortunately, the current Board and the Engine Activist Group have fought for the past nine months against the sale of the Company or even presenting an offer to shareholders to consider. Before taking control, the Engine Activist Group publicly rejected multiple all-cash offers obtained by the prior board of approximately $25 per share. After the 2024 annual general meeting, as the stock declined significantly, Plantro submitted an offer to acquire the Company for $20 a share in February 2025. This offer was similarly rejected, and Plantro was threatened with litigation for privately submitting it. Furthermore, in April 2025, according to media reports, the Board refused to engage with Advent International, a credible well-funded buyer, who formally submitted offers of approximately $20 per share. The Board has also continued to deny basic due diligence access, actively undermining the possibility of negotiating higher bids.

As outlined below, and in a presentation available at www.SellDnD.com, a sale of Dye & Durham is the only viable risk-adjusted path, free from execution risk, remaining for shareholders to preserve and maximize their value. Plantro invites its fellow shareholders to join in the push for urgent change. If elected, the Plantro nominees intend to immediately pursue a well-governed and thoughtful process to sell the Company without delay TO THE BUYER WILLING TO PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE.

Stopgap Solutions Won’t Protect Shareholders: Dye & Durham Cannot Afford to Wait Any Longer and the Company Should Be Sold.

The Engine Activist Group will try to sell you a half-baked plan — an asset sale and a plea for more time; but they are wrong. Just months ago, a sale of the Financial Services business may have been a viable path to reduce leverage, however, their misguided strategy and poor execution has damaged the business to the point where a sale of the Financial Services business would do little to reduce debt. Even if the Company sells additional assets, there are no realistic paths to reduce leverage below 4.0x any time soon.

The Engine Activist Group and Engine-led Board have no plan to deliver anywhere near a $20 per share price on a risk- or time-adjusted basis. All they will do is sell you vague and hypothetical outcomes. Shareholders need to immediately realize a sale of the entire Company for the large control premium available for the following reasons:
- It is Too Risky Not to Sell: A misguided and haphazard strategy, coupled with poor execution has led to significantly declining financial performance and excessive borrowing over the last six months. This has resulted in a new 5.8x debt covenant being imposed on the business, which sell-side analysts estimate the Company will be precariously close to breaching in the coming quarters², putting shareholder equity at real risk of further erosion.
- Divesting Financial Services Doesn’t Solve the Problem: Today, a sale of the Financial Services business at ~11x Adjusted EBITDA still leaves leverage at ~4.5x, with no path to sub-3x until 2031³. Further, speculative claims of multiple expansion following a sale of the Financial Services business are unfounded as the Company will be a smaller, declining business, with leverage too high for public market investors to tolerate.
- Generous Assumptions Point to a Lower Share Price: Waiting is not an option. Assuming the Company maintains its current 7.9x trading multiple the implied share price in Q3 FY2026 will be between $4.77 and $7.44⁴, with the low-end of the range assuming the Company misses revenue estimates by only 5%.
- There Are Still Credible Interested Buyers at the Table Right Now: Given the current negative trajectory, shareholders should pursue a full sale to capture an attractive all-cash change-of-control premium. Credible private equity buyers with the right expertise, risk appetite, and who bring the appropriate capital structure, are interested in acquiring the Company right now.
The Engine Activist Group Has Usurped the Board and Now Dye & Durham is Not Suited to Operate as a Public Company.

A revolving door of executives has destabilized the business and eradicated irreplaceable institutional memory at the worst possible time. The Company is now on its fourth CEO in six months, and its second CFO. Numerous other executives and employees at all levels have left or been terminated, with employee turnover now reportedly reaching 25%, compared to low single digits previously, creating paralysis and leaving the business rudderless. Retaining even a portion of this critical institutional knowledge would have informed better decision making and helped avoid multiple strategic blunders.

In what appears to be an act of desperation, the Board delegated the recruitment of a new CEO and CFO to the principal of OneMove and a representative of EdgePoint, and in doing so appointed an unproven first-time CEO, with no public company or capital allocation experience, and a new CFO. They then granted the pair nearly 5% of the Company in options priced at just $10 per share. The pair stand to pocket over $30 million simply for getting shareholders back to where they were in December 2024.

Plantro understands there is also ongoing infighting at the Board level that has a created a situation where management cannot operate effectively, and established governance structures are breaking down. Plantro has learned the Company was recently forced to engage an independent third party mediator to help navigate basic internal operations as a result of repeated shareholder-level interference with management. This kind of shareholder “skip-level” behaviour, where investors directly bypass a board of directors and provide instruction directly to management, is confusing and creates potential for further executive attrition. It is also virtually unheard of in a public company and raises serious concerns about accountability and proper oversight.

Plantro’s Highly Qualified Nominees Are Committed to Leading a Process to Sell Dye & Durham.

The Plantro nominees collectively bring experience in M&A, capital allocation, operations, technology, governance, public and private board service, and direct senior experience at Dye & Durham (which is necessary given excessive executive turnover under the Engine Activist Group). Together they have the right mix of skills, experience, expertise, and shareholder-centric perspective to stabilize Dye & Durham, and immediately commence a well-governed and thoughtful process to sell the Company for the highest price possible.

Each of Plantro’s highly qualified individuals is independent of Plantro and each other, and will act as true fiduciaries with a mandate to preserve and maximize shareholder value:
- Brian J. Bidulka, CPA, CA, is a corporate director and chartered accountant with extensive experience in technology, finance, and business analytics. Brian is the former Chief Financial Officer of Research in Motion. He has also served in senior executive roles at major Canadian companies including Porter Airlines, Postmedia, George Weston Limited, and Molson Coors. Currently, he is a member of the board at Andrew Peller Limited, and is also a board member and treasurer of Canada Basketball.
- David Danziger, CPA, CA, is an experienced finance leader and corporate director with an extensive background in audit, accounting, and management consulting. Previously, he was the Senior Vice President, Assurance, and the National Leader of Public Companies at MNP LLP, Canada’s fifth largest accounting firm. David continues to serve as a Senior Advisor for MNP LLP working on special projects and supporting the Public Company Audit Team nationally. David has served as a director for a range of technology, mining, and life sciences companies listed on the TSX, TSXV, CSE, and NYSE.
- Martha Vallance is a corporate director with significant experience in M&A, capital markets and technology. Most recently, Martha was the Chief Operating Officer of Dye & Durham after previously establishing and leading the company’s Corporate Development function and has deep knowledge of the company’s strategy and operations. Prior to this, Martha spent over 12 years in Investment & Corporate Banking at BMO Capital Markets, most recently holding a series of senior roles within both the Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity Capital Markets teams. In addition, Martha served as a Director on the Board of TSX-listed TMAC Resources and was also a member of the Special Committee during the sale of the company which concluded in January 2021.
Plantro proposes that shareholders support incumbent directors Hans T. Gieskes, the recently deposed independent chairman of the Board, Anthony P. Kinnear, Sid Singh, and Eric Shahinian to maintain continuity on the Board. Both Gieskes and Singh served as interim CEOs of the Company, and collectively, these individuals have relevant C-Suite, public company, and capital markets experience at other companies.

Plantro remains supportive of management and believes stability is required to execute a successful sales process and restore value to shareholders.

Shareholders Need to Make their Voices Heard

There is no debate – Dye & Durham does not have a viable long-term path as a public company and must be sold. The Board and management will claim they need more time, but the status quo for shareholders is simply intolerable. While the business drifts and headwinds build, the risks to Dye & Durham and its shareholders continue to accumulate. The time for decisive action has arrived.

Plantro has heard from many shareholders who share its contention that the Company must run a formal sale process to preserve and maximize shareholder value. Now is the time to speak up. It is imperative that shareholders communicate their views directly to the Board and urge them to call and hold the Special Meeting without delay so the Company can be sold. Alternatively, the Board can spare shareholders the cost and distraction of a proxy contest, appoint the Plantro nominees to the Board, and commence a formal sale process immediately.

Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.

Other Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees

To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.

To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.

To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.

Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.

Additional Information

The information contained in this news release does not and is not meant to constitute a solicitation of a proxy within the meaning of applicable corporate and securities laws. Although Plantro has requisitioned the Special Meeting, there is currently no record or meeting date and shareholders are not being asked at this time to execute a proxy in favour of the Plantro nominees or any other matter to be acted upon at the Special Meeting. In connection with the Special Meeting, Plantro may file a dissident information circular (the “Information Circular”) in due course in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Plantro is voluntarily providing the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and has filed this news release containing disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of Engine’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. This news release is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

This news release and any solicitation made by Plantro in advance of the Special Meeting is, or will be, as applicable, made by Plantro and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by Plantro, provided that, subject to applicable law, Plantro may seek reimbursement from the Company of Plantro’s out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with a successful reconstitution of the Board.

Plantro is not soliciting proxies in connection with the Special Meeting at this time, and shareholders are not being asked at this time to execute proxies in favour of the Plantro nominees (in respect of the Special Meeting) or any matter to be acted upon at the Special Meeting. Proxies may be solicited by Plantro pursuant to an Information Circular sent to shareholders after which solicitations may be made by or on behalf of Plantro, by mail, telephone, fax, email or other electronic means as well as by newspaper or other media advertising, and in person by directors, officers and employees of Plantro, who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. Plantro may also solicit proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including through press releases, speeches or publications, and by any other manner permitted under applicable corporate and securities laws. Plantro may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist in soliciting proxies on behalf of Plantro.

Plantro has retained Morrow Sodali (Canada) Ltd. (“Sodali”) as its proxy advisor to assist Plantro in soliciting shareholders should Plantro commence a formal solicitation of proxies, for which Sodali will receive a fee not to exceed $200,000 plus a per call fee and certain success fees, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses, and will be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses, including certain liabilities under securities laws. Sodali’s responsibilities will principally include advising Plantro on governance best practices, where applicable, liaising with proxy advisory firms, developing and implementing shareholder engagement strategies, and advising with respect to meeting and proxy protocol.

Plantro is not requesting that Dye & Durham shareholders submit a proxy at this time. Once Plantro has commenced a formal solicitation of proxies in connection with the Special Meeting, proxies may be revoked by instrument in writing by the shareholder giving the proxy or by its duly authorized officer or attorney, or in any other manner permitted by law (including subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario)). None of Plantro or, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, (i) in any transaction since the beginning of Dye & Durham’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or would materially affect Dye & Durham or any of its subsidiaries; or (ii) by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the election of directors to the Board.

Dye & Durham’s principal office address is 25 York St., Suite 1100, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2V5. A copy of this news release may be obtained on Dye & Durham’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.

Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

About Plantro

Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.

Media Contact

Gagnier Communications
Riyaz Lalani / Dan Gagnier
Plantro@gagnierfc.com

^{____________________________________
1}Source: CapIQ: based off of analyst consensus adjusted EBITDA estimates and Plantro’s calculations which are available within the investor presentation on www.SellDnD.com
²The Company’s Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio will be materially higher in two quarters from now when it loses the ability to offset $185 million in restricted cash it holds to repay its 2026 convertible debentures, against its senior debt. Based on sell-side consensus estimates, the Company will be much closer to breaching its Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio covenant, should it remain in place.
³Assumes 0.5% annual Adjusted EBITDA growth after the sale of financial services based off trailing 9-month results as at Q3 FY25; Further details on Plantro’s assumptions and calculations are available within the investor presentation on www.SellDnD.com
⁴Future share price applies current EV / LTM EBITDA multiple to LTM EBITDA ending March 31, 2026 based on research consensus estimates and adjusting for net debt forecasted as at March 31, 2026 with cash flow assumptions as further detailed in the presentation available at www.SellDnD.com.

