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Category: Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Receives 58 Accolades at iF Design Awards 2025

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics today announced that it received a total of 58 awards at the International Forum (iF) Design Awards 2025, a prestigious German international design competition. Included among the honors was a Gold Award for Samsung’s Ballie and advanced concept package design for small portable projectors, ‘BOJAGI’.
     
    Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Awards evaluates a comprehensive range of factors, including differentiation and impact, across a total of nine categories: Product Design, Packaging Design, Communication Design, Interior Architecture, Professional Concept, Service Design, Architecture, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI).
     
    “Innovation with AI can help resonate with our customers through the power of design” said TM Roh, President and Head of the Corporate Design Center at Samsung Electronics. “We will strive to provide designs that harmonize with consumers’ changing lifestyles and contribute to society and the lives of our consumers.”
     
     
    Two Gold Awards Recognize Designs That Offer Customized Experiences for Different Lifestyles

     
    Ballie,1 an AI companion robot for the home, acts as a personal assistant that can autonomously drive around the home to complete various tasks. By connecting to and managing home appliances, Ballie can provide a helping hand to users in many situations — continually learning from users’ patterns and habits to provide smarter, more personalized services.
     

     
    Advanced concept package design for small portable projectors — named as ‘Sustainable Design & Communication, BOJAGI’ — was inspired by a traditional Korean tool called bojagi. The design was implemented using scrap fabric, and was designed to be able to package and sustainably be reused regardless of its shape.
     
     
    58 Awards Ranging From TVs to Home Appliances to Smartphones
    Samsung Electronics’ 58 wins came across all design categories. In addition to the Gold Awards for the ‘Ballie’ and ‘BOJAGI’, Samsung received awards in the Product Design category for the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo , an all-in-one washer and dryer; Galaxy Ring, a wearable device packed with Samsung’s powerful sensor technology and Galaxy AI capabilities to help users keep track of their health by simply wearing it on their finger; and the Neo QLED 8K, a TV that provides an immersive experience with the infinity air design.
     
    Other products and services that were recognized for design excellence include Foldable Galaxy AI UX, Bespoke refrigerator UX and the Newfound Equilibrium exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024. Foldable Galaxy AI UX enables seamless communication anywhere, anytime with AI-based mobile features like Live Translate, which enables easy conversations with someone in another language. And thanks to the dual screen functionality of Galaxy Z series, you can switch your device into FlexMode so both parties can see the conversation translated in a more natural way. Bespoke refrigerator UX provides various experiences that simplify user’s lives, such as managing food lists and controlling connected devices. And the Newfound Equilibrium exhibition showcases Samsung’s user centered design philosophy with an aim to inspire vision for a better future that encompasses the balance between people and technology.
     
     
    1 Will be available in the first half of 2025 and availability may vary by region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: More big updates today for our Phi family of SLMs: Phi-4 multimodal and Phi-4 mini. Can’t wait to see what you build.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: More big updates today for our Phi family of SLMs: Phi-4 multimodal and Phi-4 mini. Can’t wait to see what you build.

    Get ready to geek out — Microsoft just unleashed the Phi-4 family, and these small language models (SLMs) are packing a huge punch! Phi-4-multimodal is an absolute beast at 5.6B parameters, juggling speech, vision, and text like a pro—all in one sleek package. Imagine your apps getting a brain boost with real-time audio-visual-text wizardry, perfect for edge devices. And the best part? They’re already live in Azure AI Foundry, HuggingFace, and NVIDIA’s API Catalog, ready for devs to dive in and build something mind-blowing. From smart home agents to in-car assistants, the possibilities are endless—this is versatility on steroids. If you’re itching to shout about this AI revolution from the rooftops (or at least your blog), WordGPT’s here to fuel the fire. It’s your all-in-one writing wingman with an in-cloud editor you can tap into anywhere, AI-powered writing and rephrasing to make your words sing, lightning-fast doc creation to catch the wave, exports to DOC or HTML for whatever you need, and even WordPress automation to blast your masterpiece out in record time. Want in? Try it free at wordgptpro.com — no credit card required—and let’s turn this Phi-4 frenzy into your next viral post! What do you say—ready to write the future?

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family empower developers with advanced AI capabilities

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family empower developers with advanced AI capabilities

    We are excited to announce Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, the newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family of small language models (SLMs). These models are designed to empower developers with advanced AI capabilities.