The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Plantro Requisitions Shareholder Meeting of Dye & Durham, Nominates Three Highly-Qualified Individuals to Initiate Sale of Company
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Nearly $1 Billion in Shareholder Value Destroyed Under Engine Led Board Since December 2024

Governance Failures: Four CEOs and Two CFOs in Six Months, an Entrenched Board Ignoring Credible Bids, Insiders Granted ~5% of the Company in Egregious $10 Stock Options, and Investors Actively Directing Management

If the Current Board and its Misguided Strategy Remain in Place, Shareholders Risk Further Losses – It is Time to Immediately Initiate a Sale Process and Unlock a Change of Control Premium for Shareholders

Today, a Financial Services Sale for ~$590 million or ~11x EBITDA Still Leaves Leverage at ~4.5x, with No Path to Sub-3x Until 2031

ST. HELIER, Jersey, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro” or the “Concerned Shareholder”) one of the largest shareholders of Dye & Durham Limited (“Dye & Durham” or the “Company”) (DND: TSX) which owns approximately 11% of the Company, today announced that it has requisitioned a special meeting of Dye & Durham shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) and nominated three highly qualified individuals for the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”): Brian J. Bidulka, David Danziger, and Martha Vallance. The requisition also calls for the removal of Board Chair Arnaud Ajdler, and directors Tracey E. Keates, and Ritu Khanna, from the Board.

The value destruction at Dye & Durham since December of 2024 has reached crisis proportions and threatens the Company’s future. The current Board, steered by Engine Capital (“Engine”), EdgePoint Wealth Management Inc. (“EdgePoint”) and OneMove Capital Ltd. (“OneMove”) (together, the “Engine Activist Group”) has presided over the destruction of nearly $1 billion in shareholder value.

The Engine Activist Group and the Board have pursued a misguided and haphazard strategy of customer price cuts and overspending. This has led to sharp declines in Adjusted EBITDA, cash flow, and rising debt, as evidenced by the Company’s recent quarterly results and a new debt covenant being imposed. As global real estate markets recently weakened, the Board doubled down on its strategy instead of adjusting course. This has caused a liquidity crisis, forcing the Company to aggressively draw on its revolving credit facility to make its April 2025 interest payment. With no clear or credible plan in place, leverage is expected to approach 6.0x Adjusted EBITDA by September 30, 2025¹.

Remaining public is no longer a viable option. If the current Board remains unchanged, the Company will continue down the same failed path, resulting in further shareholder losses. A full sale of the Company is the only way to realize a control premium for current shareholders and restore stability in the business.

Unfortunately, the current Board and the Engine Activist Group have fought for the past nine months against the sale of the Company or even presenting an offer to shareholders to consider. Before taking control, the Engine Activist Group publicly rejected multiple all-cash offers obtained by the prior board of approximately $25 per share. After the 2024 annual general meeting, as the stock declined significantly, Plantro submitted an offer to acquire the Company for $20 a share in February 2025. This offer was similarly rejected, and Plantro was threatened with litigation for privately submitting it. Furthermore, in April 2025, according to media reports, the Board refused to engage with Advent International, a credible well-funded buyer, who formally submitted offers of approximately $20 per share. The Board has also continued to deny basic due diligence access, actively undermining the possibility of negotiating higher bids.

As outlined below, and in a presentation available at www.SellDnD.com, a sale of Dye & Durham is the only viable risk-adjusted path, free from execution risk, remaining for shareholders to preserve and maximize their value. Plantro invites its fellow shareholders to join in the push for urgent change. If elected, the Plantro nominees intend to immediately pursue a well-governed and thoughtful process to sell the Company without delay TO THE BUYER WILLING TO PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE.

Stopgap Solutions Won’t Protect Shareholders: Dye & Durham Cannot Afford to Wait Any Longer and the Company Should Be Sold.

The Engine Activist Group will try to sell you a half-baked plan — an asset sale and a plea for more time; but they are wrong. Just months ago, a sale of the Financial Services business may have been a viable path to reduce leverage, however, their misguided strategy and poor execution has damaged the business to the point where a sale of the Financial Services business would do little to reduce debt. Even if the Company sells additional assets, there are no realistic paths to reduce leverage below 4.0x any time soon.

The Engine Activist Group and Engine-led Board have no plan to deliver anywhere near a $20 per share price on a risk- or time-adjusted basis. All they will do is sell you vague and hypothetical outcomes. Shareholders need to immediately realize a sale of the entire Company for the large control premium available for the following reasons:
- It is Too Risky Not to Sell: A misguided and haphazard strategy, coupled with poor execution has led to significantly declining financial performance and excessive borrowing over the last six months. This has resulted in a new 5.8x debt covenant being imposed on the business, which sell-side analysts estimate the Company will be precariously close to breaching in the coming quarters², putting shareholder equity at real risk of further erosion.
- Divesting Financial Services Doesn’t Solve the Problem: Today, a sale of the Financial Services business at ~11x Adjusted EBITDA still leaves leverage at ~4.5x, with no path to sub-3x until 2031³. Further, speculative claims of multiple expansion following a sale of the Financial Services business are unfounded as the Company will be a smaller, declining business, with leverage too high for public market investors to tolerate.
- Generous Assumptions Point to a Lower Share Price: Waiting is not an option. Assuming the Company maintains its current 7.9x trading multiple the implied share price in Q3 FY2026 will be between $4.77 and $7.44⁴, with the low-end of the range assuming the Company misses revenue estimates by only 5%.
- There Are Still Credible Interested Buyers at the Table Right Now: Given the current negative trajectory, shareholders should pursue a full sale to capture an attractive all-cash change-of-control premium. Credible private equity buyers with the right expertise, risk appetite, and who bring the appropriate capital structure, are interested in acquiring the Company right now.
The Engine Activist Group Has Usurped the Board and Now Dye & Durham is Not Suited to Operate as a Public Company.

A revolving door of executives has destabilized the business and eradicated irreplaceable institutional memory at the worst possible time. The Company is now on its fourth CEO in six months, and its second CFO. Numerous other executives and employees at all levels have left or been terminated, with employee turnover now reportedly reaching 25%, compared to low single digits previously, creating paralysis and leaving the business rudderless. Retaining even a portion of this critical institutional knowledge would have informed better decision making and helped avoid multiple strategic blunders.

In what appears to be an act of desperation, the Board delegated the recruitment of a new CEO and CFO to the principal of OneMove and a representative of EdgePoint, and in doing so appointed an unproven first-time CEO, with no public company or capital allocation experience, and a new CFO. They then granted the pair nearly 5% of the Company in options priced at just $10 per share. The pair stand to pocket over $30 million simply for getting shareholders back to where they were in December 2024.

Plantro understands there is also ongoing infighting at the Board level that has a created a situation where management cannot operate effectively, and established governance structures are breaking down. Plantro has learned the Company was recently forced to engage an independent third party mediator to help navigate basic internal operations as a result of repeated shareholder-level interference with management. This kind of shareholder “skip-level” behaviour, where investors directly bypass a board of directors and provide instruction directly to management, is confusing and creates potential for further executive attrition. It is also virtually unheard of in a public company and raises serious concerns about accountability and proper oversight.

Plantro’s Highly Qualified Nominees Are Committed to Leading a Process to Sell Dye & Durham.

The Plantro nominees collectively bring experience in M&A, capital allocation, operations, technology, governance, public and private board service, and direct senior experience at Dye & Durham (which is necessary given excessive executive turnover under the Engine Activist Group). Together they have the right mix of skills, experience, expertise, and shareholder-centric perspective to stabilize Dye & Durham, and immediately commence a well-governed and thoughtful process to sell the Company for the highest price possible.

Each of Plantro’s highly qualified individuals is independent of Plantro and each other, and will act as true fiduciaries with a mandate to preserve and maximize shareholder value:
- Brian J. Bidulka, CPA, CA, is a corporate director and chartered accountant with extensive experience in technology, finance, and business analytics. Brian is the former Chief Financial Officer of Research in Motion. He has also served in senior executive roles at major Canadian companies including Porter Airlines, Postmedia, George Weston Limited, and Molson Coors. Currently, he is a member of the board at Andrew Peller Limited, and is also a board member and treasurer of Canada Basketball.
- David Danziger, CPA, CA, is an experienced finance leader and corporate director with an extensive background in audit, accounting, and management consulting. Previously, he was the Senior Vice President, Assurance, and the National Leader of Public Companies at MNP LLP, Canada’s fifth largest accounting firm. David continues to serve as a Senior Advisor for MNP LLP working on special projects and supporting the Public Company Audit Team nationally. David has served as a director for a range of technology, mining, and life sciences companies listed on the TSX, TSXV, CSE, and NYSE.
- Martha Vallance is a corporate director with significant experience in M&A, capital markets and technology. Most recently, Martha was the Chief Operating Officer of Dye & Durham after previously establishing and leading the company’s Corporate Development function and has deep knowledge of the company’s strategy and operations. Prior to this, Martha spent over 12 years in Investment & Corporate Banking at BMO Capital Markets, most recently holding a series of senior roles within both the Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity Capital Markets teams. In addition, Martha served as a Director on the Board of TSX-listed TMAC Resources and was also a member of the Special Committee during the sale of the company which concluded in January 2021.
Plantro proposes that shareholders support incumbent directors Hans T. Gieskes, the recently deposed independent chairman of the Board, Anthony P. Kinnear, Sid Singh, and Eric Shahinian to maintain continuity on the Board. Both Gieskes and Singh served as interim CEOs of the Company, and collectively, these individuals have relevant C-Suite, public company, and capital markets experience at other companies.

Plantro remains supportive of management and believes stability is required to execute a successful sales process and restore value to shareholders.

Shareholders Need to Make their Voices Heard

There is no debate – Dye & Durham does not have a viable long-term path as a public company and must be sold. The Board and management will claim they need more time, but the status quo for shareholders is simply intolerable. While the business drifts and headwinds build, the risks to Dye & Durham and its shareholders continue to accumulate. The time for decisive action has arrived.

Plantro has heard from many shareholders who share its contention that the Company must run a formal sale process to preserve and maximize shareholder value. Now is the time to speak up. It is imperative that shareholders communicate their views directly to the Board and urge them to call and hold the Special Meeting without delay so the Company can be sold. Alternatively, the Board can spare shareholders the cost and distraction of a proxy contest, appoint the Plantro nominees to the Board, and commence a formal sale process immediately.

Please visit www.SellDnd.com to view Plantro’s presentation to fellow shareholders and other important materials.

Other Information Concerning the Plantro Nominees

To the knowledge of Plantro, no Plantro nominee is, at the date hereof, or has been, within ten (10) years before the date hereof: (a) a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any company that (i) was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order or an order that denied the relevant company access to any exemption under securities legislation that was in effect for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive days (each, an “order”), in each case that was issued while the Plantro nominee was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or (ii) was subject to an order that was issued after the Plantro nominee ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; (b) a director or executive officer of any company that, while such Plantro nominee was acting in that capacity, or within one (1) year of such Plantro nominee ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or (c) someone who became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or became subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of such Plantro nominee.

To the knowledge of Plantro, as at the date hereof, no Plantro nominee has been subject to: (a) any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation, or by a securities regulatory authority, or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or (b) any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable securityholder in deciding whether to vote for a Plantro nominee.

To the knowledge of Plantro, none of the directors or officers of Plantro, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or any of the Plantro nominees or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the re-constitution of the Board.

Plantro beneficially owns and controls 7,374,510 common shares representing approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Martha Vallance beneficially owns and controls 38,600 common shares, representing approximately 0.06% of the outstanding shares of the Company. She also holds options to acquire an additional 425,433 common shares. Assuming full exercise of these options, she would beneficially own and control 464,033 common shares, representing approximately 0.69% of the then-outstanding shares of the Company, on a partially diluted basis. While the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees may purchase shares in the future, not of the other Concerned Shareholder Nominees currently hold any units of the Company.

Additional Information

The information contained in this news release does not and is not meant to constitute a solicitation of a proxy within the meaning of applicable corporate and securities laws. Although Plantro has requisitioned the Special Meeting, there is currently no record or meeting date and shareholders are not being asked at this time to execute a proxy in favour of the Plantro nominees or any other matter to be acted upon at the Special Meeting. In connection with the Special Meeting, Plantro may file a dissident information circular (the “Information Circular”) in due course in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Plantro is voluntarily providing the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and has filed this news release containing disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of Engine’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. This news release is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

This news release and any solicitation made by Plantro in advance of the Special Meeting is, or will be, as applicable, made by Plantro and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by Plantro, provided that, subject to applicable law, Plantro may seek reimbursement from the Company of Plantro’s out-of-pocket expenses, including proxy solicitation expenses and legal fees, incurred in connection with a successful reconstitution of the Board.