    We are excited to announce Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, the newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family of small language models (SLMs). These models are designed to empower developers with advanced AI capabilities. Phi-4-multimodal, with its ability to process speech, vision, and text simultaneously, opens new possibilities for creating innovative and context-aware applications. Phi-4-mini, on the other hand, excels in text-based tasks, providing high accuracy and scalability in a compact form. Now available in Azure AI Foundry, HuggingFace, and the NVIDIA API Catalog where developers can explore the full potential of Phi-4-multimodal on the NVIDIA API Catalog, enabling them to experiment and innovate with ease. 

    What is Phi-4-multimodal?

    Phi-4-multimodal marks a new milestone in Microsoft’s AI development as our first multimodal language model. At the core of innovation lies continuous improvement, and that starts with listening to our customers. In direct response to customer feedback, we’ve developed Phi-4-multimodal, a 5.6B parameter model, that seamlessly integrates speech, vision, and text processing into a single, unified architecture.

    By leveraging advanced cross-modal learning techniques, this model enables more natural and context-aware interactions, allowing devices to understand and reason across multiple input modalities simultaneously. Whether interpreting spoken language, analyzing images, or processing textual information, it delivers highly efficient, low-latency inference—all while optimizing for on-device execution and reduced computational overhead.

    Redefining what’s possible with SLMs

    Natively built for multimodal experiences

    Phi-4-multimodal is a single model with mixture-of-LoRAs that includes speech, vision, and language, all processed simultaneously within the same representation space. The result is a single, unified model capable of handling text, audio, and visual inputs—no need for complex pipelines or separate models for different modalities.

    The Phi-4-multimodal is built on a new architecture that enhances efficiency and scalability. It incorporates a larger vocabulary for improved processing, supports multilingual capabilities, and integrates language reasoning with multimodal inputs. All of this is achieved within a powerful, compact, highly efficient model that’s suited for deployment on devices and edge computing platforms.

    This model represents a step forward for the Phi family of models, offering enhanced performance in a small package. Whether you’re looking for advanced AI capabilities on mobile devices or edge systems, Phi-4-multimodal provides a high-capability option that’s both efficient and versatile.

    Unlocking new capabilities

    With its increased range of capabilities and flexibility, Phi-4-multimodal opens exciting new possibilities for app developers, businesses, and industries looking to harness the power of AI in innovative ways. The future of multimodal AI is here, and it’s ready to transform your applications.

    Phi-4-multimodal is capable of processing both visual and audio together. The following table shows the model quality when the input query for vision content is synthetic speech on chart/table understanding and document reasoning tasks. Compared to other existing state-of-the-art omni models that can enable audio and visual signals as input, Phi-4-multimodal achieves much stronger performance on multiple benchmarks.

    Figure 1: Phi-4-multimodal audio and visual benchmarks.

    Phi-4-multimodal has demonstrated remarkable capabilities in speech-related tasks, emerging as a leading open model in multiple areas. It outperforms specialized models like WhisperV3 and SeamlessM4T-v2-Large in both automatic speech recognition (ASR) and speech translation (ST). The model has claimed the top position on the Huggingface OpenASR leaderboard with an impressive word error rate of 6.14%, surpassing the previous best performance of 6.5% as of February 2025. Additionally, it is among a few open models to successfully implement speech summarization and achieve performance levels comparable to GPT-4o model. The model has a gap with close models, such as Gemini-2.0-Flash and GPT-4o-realtime-preview, on speech question answering (QA) tasks as the smaller model size results in less capacity to retain factual QA knowledge. Work is being undertaken to improve this capability in the next iterations.

    Figure 2: Phi-4-multimodal speech benchmarks.

    Phi-4-multimodal with only 5.6B parameters demonstrates remarkable vision capabilities across various benchmarks, most notably achieving strong performance on mathematical and science reasoning. Despite its smaller size, the model maintains competitive performance on general multimodal capabilities, such as document and chart understanding, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and visual science reasoning, matching or exceeding close models like Gemini-2-Flash-lite-preview/Claude-3.5-Sonnet.

    Figure 3: Phi-4-multimodal vision benchmarks.

    What is Phi-4-mini?

    Phi-4-mini is a 3.8B parameter model and a dense, decoder-only transformer featuring grouped-query attention, 200,000 vocabulary, and shared input-output embeddings, designed for speed and efficiency. Despite its compact size, it continues outperforming larger models in text-based tasks, including reasoning, math, coding, instruction-following, and function-calling. Supporting sequences up to 128,000 tokens, it delivers high accuracy and scalability, making it a powerful solution for advanced AI applications.