Plantro is not soliciting proxies in connection with the Special Meeting at this time, and shareholders are not being asked at this time to execute proxies in favour of the Plantro nominees (in respect of the Special Meeting) or any matter to be acted upon at the Special Meeting. Proxies may be solicited by Plantro pursuant to an Information Circular sent to shareholders after which solicitations may be made by or on behalf of Plantro, by mail, telephone, fax, email or other electronic means as well as by newspaper or other media advertising, and in person by directors, officers and employees of Plantro, who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. Plantro may also solicit proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including through press releases, speeches or publications, and by any other manner permitted under applicable corporate and securities laws. Plantro may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist in soliciting proxies on behalf of Plantro.

Plantro has retained Morrow Sodali (Canada) Ltd. (“Sodali”) as its proxy advisor to assist Plantro in soliciting shareholders should Plantro commence a formal solicitation of proxies, for which Sodali will receive a fee not to exceed $200,000 plus a per call fee and certain success fees, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses, and will be indemnified against certain liabilities and expenses, including certain liabilities under securities laws. Sodali’s responsibilities will principally include advising Plantro on governance best practices, where applicable, liaising with proxy advisory firms, developing and implementing shareholder engagement strategies, and advising with respect to meeting and proxy protocol.

Plantro is not requesting that Dye & Durham shareholders submit a proxy at this time. Once Plantro has commenced a formal solicitation of proxies in connection with the Special Meeting, proxies may be revoked by instrument in writing by the shareholder giving the proxy or by its duly authorized officer or attorney, or in any other manner permitted by law (including subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario)). None of Plantro or, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, (i) in any transaction since the beginning of Dye & Durham’s most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or would materially affect Dye & Durham or any of its subsidiaries; or (ii) by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter proposed to be acted on at the Special Meeting, other than the election of directors to the Board.

Dye & Durham’s principal office address is 25 York St., Suite 1100, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2V5. A copy of this news release may be obtained on Dye & Durham’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “plans,” “continue,” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, statements of Plantro regarding (i) how Plantro intends to exercise its legal rights as a shareholder of the Company, and (ii) its plans to make changes at the Board of the Company.

Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in any such forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that (i) the Company may use tactics to thwart the rights of Plantro as a shareholder and (ii) the actions being proposed and the changes being demanded by Plantro, may not take place for any reason whatsoever. Except as required by law, Plantro does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

About Plantro

Plantro is a privately held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.

Media Contact

Gagnier Communications
Riyaz Lalani / Dan Gagnier
Plantro@gagnierfc.com

^{____________________________________
1}Source: CapIQ: based off of analyst consensus adjusted EBITDA estimates and Plantro’s calculations which are available within the investor presentation on www.SellDnD.com
²The Company’s Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio will be materially higher in two quarters from now when it loses the ability to offset $185 million in restricted cash it holds to repay its 2026 convertible debentures, against its senior debt. Based on sell-side consensus estimates, the Company will be much closer to breaching its Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio covenant, should it remain in place.
³Assumes 0.5% annual Adjusted EBITDA growth after the sale of financial services based off trailing 9-month results as at Q3 FY25; Further details on Plantro’s assumptions and calculations are available within the investor presentation on www.SellDnD.com
⁴Future share price applies current EV / LTM EBITDA multiple to LTM EBITDA ending March 31, 2026 based on research consensus estimates and adjusting for net debt forecasted as at March 31, 2026 with cash flow assumptions as further detailed in the presentation available at www.SellDnD.com.

The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Electude, the leader in automotive and truck e-learning, announces partnership with Elite Tuned School
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BRAINTREE, Mass., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electude North America is pleased to announce it has formed a partnership with Elite Tuned School to distribute its Elite Tuned Performance courses via the Electude LMS.

Elite Tuned School is proud to bring three cutting-edge tuning and calibration courses to Electude’s platform, providing a progressive path to introduce students to modern engine calibration and diagnostics using HP Tuners:
- Diagnostics & Calibration Essentials – A foundational course introducing students to engine control systems, diagnostics, sensor functions, and entry-level calibration strategies.
- High Performance I: Naturally Aspirated Tuning – Focused on building performance calibrations for NA platforms, this course covers airflow modeling, fueling, spark control, and base file development.
- High Performance II: Boosted Performance Calibration – Designed for advanced students, this course explores forced induction tuning strategies, including MAP scaling, injector setup, spark adjustments, dyno operation, and real-world base file builds.
These courses are designed to fit into high school and post-secondary automotive programs, offering real-world tuning knowledge in an engaging, structured format.

Mike Carnahan, Co-Founder, Elite Tuned School, said: “Partnering with Electude allows us to put powerful, real-world calibration training directly into classrooms across the country. The goal has always been to make tuning education more accessible and practical—and this collaboration brings that vision to life for the next generation of automotive professionals.” Darrell Christopher, Regional Director for Electude North America, said “A number of our customers teach automotive hi-performance courses and partnering with the team at Elite Tuned School was a natural for us. In addition, our Electude Classroom e-learning course is the perfect companion to get hi-performance students the tools they need for success!”

Elite Tuned School Elite Tuned Performance courses are available to educational institutions through the United States now. These courses require are a separate purchase in addition to any other Electude e-learning courses a school or college may be using. Your Electude business development manager can get you started!

About Electude: Electude has been a global innovation leader in automotive technology education for over 30 years. Electude is in use today globally by over 900,000 students and over 50,000 instructors in 70 nations, translated into 35 languages. Using an integrative, highly interactive gamified learning method, Electude has revolutionized the automotive education industry by empowering vocational students to learn effectively and give instructors custom time-saving tools. Electude North America provides a localized version of Electude to customers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Visit www.electude.com for more information.

About Elite Tuned School:

Elite Tuned School is a leader in high-performance automotive education, offering a unique, real-world approach to engine calibration using the latest software and strategies. Built by professional tuners, Elite Tuned delivers hands-on, industry-relevant instruction for aspiring professionals and enthusiasts alike. With a focus on diagnostics, base file creation, forced induction strategies, and dyno integration, Elite Tuned empowers students to calibrate with confidence and understanding. Questions? Reach us at: Electude@EliteTuned.com.

The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: EXL named a Leader in Everest Group Data and AI Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a global data and AI company, has been named the top Leader in the Everest Group Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025, for the second consecutive year.

The Everest Group report examined 32 leading providers who derive more than 50% of their revenue from analytics and AI services on their ability to meet enterprise needs and deliver scalable, secure and high-impact AI and data solutions. EXL secured the top-right Leader position in the assessment for its robust generative AI capabilities, domain-led expertise and IP to accelerate client time-to-value.

“EXL has invested in advancing its data and AI capabilities, with an emphasis on domain-specific applications across insurance, healthcare, and retail,” said Vishal Gupta, partner at Everest Group. “This is reflected in solutions such as EXL Claims Assist, which leverages GenAI to streamline insurance claims processing. Its growing IP portfolio, including platforms like XTRAKTO.AI™ for intelligent document processing and EXL Code Harbor™ for AI-assisted code generation, enables faster implementation and greater operational efficiency. In addition, its collaboration with NVIDIA, leveraging platforms such as the NVIDIA NeMo™ and AI Enterprise to power offerings such as EXL Insurance LLM™ and EXL Smart Agent Assist™, strengthens its ability to build and scale high-performance AI solutions. These efforts have contributed to EXL’s positioning as a Leader in Everest Group’s Data and AI Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025.”

“Many companies have adopted AI, but only the true leaders in the space are going several steps further to integrate AI across enterprise workflows, leveraging the power of this technology to truly transform their operating models,” said Anand “Andy” Logani, chief digital and AI officer at EXL. “EXL’s consistent performance in the Everest Group PEAK Matrix is an affirmation of our efforts to not just play in the AI space, but to be the world leader in helping our clients unlock the full power of AI to improve their businesses.”

To read more about the Everest Group 2025 report, click here for the custom version of the report. For more information about EXL’s analytics and AI solutions, click here.

About EXL

EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global data and AI company that offers services and solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform businesses, including the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, retail, communications and media, and energy and infrastructure, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have approximately 60,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management’s experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation and recessionary economic trends, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

Contacts
Media
Keith Little
+1 703-598-0980
media.relations@exlservice.com

Investor Relations
John Kristoff
+1 212 209 4613
IR@exlservice.com

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: EXL named a Leader in Everest Group Data and AI Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a global data and AI company, has been named the top Leader in the Everest Group Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025, for the second consecutive year.

The Everest Group report examined 32 leading providers who derive more than 50% of their revenue from analytics and AI services on their ability to meet enterprise needs and deliver scalable, secure and high-impact AI and data solutions. EXL secured the top-right Leader position in the assessment for its robust generative AI capabilities, domain-led expertise and IP to accelerate client time-to-value.

“EXL has invested in advancing its data and AI capabilities, with an emphasis on domain-specific applications across insurance, healthcare, and retail,” said Vishal Gupta, partner at Everest Group. “This is reflected in solutions such as EXL Claims Assist, which leverages GenAI to streamline insurance claims processing. Its growing IP portfolio, including platforms like XTRAKTO.AI™ for intelligent document processing and EXL Code Harbor™ for AI-assisted code generation, enables faster implementation and greater operational efficiency. In addition, its collaboration with NVIDIA, leveraging platforms such as the NVIDIA NeMo™ and AI Enterprise to power offerings such as EXL Insurance LLM™ and EXL Smart Agent Assist™, strengthens its ability to build and scale high-performance AI solutions. These efforts have contributed to EXL’s positioning as a Leader in Everest Group’s Data and AI Services Specialists PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025.”

“Many companies have adopted AI, but only the true leaders in the space are going several steps further to integrate AI across enterprise workflows, leveraging the power of this technology to truly transform their operating models,” said Anand “Andy” Logani, chief digital and AI officer at EXL. “EXL’s consistent performance in the Everest Group PEAK Matrix is an affirmation of our efforts to not just play in the AI space, but to be the world leader in helping our clients unlock the full power of AI to improve their businesses.”

To read more about the Everest Group 2025 report, click here for the custom version of the report. For more information about EXL’s analytics and AI solutions, click here.

About EXL

EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global data and AI company that offers services and solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform businesses, including the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, retail, communications and media, and energy and infrastructure, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have approximately 60,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to EXL’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond EXL’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning EXL’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of management’s experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although EXL believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect EXL’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors, which include our ability to maintain and grow client demand, our ability to hire and retain sufficiently trained employees, and our ability to accurately estimate and/or manage costs, rising interest rates, rising inflation and recessionary economic trends, are discussed in more detail in EXL’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including EXL’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect EXL. EXL has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

Contacts
Media
Keith Little
+1 703-598-0980
media.relations@exlservice.com

Investor Relations
John Kristoff
+1 212 209 4613
IR@exlservice.com

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Transfix Launches Smart Uploads and Routing Guide to Modernize End-to-End Freight Pricing and Procurement
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Transfix, a leading freight technology company, today announced the launch of two powerful features, Smart Uploads and Routing Guide, that together redefine the pricing and procurement experience for freight brokers. Built into the Transfix Solutions Console, these AI-driven tools eliminate manual bottlenecks from RFP management and carrier booking, helping brokers price smarter, respond faster, and execute more reliably in a volatile market.

“Freight brokers have long been stuck between inconsistent RFP formats on one end and fragmented carrier networks on the other,” said Jonathan Salama, CEO and Co-founder of Transfix. “With Smart Uploads and Routing Guide, we’re modernizing the entire pricing and procurement lifecycle, from ingestion to execution, by combining automation with actionable intelligence. This is a huge step toward building freight’s first Quote Management System.”

Modernizing Freight from File to Final Mile

Together, Smart Uploads and Routing Guide represent a full-stack solution for the freight industry’s most persistent pain points: messy data, manual workflows, inconsistent pricing, and unreliable carrier performance.

Smart Uploads: AI-Driven RFP Ingestion

Now available within the Transfix Solutions Console, Smart Uploads automatically converts shipper-submitted RFPs into a clean, structured format, regardless of the original spreadsheet layout. The AI identifies key fields, flags ambiguities, and preserves the original file for full traceability, saving brokers hours of formatting time and eliminating costly errors.