    To understand the model quality, we compare Phi-4-mini with a set of models over a variety of benchmarks as shown in Figure 4.

    Figure 4: Phi-4-mini language benchmarks.

    Function calling, instruction following, long context, and reasoning are powerful capabilities that enable small language models like Phi-4-mini to access external knowledge and functionality despite their limited capacity. Through a standardized protocol, function calling allows the model to seamlessly integrate with structured programming interfaces. When a user makes a request, Phi-4-Mini can reason through the query, identify and call relevant functions with appropriate parameters, receive the function outputs, and incorporate those results into its responses. This creates an extensible agentic-based system where the model’s capabilities can be enhanced by connecting it to external tools, application program interfaces (APIs), and data sources through well-defined function interfaces. The following example simulates a smart home control agent with Phi-4-mini.

    At Headwaters, we are leveraging fine-tuned SLM like Phi-4-mini on the edge to enhance operational efficiency and provide innovative solutions. Edge AI demonstrates outstanding performance even in environments with unstable network connections or in fields where confidentiality is paramount. This makes it highly promising for driving innovation across various industries, including anomaly detection in manufacturing, rapid diagnostic support in healthcare, and enhancing customer experiences in retail. We are looking forward to delivering new solutions in the AI agent era with Phi-4 mini.
     
    —Masaya Nishimaki, Company Director, Headwaters Co., Ltd. 

    Customization and cross-platform

    Thanks to their smaller sizes, Phi-4-mini and Phi-4-multimodal models can be used in compute-constrained inference environments. These models can be used on-device, especially when further optimized with ONNX Runtime for cross-platform availability. Their lower computational needs make them a lower cost option with much better latency. The longer context window enables taking in and reasoning over large text content—documents, web pages, code, and more. Phi-4-mini and multimodal demonstrates strong reasoning and logic capabilities, making it a good candidate for analytical tasks. Their small size also makes fine-tuning or customization easier and more affordable. The table below shows examples of finetuning scenarios with Phi-4-multimodal.

    Tasks Base Model Finetuned Model Compute
    Speech translation from English to Indonesian 17.4 35.5 3 hours, 16 A100
    Medical visual question answering 47.6 56.7 5 hours, 8 A100

    For more information about customization or to learn more about the models, take a look at Phi Cookbook on GitHub. 

    How can these models be used in action?

    These models are designed to handle complex tasks efficiently, making them ideal for edge case scenarios and compute-constrained environments. Given the new capabilities Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini bring, the uses of Phi are only expanding. Phi models are being embedded into AI ecosystems and used to explore various use cases across industries.

    Language models are powerful reasoning engines, and integrating small language models like Phi into Windows allows us to maintain efficient compute capabilities and opens the door to a future of continuous intelligence baked in across all your apps and experiences. Copilot+ PCs will build upon Phi-4-multimodal’s capabilities, delivering the power of Microsoft’s advanced SLMs without the energy drain. This integration will enhance productivity, creativity, and education-focused experiences, becoming a standard part of our developer platform.

    —Vivek Pradeep, Vice President Distinguished Engineer of Windows Applied Sciences.

    1. Embedded directly to your smart device: Phone manufacturers integrating Phi-4-multimodal directly into a smartphone could enable smartphones to process and understand voice commands, recognize images, and interpret text seamlessly. Users could benefit from advanced features like real-time language translation, enhanced photo and video analysis, and intelligent personal assistants that understand and respond to complex queries. This would elevate the user experience by providing powerful AI capabilities directly on the device, ensuring low latency and high efficiency.
    2. On the road: Imagine an automotive company integrating Phi-4-multimodal into their in-car assistant systems. The model could enable vehicles to understand and respond to voice commands, recognize driver gestures, and analyze visual inputs from cameras. For instance, it could enhance driver safety by detecting drowsiness through facial recognition and providing real-time alerts. Additionally, it could offer seamless navigation assistance, interpret road signs, and provide contextual information, creating a more intuitive and safer driving experience while connected to the cloud and offline when connectivity isn’t available.
    3. Multilingual financial services: Imagine a financial services company integrating Phi-4-mini to automate complex financial calculations, generate detailed reports, and translate financial documents into multiple languages. For instance, the model can assist analysts by performing intricate mathematical computations required for risk assessments, portfolio management, and financial forecasting. Additionally, it can translate financial statements, regulatory documents, and client communications into various languages and could improve client relations globally.