A future release will introduce Smart Downloads, allowing users to export pricing responses in the shipper’s original format, ensuring a seamless, round-trip RFP process.

Key Benefits of Smart Uploads include:
- Instant AI Mapping: Automatically aligns shipper RFP formats to Transfix’s proprietary pricing system
- Error Visibility: Flags problematic fields for review without halting progress
- Faster Turnaround: Slashes manual prep time so brokers can respond sooner
- Higher Accuracy: Reduces costly data entry errors
Routing Guide: Operational Intelligence for Carrier Selection

Also launched today, Routing Guide enables brokers to lock in that pricing intelligence with consistent, high-performing carrier assignments. Using historical data, brokers can build high-quality networks, automate recurring freight, and reduce fraud by surfacing only vetted, trusted partners. Brokers can also set rate-optimizing margins and preferences by day or lane, ensuring reliable service with every booking.

Key Benefits of Routing Guide include:
- Stronger Partnerships: Prioritize top-performing carriers by lane
- Faster Execution: Eliminate manual vetting for recurring loads
- Reduced Fraud: Rely on trusted partners and minimize risk
- Better KPIs: Improve delivery performance and margin outcomes
With both tools now live in the Transfix Solutions Console, freight brokers gain a strategic, end-to-end advantage in today’s competitive market. By transforming messy, error-prone spreadsheets into actionable pricing and pairing those rates with the best carriers for the job, Transfix is delivering on its vision to create the industry’s first fully-integrated Quote Management System (QMS).

To learn more about Transfix and its freight solutions, visit www.transfix.io.

About Transfix
Transfix, Inc. is a freight technology leader dedicated to empowering brokers and 3PLs with innovative AI-driven pricing and load management solutions. Our Custom Rate Prediction Suite delivers tailored, highly accurate spot and contract rate forecasts, streamlined RFP workflows, and automated bidding tools that save time and improve margins. With over a decade of brokerage expertise and a commitment to data privacy, Transfix provides real-time insights and custom models that give brokers a competitive edge while ensuring their data remains proprietary and confidential. Transform your operations with the trusted partner in freight technology.

Media Contact:
Amber Good
LeadCoverage
amber@leadcoverage.com

The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Transfix Launches Smart Uploads and Routing Guide to Modernize End-to-End Freight Pricing and Procurement
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Transfix, a leading freight technology company, today announced the launch of two powerful features, Smart Uploads and Routing Guide, that together redefine the pricing and procurement experience for freight brokers. Built into the Transfix Solutions Console, these AI-driven tools eliminate manual bottlenecks from RFP management and carrier booking, helping brokers price smarter, respond faster, and execute more reliably in a volatile market.

“Freight brokers have long been stuck between inconsistent RFP formats on one end and fragmented carrier networks on the other,” said Jonathan Salama, CEO and Co-founder of Transfix. “With Smart Uploads and Routing Guide, we’re modernizing the entire pricing and procurement lifecycle, from ingestion to execution, by combining automation with actionable intelligence. This is a huge step toward building freight’s first Quote Management System.”

Modernizing Freight from File to Final Mile

Together, Smart Uploads and Routing Guide represent a full-stack solution for the freight industry’s most persistent pain points: messy data, manual workflows, inconsistent pricing, and unreliable carrier performance.

Smart Uploads: AI-Driven RFP Ingestion

Now available within the Transfix Solutions Console, Smart Uploads automatically converts shipper-submitted RFPs into a clean, structured format, regardless of the original spreadsheet layout. The AI identifies key fields, flags ambiguities, and preserves the original file for full traceability, saving brokers hours of formatting time and eliminating costly errors.

A future release will introduce Smart Downloads, allowing users to export pricing responses in the shipper’s original format, ensuring a seamless, round-trip RFP process.

Key Benefits of Smart Uploads include:
- Instant AI Mapping: Automatically aligns shipper RFP formats to Transfix’s proprietary pricing system
- Error Visibility: Flags problematic fields for review without halting progress
- Faster Turnaround: Slashes manual prep time so brokers can respond sooner
- Higher Accuracy: Reduces costly data entry errors
Routing Guide: Operational Intelligence for Carrier Selection

Also launched today, Routing Guide enables brokers to lock in that pricing intelligence with consistent, high-performing carrier assignments. Using historical data, brokers can build high-quality networks, automate recurring freight, and reduce fraud by surfacing only vetted, trusted partners. Brokers can also set rate-optimizing margins and preferences by day or lane, ensuring reliable service with every booking.

Key Benefits of Routing Guide include:
- Stronger Partnerships: Prioritize top-performing carriers by lane
- Faster Execution: Eliminate manual vetting for recurring loads
- Reduced Fraud: Rely on trusted partners and minimize risk
- Better KPIs: Improve delivery performance and margin outcomes
With both tools now live in the Transfix Solutions Console, freight brokers gain a strategic, end-to-end advantage in today’s competitive market. By transforming messy, error-prone spreadsheets into actionable pricing and pairing those rates with the best carriers for the job, Transfix is delivering on its vision to create the industry’s first fully-integrated Quote Management System (QMS).

To learn more about Transfix and its freight solutions, visit www.transfix.io.

About Transfix
Transfix, Inc. is a freight technology leader dedicated to empowering brokers and 3PLs with innovative AI-driven pricing and load management solutions. Our Custom Rate Prediction Suite delivers tailored, highly accurate spot and contract rate forecasts, streamlined RFP workflows, and automated bidding tools that save time and improve margins. With over a decade of brokerage expertise and a commitment to data privacy, Transfix provides real-time insights and custom models that give brokers a competitive edge while ensuring their data remains proprietary and confidential. Transform your operations with the trusted partner in freight technology.

Media Contact:
Amber Good
LeadCoverage
amber@leadcoverage.com

The MIL Network –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Misinformation lends itself to social contagion – here’s how to recognize and combat it

Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Shaon Lahiri, Assistant Professor of Public Health, College of Charleston

Misinformation on social media has the potential to manipulate millions of people. Pict Rider/iStock via Getty Images Plus

In 2019, a rare and shocking event in the Malaysian peninsula town of Ketereh grabbed international headlines. Nearly 40 girls age 12 to 18 from a religious school had been screaming inconsolably, claiming to have seen a “face of pure evil,” complete with images of blood and gore.

Experts believe that the girls suffered what is known as a mass psychogenic illness, a psychological condition that results in physical symptoms and spreads socially – much like a virus.

I’m a social and behavioral scientist within the field of public health. I study the ways in which individual behavior is influenced by prevailing social norms and social network processes, across a wide range of behaviors and contexts. Part of my work involves figuring out how to combat the spread of harmful content that can shape our behavior for the worse, such as misinformation.

Mass psychogenic illness is not misinformation, but it gives researchers like me some idea about how misinformation spreads. Social connections establish pathways of influence that can facilitate the spread of germs, mental illness and even behaviors. We can be profoundly influenced by others within our social networks, for better or for worse.

The spreading of social norms

Researchers in my field think of social norms as perceptions of how common and how approved a specific behavior is within a specific network of people who matter to us.

These perceptions may not always reflect reality, such as when people overestimate or underestimate how common their viewpoint is within a group. But they can influence our behavior nonetheless. For many, perception is reality.

Social norms and related behaviors can spread through social networks like a virus can, but with one crucial caveat. Viruses often require just one contact with a potential host to spread, whereas behaviors often require multiple contacts to spread. This phenomenon, known as complex contagion, highlights how socially learned behaviors take time to embed.

Watch the people in this video and see how you react.

Fiction spreads faster than fact

Consider a familiar scenario: the return of baggy jeans to the fashion zeitgeist.

For many millennials like me, you may react to a friend engaging in this resurrected trend by cringing and lightly teasing them. Yet, after seeing them don those denim parachutes on multiple occasions, a brazen thought may emerge: “Hmm, maybe they don’t look that bad. I could probably pull those off.” That’s complex contagion at work.

This dynamic is even more evident on social media. One of my former students expressed this succinctly. She was looking at an Instagram post about Astro Boy Boots – red, oversize boots based on those worn by a 1952 Japanese cartoon character. Her initial skepticism quickly faded upon reading the comments. As she put it, “I thought they were ugly at first, but after reading the comments, I guess they’re kind of fire.”

Moving from innocuous examples, consider the spread of misinformation on social media. Misinformation is false information that is spread unintentionally, while disinformation is false information that is intentionally disseminated to deceive or do serious harm.

Research shows that both misinformation and disinformation spread faster and farther than truth online. This means that before people can muster the resources to debunk the false information that has seeped into their social networks, they may have already lost the race. Complex contagion may have taken hold, in a malicious way, and begun spreading falsehood throughout the network at a rapid pace.

People spread false information for various reasons, such as to advance their personal agenda or narrative, which can lead to echo chambers that filter out accurate information contrary to one’s own views. Even when people do not intend to spread false information online, doing so tends to happen because of a lack of attention paid to accuracy or lower levels of digital media literacy.

Inoculation against social contagion

So how much can people do about this?

One way to combat harmful contagion is to draw on an idea first used in the 1960s called pre-bunking. The idea is to train people to practice skills to spot and resist misinformation and disinformation on a smaller scale before they’re exposed to the real thing.

The idea is akin to vaccines that build immunity through exposure to a weakened form of the disease-causing germ. The idea is for someone to be exposed to a limited amount of false information, say through the pre-bunking with Google quiz. They then learn to spot common manipulation tactics used in false information and learn how to resist their influence with evidence-based strategies to counter the falsehoods. This could also be done using a trained facilitator within classrooms, workplaces or other groups, including virtual communities.

Then, the idea is to gradually repeat the process with larger doses of false information and further counterarguments. By role-playing and practicing the counterarguments, this resistance skills training provides a sort of psychological innoculation against misinformation and disinformation, at least temporarily.

Importantly, this approach is intended for someone who has not yet been exposed to false information – hence, pre-bunking rather than debunking. If we want to engage with someone who firmly believes in their stance, particularly when it runs contrary to our own, behavioral scientists recommend leading with empathy and nonjudgmentally exchanging narratives.

Debunking is difficult work, however, and even strong debunking messages can result in the persistence of misinformation. You may not change the other person’s mind, but you may be able to engage in a civil discussion and avoid pushing them further away from your position.

Spreading facts, not fiction

When everyday people apply this with their friends and loved ones, they can train people to recognize the telltale signs of false information. This might be recognizing what’s known as a false dichotomy – for instance, “either you support this bill or you HATE our country.”

Another signal of false information is the common tactic of scapegoating: “Oil industry faces collapse due to rise in electric car ownership.” And another is the slippery slope of logical fallacy. An example is “legalization of marijuana will lead to everyone using heroin.”

All of these are examples of common tactics that spread misinformation and come from a Practical Guide to Pre-Bunking Misinformation, created by a collaborative team from the University of Cambridge, BBC Media Action and Jigsaw, an interdisciplinary think tank within Google.

This approach is not only effective in combating misinformation and disinformation, but also in delaying or preventing the onset of harmful behaviors. My own research suggests that pre-bunking can be used effectively to delay the initiation of tobacco use among adolescents. But it only works with regular “booster shots” of training, or the effect fades away in a matter of months or less.

Many researchers like me who study these social contagion dynamics don’t yet know the best way to keep these “booster shots” going in people’s lives. But there are recent studies showing that it can be done. A promising line of research also suggests that a group-based approach can be effective in maintaining the pre-bunking effects to achieve psychological herd immunity. Personally, I would bet my money on group-based approaches where you, your friends or your family can mutually reinforce each other’s capacity to resist harmful social norms entering your network.

Simply put, if multiple members of your social network have strong resistance skills, then your group has a better chance of resisting the incursion of harmful norms and behaviors into your network than if it’s just you resisting alone. Other people matter.

In the end, whether we’re empowering people to resist the insidious creep of online falsehoods or equipping adolescents to stand firm against peer pressure to smoke or use other substances, the research is clear: Resistance skills training can provide an essential weapon for safeguarding ourselves and young people from harmful behaviors.

Shaon Lahiri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Misinformation lends itself to social contagion – here’s how to recognize and combat it – https://theconversation.com/misinformation-lends-itself-to-social-contagion-heres-how-to-recognize-and-combat-it-254298

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: From Seattle to Atlanta, new social housing programs seek to make homes permanently affordable for a range of incomes

Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Susanne Schindler, Research Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard Kennedy School

Activists in Seattle gather signatures to put a social housing initiative on the ballot. In early 2025, voters passed the measure, which implements a payroll tax on high incomes to fund the program. House Our Neighbors, CC BY-SA

Seattle astounded housing advocates around the country in February 2025, when roughly two-thirds of voters approved a ballot initiative proposing a new 5% payroll tax on salaries in excess of US$1 million.

The expected revenue – estimated to amount to $52 million dollars annually – would go toward funding a public development authority named Seattle Social Housing, which would then build and maintain permanently affordable homes.

The city has experienced record high rents and home prices over the past two decades, attributed in part to the high incomes and relatively low taxes paid by tech firms like Amazon. Prior attempts to make these companies do their part to keep the city affordable have had mixed results.

So despite nationwide, bipartisan skepticism of government and tax increases, Seattle’s voters showed that in light of a severe affordability crisis, a new role for the public sector and a new, dedicated fiscal revenue stream for housing were not only necessary, but possible.

As a trained architect and urban historian, I study how capitalist societies have embraced – or rejected – housing that’s permanently shielded from market forces and what that means for architecture and urban design.

To me, Seattle’s social housing initiative shows that the country’s traditional, “either-or” housing model – of unregulated, market-rate housing versus tightly regulated, income-restricted affordable housing – has reached its limits.

Social housing promises a different path forward.

The rise of the ‘two-tiered’ system

After World War I, amid a similarly dire housing crisis, journalist Catherine Bauer traveled to Europe and learned about the continent’s social housing programs.

She publicized her findings in the 1934 book “Modern Housing,” in which she advocated for housing that would be permanently shielded from the private real estate market. High-quality design was central to her argument. (The book was reissued in 2020, reflecting a renewed hunger for her ideas.)

Early New Deal programs supported “limited-dividend,” or nonprofit, housing sponsored by civic organizations such as labor unions. The Carl Mackley Houses in Philadelphia exemplified this approach: The government provided low-interest loans to the American Federation of Full-Fashioned Hosiery Workers, which then constructed housing for its workers with rents set at affordable rates. The complex was built with community rooms and a swimming pool for its residents.

Financed by $1.2 million in federal funds, the Carl Mackley Houses, completed in 1935, provided homes for union workers.
Alfred Kastner papers, Collection No. 7350, Box 45, Record 12, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming

However, the 1937 U.S. Housing Act omitted this form of middle-income housing. Instead, the federal government chose to support public rental housing for low-income Americans and private homeownership, with little in between.

Historian Gail Radford has aptly termed this a “two-tiered system,” and it was problematic from the start.

Funding for public housing in the U.S. – as well as for its successor, private-sector-built affordable housing – has always been capped in ways that fall far short of demand, with access to the homes largely restricted to households with the lowest incomes. Private-sector-built affordable housing depends on dangling tax credits for private investors, and rent restrictions can expire.

While the U.S. promoted this two-tiered system, cities like Vienna pursued a different path.

In Austria’s culturally vibrant capital, today half of all dwellings are permanently removed from the private market. Roughly 80% of households qualify to live in them. The buildings take a range of forms, are located in all neighborhoods, and are built and operated as rental or cooperative housing either by the city or by nonprofit developers.

Rents do not rise and fall according to household income, but are instead set to cover capital and operation expenses. These are kept low thanks to long-term, low-interest loans. These loans are funded through a nationwide 1% payroll tax, split evenly between employers and employees. Renters also make a down payment, priced in relation to the size and age of the apartment, which keeps monthly rents down. To guarantee access to low-cost land, the municipality has pursued an active land acquisition policy since the 1980s.

Vienna’s Pilotengasse Housing Estate, a social housing development featuring low-rise buildings with abundant greenery, was completed in 1992 and serves a range of income groups.
Viennaslide/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images

Housing shielded from the private market

The inequities created by the two-tiered system – along with the absence of viable options for moderate- and middle-income households – are what social housing advocates in the U.S. are trying to address today.

In 2018, the think tank People’s Policy Project published what was likely the first 21st-century report advocating for social housing in the U.S., citing Vienna as a model.

Across the U.S., social housing is being used to describe a range of programs, from limited equity cooperatives and community land trusts to public housing.

They all share a few underlying principles, however.

First and foremost, social housing calls for permanently shielding homes from the private real estate market, often referred to as “permanent affordability.” This usually means public investment in housing and public ownership of it. Second, unlike the ways in which public housing has traditionally operated in the U.S., most social housing programs aim to serve households across a broader range of incomes. The goal is to create housing that is both financially sustainable and appealing to broad swaths of the electorate. Third, social housing aspires to give residents more control over the governance of their homes.

Social housing doesn’t all look the same. But thoughtful design is key to its success. It’s built to be owned and operated in the long-term, not for short-term financial gain. Construction quality matters, and developers realize it needs to be appealing to a range of tenants with different needs.

Early successes

In recent years, there have been significant wins for the social housing movement at the state and local levels.

In 2023, Atlanta created a new quasi-public entity to co-develop mixed-income housing on city-owned land. In 2024, Rhode Island voters and the Massachusetts legislature funded pilot projects to test public investment in social housing. And 2025 has seen the the passage of Chicago’s Green Social Housing ordinance.

Many of these programs were directly inspired by affordable housing initiatives in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Since 2021, the county’s housing authority has used a $100 million housing fund to invest in new mixed-income developments. Through these investments, the county retains co-ownership and has been able to bring down the cost of development enough to offer 30% of homes at significantly below market rents, in perpetuity. If Vienna is the global paragon for social housing, Montgomery County has become its domestic counterpart.

In Seattle, social housing will mean homes delivered and permanently owned by Seattle Social Housing, which is funded through the payroll tax on high incomes. The initiative envisions developments featuring a range of apartment sizes to meet the needs of different family sizes, built to high energy-efficiency standards. Homes will be available to households earning up to 120% of area median income, with residents paying no more than 30% of their income on rent. In Seattle, that means that a single-person household making up to $120,000 will qualify.

Members of the New York City Council hold a rally with housing activists to promote social housing legislation in March 2023.
William Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit, CC BY-SA

Ongoing debates

Despite these successes, many Americans remain skeptical of social housing.

Sign up for a webinar on the topic, and you’ll hear participants question the term itself. Isn’t it far too “socialist” to be broadly adopted in the U.S.? And isn’t this just “old wine in new bottles”?

Join a housing task force, and established nonprofits will be the ones to push back, arguing that they already know how to build and manage housing, and that all they need is money.

Some housing activists also question whether using scarce public dollars to pay for mixed-income housing will yet again shortchange those who most need governmental assistance – namely, the poor. Others point to the need to provide more ways to build intergenerational wealth, especially for racial minorities, who have historically faced barriers to homeownership.

Urban planner Jonathan Tarleton has highlighted another important issue: the danger of social housing reverting over time to private ownership, as has been the case with some cooperatives in New York City. Tarleton stresses the need for “social maintenance” – the importance of telling and retelling the story of whom social housing is meant to serve.

These debates raise important questions. Social housing may be a confusing term and an aspirational concept. But it is here to stay: It has galvanized organizers and policymakers around a new approach to the design, development and maintenance of housing.

Social housing keeps prices down through long-term public investment, ensuring that future generations will still benefit. Developers can design and provide homes that respond to how people want to live. And in an increasingly polarized country, social housing will allow people of various backgrounds, incomes and ideological persuasions to live together again, rather than apart.

Whether it’s the kind found in Seattle, in Maryland or somewhere in between, I believe social housing is needed more than ever before to address the country’s twin problems of affordability and a lack of political imagination.

This article is part of a series centered on envisioning ways to deal with the housing crisis.

Susanne Schindler receives funding from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

– ref. From Seattle to Atlanta, new social housing programs seek to make homes permanently affordable for a range of incomes – https://theconversation.com/from-seattle-to-atlanta-new-social-housing-programs-seek-to-make-homes-permanently-affordable-for-a-range-of-incomes-255097

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: What schools can learn from skate culture

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sander Hölsgens, Assistant Professor, Leiden Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University

Dean Drobot/Shutterstock

At a school in Malmö, Sweden, skateboarding is on the curriculum. John Dahlquist, vice principal of Bryggeriets High School, teaches skate classes and brings lessons from skateboarding into other subjects. By encouraging teenagers to have fun together through skating and beyond, he notices that they want to attend school. Writing in a recent book I co-edited on skateboarding and teaching, Dahlquist notes that he even sees students longing to be back in the classroom after the weekend.

Skateboarding is creative, requiring ingenuity in adapting to new environments. It’s collaborative and social: skaters cheer each other on when they try to learn something new, acknowledging that everyone operates at a different level and faces a distinct challenge.

When skateboarding is done well, individual growth takes place among a community of care and mutual support. And it requires a willingness to fail. There’s no way to master a trick without trying and failing, over and over again.

My colleagues and I have researched the value of a skateboarding philosophy in schools, and how teachers can bring it into their classrooms.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Take Dahlquist’s teaching in Malmö. He notes that interweaving skate classes with other subjects has multiple noteworthy effects. The physical activity of skateboarding improves levels of concentration. Some students even say that they’d never been successful in any other learning environment. Elsewhere, they’d be unable to focus on the task at hand.

What’s more, a skateboarding mindset – being prepared to learn difficult tricks in unfamiliar settings – equipped students with the capacity to master other kinds of new skills.

Able to fail

The process of overcoming the anxiety to fail is crucial. Skaters cannot be afraid to fall if they want to learn new tricks. The motivation to learn through repeated efforts helps skaters in other areas of life, too. Skaters at Bryggeriet aren’t worried as much about failing grades, precisely because they see it as an opportunity to learn and move forward.

As Dahlquist says, “At the end of my classes, I usually have to throw my students out of the classroom. A lot of them beg for three more tries: ‘I’ve got this, just give me three more tries. I promise I will learn.‘”

This mindset decreases grades as education’s cornerstone and, by extension, enhances students’ mental health. My colleague Esther Sayers, who conducted fieldwork at Bryggeriets, found another effect. Teachers help students to develop the skills to get motivated, to reach a point of feeling inspired – or what skaters call “stoke”.

Skateboarding fosters a non-competitive learning culture.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A

Bryggeriets High School isn’t the only place where skateboarding is helping teach people how to learn. Reaching beyond its historical status as a self-regulated street culture, skateboarding now plays an important role in building engaged learning communities across the globe. Berlin-based skate organisation Skateistan hosts skate classes, gives young people access to education and offers funds for young and upcoming community leaders.

Concrete Jungle Foundation co-builds skateparks with young people in Peru, Morocco and Jamaica, in order to exchange knowledge and drive local ownership and apprenticeship. Similarly, the New York-based Harold Hunter Foundation runs skate workshops that also provide mentoring and career guidance.

Colleagues Arianna Gil and Jessica Forsyth have studied working class black and Latin American skate crews, run by genderdiverse community organisers. They found that skate crews such as Brujas and Gang Corp mobilise skaters according to the “for us, by us” spirit.

Challenging institutional models of authority, these skate crews develop services based on the hopes and aspirations of their communities – ranging from teach-ins to recreational programmes. This includes a talk on the history and meaning of hoodies, and modules on the power of storytelling and the danger of propaganda. The crux, here, is to learn about stuff you encounter in your daily lives.

Skaters who experience poverty and oppression create their own ecosystem for learning from one another, from being out of an educational system that is organised in a top-down way. This means creating a grassroots school model where skate crews choose what and how they want to learn. Rather than grades and degrees, education here is structured around the process of learning from your peers – with the idea of passing on this knowledge in the near future.

The effects of this approach are threefold. First, it centers mentorship and apprenticeship, resulting in intergenerational knowledge exchange. Second, skateboarding’s DIY spirit can help overcome access barriers. By embracing grassroots teaching practices and formats, education can be tailored to the specific needs and desires of a community, rather than following standardised learning objectives.

Third, rather than focusing on memorising facts or learning for grades, this new ecosystem is structured around problem-based learning. Presented with worldly problems such as human rights violations and hostile architecture, skaters learn not just how to analyse their surroundings, but also how to cope with and engage oppressive societal structures.

As formal education faces incremental budget cuts and deepened governmental influence, skateboarding shows us new ways to organise our learning spaces. Schools and teachers can engage their students by integrating aspects of a learning culture that decentres evaluations and assessments and celebrates attempts, rather than just successes.

Sander Hölsgens received a ‘starting grant’ from OCW, The Netherlands. He is affiliated with Pushing Boarders, a platform tracing the social impact of skateboarding worldwide.

– ref. What schools can learn from skate culture – https://theconversation.com/what-schools-can-learn-from-skate-culture-255239

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: What people really want from their GP – it’s simpler than you might think

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Atherton, Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Southampton

Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock.com

Booking a GP appointment is a routine task, yet for many people it’s a source of frustration. Long waits, confusing systems and impersonal processes have become all too familiar. While much attention has been paid to how difficult it is to get an appointment, less research has asked a more fundamental question: what do patients actually want from their general practice?

To answer this, my colleagues and I reviewed 33 studies that were a mixture of study designs, and focused on patients’ expectations and preferences regarding access to their GP in England and Scotland.

What people wanted was not complicated or cutting edge. People were looking for connection; a friendly receptionist and good communication from the practice about how they could expect to make an appointment. And they wanted a general practice in their own neighbourhood with clean, calm waiting rooms. So far, so simple.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

People wanted booking systems that were simple and user-friendly, without long automated phone menus (“press one for reception”). Preferences varied. Some patients valued the option to book appointments in person at the reception desk, while others preferred the convenience of online booking.

Regardless of how they booked, patients wanted shorter waiting times or, at least, clear information about when they could expect an appointment or a callback.

Ideally, general practice would be open on Saturdays and Sundays for those who cannot attend during the week.

Remote consultations – by phone, video or email – have become more common since the pandemic, and many patients found them helpful. For those with caring responsibilities or mobility issues, they offered a convenient way to access care without needing to leave home.

However, remote appointments weren’t suitable for everyone. Some patients lacked privacy at work, while others – particularly those with hearing impairments – found telephone consultations difficult or impossible to use.

What patients consistently wanted was choice, particularly when it came to remote consultations. While in-person appointments were seen as the gold standard, many recognised that telephone or video consultations could be useful in certain situations. Preferences varied widely, which made the ability to choose the type of consultation especially important.

Patients also wanted choice over who they saw, especially for non-urgent issues or when managing ongoing health conditions.

In today’s general practice, care is often delivered by a range of professionals, including nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. While many patients were open to seeing different healthcare professionals, older adults and people from minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to prefer seeing a GP.

Overall, patients wanted the option to choose a GP over another healthcare professional – or at least be involved in that decision.

Satisfaction at all-time low

Unsurprisingly, what patients want from general practice varies, reflecting different lifestyles, needs and circumstances. But what was equally clear is that many people are not able to get what they want from the appointment system.

According to a recent British Social Attitudes survey, patient satisfaction with general practice is at an all-time low, with just below one in three people reporting that they are very or quite satisfied with GP services.

Some elements of the UK government’s recently announced ten-year plan for the NHS in England may address some of these concerns, but it remains far from certain. The emphasis on the NHS app as a “doctor in your pocket” does not align with what many patients are asking for: genuine choice over whether they access care online or in person.

Read more:
NHS ten-year plan for England: what’s in it and what’s needed to make it work

Not everyone wants a doctor in their pocket.
NHS/Shutterstock.com

The proposal to open neighbourhood health centres on weekends could benefit those who need more flexible access. However, simply increasing the number of appointments misses the point: patients want more than just availability. They want care that is accessible, personalised and responsive to their individual needs.

The evidence is clear and the solutions simple, yet patient satisfaction remains at an all-time low. The government must stop assuming technology is the answer and start listening to what patients are actually telling them. The cost of ignoring their voices is a healthcare system that serves no one well.

Helen Atherton receives funding from the National Institute for Health Research and the Research Council of Norway.

– ref. What people really want from their GP – it’s simpler than you might think – https://theconversation.com/what-people-really-want-from-their-gp-its-simpler-than-you-might-think-260520

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Georgia: how democracy is being eroded fast as government shifts towards Russia

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

Georgia was once considered a post-Soviet success story. After years of authoritarian rule, followed by independence which brought near state collapse, corruption and chaos, Georgia appeared to have transitioned to democracy.

In a period after independence in 1991 and before 2020, elections were regularly held and were deemed mostly free and fair, the media and civil society were vibrant and corruption levels had diminished significantly.

The “Rose revolution” in 2003 ushered in an era of unprecedented reform and suggested a move towards democracy and a closer relationship with the west. Georgians were full of hope for the country’s future, and prospects of joining the European Union – or at least moving closer to Europe.

Fast forward two decades and Georgia has fully returned to authoritarianism. Six opposition leaders are in prison or facing charges and now thinktank leaders are being targeted with investigations that could land them in prison. Typically these charges centre around accepting foreign funding or criticising the government.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

In moves in line with other authoritarian regimes around the world, opposition organisations such as thinktanks are being told to produce financial documents in short timeframes, and accused of financial mismanagement and threatened with prosecution if they don’t.

In May 2024, Georgia passed a Russian-inspired foreign agent law — which would require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving foreign funding to register themselves and face restrictions. Protests erupted each time Georgia’s parliament debated this measure, but eventually the pro-RussianGeorgia Dream party prevailed. More than 90% of NGOs receive funding from abroad, so the new law cripples the efforts of some 26,000 of them.

Many Georgians were outraged that the passage of the bill may end dreams of one day becoming a European Union candidate country. Regular surveys have found that about 80% of Georgians have aspirations for their country to join the EU.

Though Georgia faces a host of economic problems, the Georgia Dream party has campaigned on delivering a return to traditional values. Like Russia they have also passed a series of laws in 2024 that target the LGBTQ+ community, such as banning content that features same-sex relationships and stripping same-sex couples of rights, such as adoption.

Parallels with Russia?

Georgia Dream also passed legislation making treason a criminal offence, a clear attempt to eliminate political opponents. Any insults of politicians online are also considered a criminal offence.

Also, in June of this year civil society organisations in Georgia received court orders requiring them to disclose highly sensitive data. Meanwhile, members of the Georgia Dream party were accused of assaulting opposition party leader Giorgi Gakharia suffering a broken nose and a concussion, which they denied.

In another effort to exercise greater control over the state, since the beginning of this year more than 800 civil servants have been dismissed. Similar to the purges that took place in Turkey — this is not being done in the name of efficiency, but to ensure that the bureaucracy is loyal to wishes of the Georgia Dream government.

This hasn’t happened overnight, as the laws had already changed several times to weaken legal protections for civil servants.

During its time in government, the Georgia Dream party has moved the country much closer to Russia, often by portraying the nation as locked in a cultural struggle against the west. Despite this, 69% of Georgians still see Russia as Georgia’s main enemy, up from 35% in 2012.

Though the Georgia Dream party faces increasing public opposition to its rule, it gained nearly the same amount of votes in the 2024 elections as it did in 2012 – when it was at its peak of popularity. The election result in October 2024 may be partly explained by accusations of fraud and other irregularities.

How did this happen?

One of the first big threats to Georgia’s democracy came in August 2008 when Russia invaded the country to offer support for two breakaway regions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia which declared themselves independent from Georgia. The international community did little to censure Russia, giving Russian president Vladimir Putin the confidence to engage in further acts of aggression.

Russia has maintained troops in South Ossetia, only about 30 miles from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, and continues to play an important role in Georgian politics, undermining democracy.

Iran
Infogram

The next threat came from within. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili was elected prime minister of Georgia in 2012 as the leader of Georgia Dream. despite the fact that he officially stepped down from this position in 2013, he has wielded power behind the scenes and is still widely considered to be the de facto leader of Georgia.

Though Georgia did not immediately slide towards autocracy under the Georgia Dream party, today there are few remnants of democracy left. The major opposition parties are banned, opposition politicians and journalists are spied on, and protests are repressed by the police.

Cameras are now installed on the streets of Tbilisi as part of a crackdown on protest and fines for protesting have increased. Elections are no longer considered to be free and fair by the European Union and others as the Georgia Dream party uses its access to the state resources to dole out patronage to its supporters and intimidate voters.

In just over two decades, Georgia has managed to plunge back to authoritarianism. Once hailed as a beacon of democratic reform, the country is now gripped by a Russian-influenced ruling party that has consolidated power through repression, surveillance and manipulation.

But while the Georgia Dream party has tried to dismantle the country’s democratic institutions, support for resistance is high. According to a poll in 2025, more than 60% of respondents supported protests against the government and 45% identified as active supporters. And 82% feel Georgia is in crisis, with 78% blaming Georgian Dream.

It appears that Russia may have succeeded in undermining democracy in Georgia, but not in shaping hearts and minds.

Natasha Lindstaedt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Georgia: how democracy is being eroded fast as government shifts towards Russia – https://theconversation.com/georgia-how-democracy-is-being-eroded-fast-as-government-shifts-towards-russia-260430

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: US backs Nato’s latest pledge of support for Ukraine, but in reality seems to have abandoned its European partners

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

Recent news from Ukraine has generally been bad. Since the end of May, ever larger Russian air strikes have been documented against Ukrainian cities with devastating consequences for civilians, including in the country’s capital, Kyiv.

Amid small and costly but steady gains along the almost 1,000km long frontline, Russia reportedly took full control of the Ukrainian region of Luhansk, part of which it had already occupied before the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

And according to Dutch and German intelligence reports, some of Russia’s gains on the battlefield are enabled by the widespread use of chemical weapons.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

It was therefore something of a relief that Nato’s summit in The Hague produced a short joint declaration on June 25 in which Russia was clearly named as a “long-term threat … to Euro-Atlantic security”. Member states restated “their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine”. While the summit declaration made no mention of future Nato membership for Ukraine, the fact that US president Donald Trump agreed to these two statements was widely seen as a success.

Yet, within a week of the summit, Washington paused the delivery of critical weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot air defence missiles and long-range precision-strike rockets. The move was ostensibly in response to depleting US stockpiles.

This despite the Pentagon’s own analysis, which suggested that the shipment – authorised by the former US president Joe Biden last year – posed no risk to US ammunition supplies.

This was bad news for Ukraine. The halt in supplies weakens Kyiv’s ability to protect its large population centres and critical infrastructure against intensifying Russian airstrikes. It also puts limits on Ukraine’s ability to target Russian supply lines and logistics hubs behind the frontlines that have been enabling ground advances.

Despite protests from Ukraine and an offer from Germany to buy Patriot missiles from the US for Ukraine, Trump has been in no rush to reverse the decision by the Pentagon.

Russia is now claiming to have completed its occupation of the province of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Institute for the Study of War

Another phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on July 3, failed to change Trump’s mind, even though he acknowledged his disappointment with the clear lack of willingness by the Kremlin to stop the fighting. What’s more, within hours of the call between the two presidents, Moscow launched the largest drone attack of the war against Kyiv.

A day later, Trump spoke with Zelensky. And while the call between them was apparently productive, neither side gave any indication that US weapons shipments to Ukraine would resume quickly.

Trump previously paused arms shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine in March, 2025 after his acrimonious encounter with Zelensky in the Oval Office. But the US president reversed course after certain concessions had been agreed – whether that was an agreement by Ukraine to an unconditional ceasefire or a deal on the country’s minerals.

It is not clear with the current disruption whether Trump is after yet more concessions from Ukraine. The timing is ominous, coming after what had appeared to be a productive Nato summit with a unified stance on Russia’s war of aggression. And it preceded Trump’s call with Putin.

This could be read as a signal that Trump was still keen to accommodate at least some of the Russian president’s demands in exchange for the necessary concessions from the Kremlin to agree, finally, the ceasefire that Trump had once envisaged he could achieve in 24 hours.

If this is indeed the case, the fact that Trump continues to misread the Russian position is deeply worrying. The Kremlin has clearly drawn its red lines on what it is after in any peace deal with Ukraine.

These demands – virtually unchanged since the beginning of the war – include a lifting of sanctions against Russia and no Nato membership for Ukraine, while also insisting that Kyiv must accept limits on its future military forces and recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four regions on the Ukrainian mainland.

This will not change as a result of US concessions to Russia but only through pressure on Putin. And Trump has so far been unwilling to apply pressure in a concrete and meaningful way beyond the occasional hints to the press or on social media.

Coalition of the willing

It is equally clear that Russia’s maximalist demands are unacceptable to Ukraine and its European allies. With little doubt that the US can no longer be relied upon to back the European and Ukrainian position, Kyiv and Europe need to accelerate their own defence efforts.

A European coalition of the willing to do just that is slowly taking shape. It straddles the once more rigid boundaries of EU and Nato membership and non-membership, involving countries such as Moldova, Norway and the UK.
and including non-European allies including Canada, Japan and South Korea.

The European commission’s white paper on European defence is an obvious indication that the threat from Russia and the needs of Ukraine are being taken seriously and, crucially, acted upon. It mobilises some €800 billion (£690 billion) in defence spending and will enable deeper integration of the Ukrainian defence sector with that of the European Union.

At the national level, key European allies, in particular Germany, have also committed to increased defence spending and stepped up their forward deployment of forces closer to the borders with Russia.

US equivocation will not mean that Ukraine is now on the brink of losing the war against Russia. Nor will Europe discovering its spine on defence put Kyiv immediately in a position to defeat Moscow’s aggression.

After decades of relying on the US and neglecting their own defence capabilities, these recent European efforts are a first step in the right direction. They will not turn Europe into a military heavyweight overnight. But they will buy time to do so.

Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

– ref. US backs Nato’s latest pledge of support for Ukraine, but in reality seems to have abandoned its European partners – https://theconversation.com/us-backs-natos-latest-pledge-of-support-for-ukraine-but-in-reality-seems-to-have-abandoned-its-european-partners-260334

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Nature-friendly farming budget swells in UK – but cuts elsewhere make recovery fraught

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity, Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and Department of Biology, University of Oxford

Skylarks are a red-listed species, which means they are of high conservation concern in the UK. WildlifeWorld/Shutterstock

Nature in the UK appeared to receive a rare funding boost in the June spending review, with the government setting a spending target of up to £2 billion a year for England’s environmental land management (ELM) scheme by 2028-29.

By steering public funds toward farmers who restore hedgerows, soils and wetlands, England’s ELM programme is meant to renew landscapes that absorb carbon, support pollinators and keep water clean while helping rural businesses stay viable in a changing climate.

If delivered in full, the package would elevate the UK’s post-Brexit model of investing public money in shared ecological care (rather than payments based on acreage) to one of the most generously funded in the world.

Yet, scrutinise the details and a more complicated story emerges.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

The review has trimmed the day-to-day budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in real terms. Defra now faces the unenviable task of signing and monitoring thousands of new ELM agreements with fewer staff and shrinking data resources. Without the capacity to check whether fields really have become richer in skylarks or streams clearer of fertiliser, large sums could be delayed or misdirected.

Scale is another challenge. An independent analysis published in 2024 estimated that roughly £6 billion every year across the UK is needed to bring agriculture in line with the Environment Act targets for habitat restoration and net zero commitments.

Even the full £2 billion promised for England would meet only about half of that evidence-based need. And the “up to” £400 million for trees and peatlands is not new money: it is funding that was first promised in 2024 and the payment schedule has still not been confirmed.

Money could be paid to farmers for allowing woodlands to regenerate.
Richard Hepworth, CC BY

While the review earmarked £4.2 billion for flood and coastal defence, it does not specify how much of that will support nature-based measures such as floodplain restoration, or the creation of saltmarshes or riparian woodlands. The Environment Agency is consulting on a funding model that could embed such solutions, but the Treasury papers are silent on who will pay for that shift.

Tech spending dwarfs habitat investment

Contrast this with the sums heading to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Roughly £30 billion is earmarked for nuclear fission, fusion research and carbon-capture hubs. These projects are heavy on concrete and steel (materials with a hefty carbon cost) but have no immediate ecological benefit.

While new low-carbon technologies are crucial, thriving and resilient soils, wetlands and woodlands nourish food systems, safeguard water and hold vast stores of carbon – benefits that deepen and become more cost-effective over time.

Nature-based solutions can also revitalise local economies. The Office for National Statistics estimates that replacing the benefits flowing from the UK’s forests, rivers and soils – flood buffering, crop pollination, cleaner air, recreation and more – would cost about £1.8 trillion, a figure that only hints at their deeper, immeasurable value.

Yet the review sets out no plan to safeguard these life-support systems, or to factor their decline into the Treasury’s green book (the rule book used to appraise public investments) or the Bank of England’s stress tests, which check how shocks could ripple through the financial system.

This is also a matter of fairness and public health. Growing evidence shows that regular contact with nature lowers the risks of heart disease and anxiety, while improving children’s cognitive development. These are benefits with a value that defies any price tag.

Yet the places with the fewest trees and parks tend to be the same post-industrial towns ministers want to “level up”. The review is silent on biodiversity net gain (the flagship policy meant to channel private finance into local habitats) and on a proposed national nature wealth fund that could blend public and private capital for large-scale restoration.

Housing money could repeat past mistakes

One line in the spending review could still shift the balance.

The chancellor has earmarked £39 billion for building social and affordable housing over the next decade. If every development delivers at least a 10% net gain for biodiversity onsite, and if schemes build in climate-smart design (living roofs, shade-giving street trees, permeable surfaces) with local residents, Britain could pioneer the world’s first large-scale, nature-positive, net-zero housing programme.

Without those safeguards, “levelling up” risks repeating old mistakes: sealing green space under concrete today and paying tomorrow to retrofit drainage, shade and parks.

Green space is scarce on this new housing estate near Cardiff, Wales.
Shutterstock

That risk is heightened by the government’s planning and infrastructure bill, now before parliament. In an open letter to MPs, economists and ecologists warn that the bill would let developers “pay cash to trash” irreplaceable habitats by swapping onsite protection for a levy, a move they describe as a “licence to kill nature”.

At the next UN climate summit, Cop30 in Brazil in November 2025, the UK will have to show the world that its domestic spending matches its international rhetoric.

More than 150 UK researchers made that point in an open letter to the prime minister, urging him to put nature at the centre of the UK’s Cop30 stance. Converting the Treasury’s headline figures into habitat gains and locking robust rules into both the planning bill and the housing drive would give ministers credible proof of progress when they update the UK’s climate and nature pledges on the Cop30 stage.

The spending review may have nudged farm policy in the right direction and set a new higher water mark for nature-positive agriculture. Yet amid the squeeze on Defra, the recycling rather than expansion of tree and peat budgets and the continued dominance of technology over habitat, nature still comes a distant second to hard infrastructure in the UK growth model.

There is still time to change course. Guaranteeing Defra’s capacity, publishing a timetable for the tree-and-peat fund, reserving part of the flood budget for community-led nature-based solutions and hardwiring strong biodiversity net gain rules into housing and planning reforms would turn headline promises into projects that enrich daily life while stewarding public money wisely.

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 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Nathalie Seddon receives funding from UKRI and the Leverhulme Trust and sits on the UK Climate Change Committee. She is also a trustee of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and is a non-executive director of the social venture, Nature-based Insights.

– ref. Nature-friendly farming budget swells in UK – but cuts elsewhere make recovery fraught – https://theconversation.com/nature-friendly-farming-budget-swells-in-uk-but-cuts-elsewhere-make-recovery-fraught-259091

MIL OSI –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the EP plenary debate

Source: European Commission (video statements)

On 7 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in the European Parliament Plenary Debate in Strasbourg, France.

Follow live events and access media content here:
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/

Stay updated — follow us on X: https://x.com/EC_AVService

Follow us on:
-X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
-Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

Check our website: http://ec.europa.eu/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMX1npG87tI

MIL OSI Video –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Review into Government Response to the Death of Harry Dunn
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

News story

Review into Government Response to the Death of Harry Dunn

Independent review into the UK Government response to the death of Harry Dunn announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy
Independent review into the UK Government response to the death of Harry Dunn announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy

Review, led by Dame Anne Owers, will focus on Government actions in months following the tragedy in 2019, and look at support offered to UK citizens in comparable situations

David Lammy met Harry Dunn’s family and said the Government would learn lessons from the tragedy

An independent review into the UK Government’s response to the death of Harry Dunn has been announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy (Monday 7 July). Harry Dunn was tragically killed in a road traffic collision in August 2019.

The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers DBE, who will examine actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in support of the family of Harry Dunn in the period between 27 August and the end of December in 2019.

Having promised to undertake a review while sitting as an opposition MP, David Lammy has met twice with family members since becoming Foreign Secretary and committed the Government to learning lessons from the tragedy.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

I have the deepest respect for the resolve Harry’s family have shown since his tragic death and in launching this independent review, we are honouring the commitments we have made to them.

I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family’s concerns and to ensure lessons are learned.

Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don’t believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.”

The mother of Harry Dunn, Charlotte Charles, said:

We welcome today’s formal announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that a full review into the handling of Harry’s case will now take place.

I want to pay particular tribute to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Ever since we met him in his role as Shadow Foreign Secretary back in January 2023, he has shown us nothing but compassion and leadership. He listened to us carefully and committed to undertaking this review once he was in a position to do so. True to his word, he has now delivered on that promise. My family and Team Harry are incredibly grateful to him for doing the right thing.

We now look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers and doing all we can to support her in this important task. It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry’s loss was not in vain and that the World is a better and safer place.”

Dame Anne Owers DBE said:

I believe it is crucially important that public authorities are ready to learn lessons from difficult and traumatic events, so they can reflect on and improve the way they work and communicate. This is something that I have been committed to in all the roles I have held.

I am pleased to have been asked by the Foreign Secretary to carry out this work in the context of the tragic death of Harry Dunn, and to identify any lessons for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. I very much hope that this will provide some assurance to Harry’s family.”

The independent review will seek to identify key lessons to be learned for comparable future situations.

It will not examine issues which have previously been considered under related historical legal proceedings, the UK’s relationship with other countries or the role or actions of any other countries.

The final report of the Independent Review will be published in full, subject only to redactions relating to national security or personal information, and will be laid before Parliament along with the Foreign Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 7 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic at INNOPROM-2025: Technologies of the Future Are Already Here

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On July 7, the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition opened in Yekaterinburg. This is the main industrial exhibition of Russia and one of the key platforms in Eurasia for presenting high-tech solutions, concluding international contracts and exchanging experience between industry leaders. INNOPROM-2025 will cover key industries, including automation, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, materials production, urban technologies and the IT sector.

More than 1,000 companies from Russia, the Middle East, Europe and Asia will present their products on an exhibition area of 50 thousand square meters. In total, over 47 thousand participants from 60 countries are expected at INNOPROM-2025, including representatives of 11 thousand organizations and companies.

“I am glad to welcome you to the anniversary XV International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM! The main theme of INNOPROM-2025 — “Technological Leadership: Industrial Breakthrough” — is fully revealed in the business and exhibition program of the exhibition. And almost every thematic track of the exhibition — be it the development and application of advanced digital and production technologies or effective educational solutions for training a new generation of engineering personnel — corresponds to one or another scientific and technological or practice-oriented educational area of activity of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, — says Rector of SPbPU, Chairman of the SPbB RAS Andrey Rudskoy. — I am convinced that INNOPROM-2025 will become an effective platform for uniting sites for demonstration, interaction, as well as effective business communications with potential customers and investors. The stand of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is open for constructive dialogue and interaction with all interested participants and partners who are ready, like our university, to actively participate in the implementation of the action program to achieve technological leadership in Russia.”

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University presents more than ten advanced developments at the exhibition, which not only demonstrate the level of the engineering school of Russia, but are also ready for implementation in key areas of industry. These are not prototypes “for the future”, but ready-made solutions for the present.

“Zhuchok” – a transport platform for wheelchairs

A distinctive feature is that any wheelchair can enter the platform: both electric and mechanical. This allows the platform to be rented on popular tourist routes or beaches, increasing their accessibility for people with disabilities. Equipped with a unique rubber track, which has no analogues in Russia.

Industrial cartridge – an effective barrier for protecting urban waters

FOPS filters purify wastewater, turning sewer manholes into eco-stations. The development is entirely Russian and has already been tested in megacities. The solution is scalable and relevant for all urbanized areas. FOPS filters are not thrown away after cleaning, but are included in the composition of nutrient substrates. The new technology closes the ecological cycle, reduces waste and makes agriculture “greener”. The key idea: to use what others throw away.

Lithium-ion module with smart balancing

Module for electric vehicles and new generation equipment. Up to 1500 W/kg of power in a compact case. Most of the components are domestically produced, the rest can be replaced in the near future.

“Nomad” – mobile laser welder

Mobile laser cladding complex created in the Research Laboratory “LiAT” of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The Nomad is designed to restore and modify the surfaces of large-sized and special products using laser cladding. After transportation, the start-up and adjustment time is up to 30 minutes. The laboratory specialists designed the complex to carry out projects to repair components of domestic and imported gas turbine engines. This technology allows applying layers of material to a substrate or a finished product. Metal powders and wires can be used as raw materials. The main feature of the MK is its compactness and the ability to move to the work site, which is convenient for repairing large-sized products.

Also on the stand you can see nozzle assemblies after restoration repairs using the laser gas-powder surfacing method, working and nozzle blades, welded joints formed using the laser and hybrid laser-arc welding method, and much more.

New generation unmanned aerial vehicle “Snegir-2”

The Snegir electric UAV family is a line of multifunctional unmanned vehicles developed by specialists from the Experimental Design Bureau of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”. In 2023, the Snegir-1 UAV was created on an initiative basis in just five months, and in 2024–2025, the Snegir-1.5 and Snegir-2 modifications with increased take-off weight and flight range were developed on its basis.

The new generation UAV Snegir-2 presented at the Polytechnic stand has increased stability due to an improved control system, and is also equipped with an innovative modular system of interchangeable components, which allows the device to be quickly adapted to perform various tasks.

The SPbPU stand showcased developments of the Polymer Composite Materials laboratory of the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering”, including demonstrators of overprinting and induction welding technologies for thermoplastic composite materials, as well as automated laying out of thermoplastic unidirectional prepregs. These solutions were highly praised by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at the XI International Forum of Technological Development “Technoprom” in 2024.

Innovative materials and products are presented for the first time: ASM PEEK C140UD toupreg for automated production of highly loaded composite structures, a bracket made of ASM PEEK-C285S-P based on a thermoplastic consolidated plate made of superstructural polyetheretherketone, as well as ASM PEEK-3K filament for 3D printing based on continuous carbon fiber. The production technologies of the materials were developed by engineers of the Polymer Composite Materials laboratory of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of SPbPU in the interests of JSC Prepreg-SKM (part of Rosatom Composite Technologies), and samples of the materials were manufactured by an enterprise of the composite division of the State Corporation specifically for the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition.

Oil products in water sensor

The use of the sensor allows determining the concentration of impurities in real time. Analogues allow determining the presence and concentration of impurities only in samples taken at specified time intervals. When creating the sensor, digital design technologies, additive technologies, development of proprietary image processing algorithms, and microcontroller programming were used.

“ARCitech” – industrial 3D metal printing

An open-type installation designed for electric arc growing of large-sized metal products. The technological process allows achieving record high speeds of product production (for aluminum alloys (Al) — 2.2 kg/hour, for Fe — 6 kg/hour).

“The Cable of Life” is a story that has become a symbol of heroism

An exhibit from the SPbPU History Museum is an engineering solution that saved Leningrad during the siege. A fragment of a high-voltage cable that was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga to provide Leningrad during the siege with electricity from the restored Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Station. It is named by analogy with the “Road of Life”.

There is also an active business program at the Polytechnic stand. On the first day of the exhibition, negotiations were held with representatives of the Industrial Cluster of the Republic of Tatarstan. They were attended by the Scientific Secretary of SPbPU Dmitry Karpov, Chairman of the Board of the Cluster Sergey Mayorov, Member of the Board Aidar Gimadeev, Member of the Board Pavel Loginov, Member of the Board Ilnar Zakirov.

The Tatarstan Industrial Cluster is an association of enterprises and organizations created to develop industrial production and increase its competitiveness. Founded in 2010, the cluster today includes more than 1,000 enterprises operating in various industries. The goal of the cluster is to develop the republic’s economy through the development of production and increasing the competitiveness of industrial enterprises. The partners discussed promising options for cooperation that can be implemented in joint educational projects. They are aimed at improving production technologies, creating new products and services, and improving the qualifications of personnel.

Another delegation represented the Moscow Government. The prospects for cooperation and interaction with the Polytechnic were discussed by the Scientific Secretary of SPbPU Dmitry Karpov, the Head of the Department for the Development of International Cooperation of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow Elena Tikhonova and the Head of the Department of International Relations Anastasia Sibileva. The discussion focused on joint events within the framework of the upcoming BRICS municipal forum.

Ilya Kobykhno, Head of the Laboratory of Polymer Composite Materials of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, spoke at the session “Thermoplasts – New Materials for Industry”, during which the participants discussed the prospects for the development of the thermoplastic composites market in key areas of industry, as well as the impact of new materials on the competitiveness of the final product.

The speaker presented advanced developments created for the Rosatom State Corporation and Rostec enterprises, including demonstrators of overprinting and induction welding technologies for thermoplastic composite materials, as well as automated laying of thermoplastic unidirectional prepregs. Let us recall that these solutions were highly praised by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at the XI International Technological Development Forum Technoprom in 2024.

Ilya Kobykhno also spoke about the creation of innovative materials and products jointly with Prepreg-SKM JSC (part of Rosatom Composite Technologies) and BI PITRON LLC: ASM REEK C140UD toupreg for automated production of highly loaded structures, a bracket made of ASM REEK-C285S-P based on a thermoplastic consolidated plate made of superstructural polyetheretherketone, as well as ASM REEK-3K filament for 3D printing based on continuous carbon fiber. These exhibits are presented at the SPbPU stand as part of the INNOPROM exhibition program.

In conclusion of his speech, the speaker emphasized that further development and application of the integrated technology for producing composite structures using the overprinting method for manufacturing products, including aviation equipment, will be carried out within the framework of the key scientific and technological development area of SPbPU “System Digital Engineering”.

This was the first day of the Polytechnic University at the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition. Follow the work of SPbPU in Yekaterinburg on our website.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

.

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKETO Berlin Supports Berlin CityCup Dragon Boat Races (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin (HKETO Berlin) supported the 26th Berlin CityCup dragon boat races on July 5 and 6 (Berlin time).

The event saw enthusiastic participation with a total of more than 1 000 racers joined the competition. As one of the highlights of the CityCup, 60 teams joined the Hong Kong Cup sponsored by the HKETO Berlin on July 5. The Acting Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Billy Leung, presented trophies to the winning teams after the race.

“In Chinese culture, dragon signifies strength, courage, and resilience. Today, dragon boat racers from diverse cultural backgrounds have showed the power of teamwork and fighting spirit together.” Mr Leung said.

Mr Leung added that Hong Kong possesses world-class sports, cultural and recreational facilities. With the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park in this March, a series of mega sports events as well as concerts have been held.

HKETO Berlin also set up a promotional booth at the race venue to showcase Hong Kong’s forthcoming major events, and promote Hong Kong’s advantages as an ideal place for work and study.

About HKETO Berlin

HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: BIO-Europe® 2025 Gathers Global Life Sciences Leaders in Vienna

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MUNICH, Germany, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 31st annual edition of BIO-Europe, the premier partnering conference for the global biopharmaceutical industry organized by EBD Group, will take place in Vienna, Austria, from November 3 – 5, 2025, followed by a digital partnering experience on November 11 – 12.

BIO-Europe continues to serve as a cornerstone event for life science dealmaking and brings together key decision-makers to spark innovation, investment, and partnerships. The 2025 edition is expected to welcome 5,700+ participants from 2,900 companies worldwide, including top-level management from the world’s top 50 pharma firms. Attendees will engage in over 30,000 one-to-one meetings, advancing therapeutic innovation and dealmaking across the ecosystem.

“In times when uncertainty and complexity shape the global landscape, strategic collaboration is more vital than ever,” said Claire Macht, European Portfolio Director for EBD Group. “BIO-Europe provides a high-impact platform where partnerships flourish – across borders, disciplines, and development stages. Innovation in life sciences doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens when people connect, share ideas, and transform vision into action. Vienna’s vibrant ecosystem and scientific excellence make it the ideal setting for shaping the future of healthcare together.”

Vienna stands out as one of Europe’s most dynamic life sciences locations. The Austrian capital accounts for over half of the nation’s life sciences activity and employs nearly 50,000 people across 754 organizations, including 646 companies and 19 renowned research and education institutions. The sector generated €22 billion in annual revenues in 2023, underscoring the city’s growing influence in the European biotech and pharma industry.¹

“Welcoming BIO-Europe to Vienna is both an honor and a strategic opportunity,” said Philipp Hainzl, Managing Director of LISAvienna. “Austria’s life sciences community is eager to engage with international peers, investors, and innovators. We look forward to showcasing the regional strength in research, entrepreneurship, and collaborative growth on a global stage. Together with our leading biotech innovators, we will contribute to an unforgettable conference experience. Participants are warmly invited to our Welcome Reception at the magnificent Vienna City Hall.” The local host LISAvienna is Vienna’s central life sciences cluster platform operated by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) and the Vienna Business Agency on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism and the City of Vienna.

Program Highlights

Inspired by Vienna’s legendary coffeehouse culture and music, BIO-Europe 2025 will offer an engaging program involving expert-led panel discussions, company presentations, including the startup spotlight pitch competition, the Advanced Business Development course, an active exhibition floor, and networking opportunities designed to inspire collaboration across the life science industry.

A highlight of the event – the Opening Plenary – with David Loew, CEO of Ipsen, and Jeremy Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics, will explore Europe’s evolving role in global healthcare innovation – will it be a symphony or a solo act?

BIO-Europe serves the entire biopharma ecosystem, with tailored content for early-stage startups, innovators, academic researchers, as well as large pharma and venture investors. Serendipitous networking, both in-person and online, is a hallmark of the experience.

Partnering and Registration

Partnering for BIO-Europe opens on September 22, 2025. One-to-one meetings will be powered by partneringONE^®, EBD Group’s industry-standard platform that enables delegates to search, request, schedule, and conduct meetings efficiently.

To enhance access and extend engagement beyond the in-person event, the conference will continue with two days of virtual partnering on November 11-12, allowing participants to connect regardless of time zone or travel constraints.

Registration is now open (information is available online), with the biggest savings available through the first early bird deadline on July 25, 2025. Additional discounted rates are available until November 2, 2025.

For more information, please visit the conference website at: https://informaconnect.com/bioeurope/

Additional links and information:

Follow BIO-Europe 2025 on X @EBDGroup (hashtag: #BIOEurope) or on LinkedIn.

About EBD Group

EBD Group’s mission is to help collaborations get started across the life science value chain. Our range of partnering conferences has grown to become the largest and most productive conference platform in the industry. Each one of our landmark events held in key life science markets around the world is powered by our state-of-the-art partnering software, partneringONE, that enables delegates to efficiently identify and engage with new opportunities via one-to-one meetings. Today our events (BIO-Europe, BIO-Europe Spring^®, Biotech Showcase™, ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum, Asia Bio Partnering Forum and BioEquity Europe) annually attract more than 15,000 senior life science executives who engage in over 50,000 one-to-one partnering meetings. These vital one-to-one engagements are the wellspring of deals that drive innovation in our industry. EBD Group is an Informa company. For more information, please visit www.ebdgroup.com.

Media Contacts:

MC Services AG
+49 89 2102280
contact@mc-services.eu

EBD Group
Karina Marocco
kmarocco@ebdgroup.com

¹Vienna Life Science Report 2024/2025

The MIL Network –

July 8, 2025