    Microsoft’s commitment to security and safety

    Azure AI Foundry provides users with a robust set of capabilities to help organizations measure, mitigate, and manage AI risks across the AI development lifecycle for traditional machine learning and generative AI applications. Azure AI evaluations in AI Foundry enable developers to iteratively assess the quality and safety of models and applications using built-in and custom metrics to inform mitigations.

    Both models underwent security and safety testing by our internal and external security experts using strategies crafted by Microsoft AI Red Team (AIRT). These methods, developed over previous Phi models, incorporate global perspectives and native speakers of all supported languages. They span areas such as cybersecurity, national security, fairness, and violence, addressing current trends through multilingual probing. Using AIRT’s open-source Python Risk Identification Toolkit (PyRIT) and manual probing, red teamers conducted single-turn and multi-turn attacks. Operating independently from the development teams, AIRT continuously shared insights with the model team. This approach assessed the new AI security and safety landscape introduced by our latest Phi models, ensuring the delivery of high-quality capabilities.

    Take a look at the model cards for Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, and the technical paper to see an outline of recommended uses and limitations for these models.

    Learn more about Phi-4

    We invite you to come explore the possibilities with Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini in Azure AI Foundry, Hugging Face, and NVIDIA API Catalog with a full multimodal experience. We can’t wait to hear your feedback and see the incredible things you will accomplish with our new models. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Xbox reveals agenda for developers at GDC 2025 March 17-21

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Xbox reveals agenda for developers at GDC 2025 March 17-21

    As we gear up for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025, we couldn’t be more excited to meet up with our friends and colleagues in the industry and explore the many incredible new opportunities that await. This year, GDC takes place from March 17-21 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. We’ll host partner meetings, participate in conference sessions, and sponsor events like the IGF Awards and the ESA Foundation’s Nite to Unite. Attendees that come by the Xbox Lounge in Moscone South will have a chance to see the latest Xbox experience on PC, join a Q&A with an Xbox development expert, and learn about the opportunities and benefits of building with Xbox across PC, Cloud and Console.

    Xbox is expanding to any screen on any device, making it easier for anyone to play with the friends they want – whether they choose to play with Xbox console, PC, Smart TV or mobile. At GDC, we’re inviting game developers to go behind the scenes to better understand what it means for Xbox to be playable on any screen. We’re committed to empowering game developers to tap into that opportunity by building cross-capable games that take advantage of Xbox across devices. Our presence will reveal the many ways game developers can reach more players with Xbox and showcase success stories of developers who are maximizing the opportunity.

    Whether you’re an indie developer or a seasoned professional, Xbox speakers will be presenting insights for every stage of your development journey. Check out the full schedule below. If you will be engaging remotely, you can learn more by visiting our Game Development Resource Hub here and to learn more about AI for Gaming, check out our Gaming AI Resource Hub here.

    For us, GDC 2025 is as much about showcasing the Xbox developer experience as it is about fostering collaboration with partners and driving our gaming future, together. See you there!

    Monday, March 17

    UX Summit: UX Writing: A New(ish) Craft in Mobile Games
    Speaker: Patricia Gomez (King)
    Date: Monday, March 17
    Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
    Location: Room 2010, West Hall

    Community Management Summit: Social Media Microtalks: Authenticity from You and the Business “We”
    Speaker: Cindy Tran (Obsidian Entertainment), Antonio Cara (DeNA Corp.), Harper Jay MacIntyre (Double Fine Productions Inc), Livvy Hall (Xbox Game Studios Publishing), Megan Spurr (Microsoft)
    Date: Monday, March 17
    Time: 10:50am – 11:50am
    Location: Room 2014, West Hall

    Live Service Games Summit: Reinventing ‘Candy Crush Soda’ for the Next 10 years
    Speaker: Abigail Rindo (King), Paul Hellier (King)
    Date: Monday, March 17
    Time: 10:50am – 11:50am
    Location: Room 2006, West Hall

    Animation Summit: ‘Diablo 4’: Bringing to Life the Priestess of Hatred
     Speaker: Chad Waldschmidt (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Monday, March 17
    Time: 3:50 pm – 4:20 pm
    Location: Room 2018, West Hall

    UX Summit: Making the World Playful: The Importance of Accessible Mobile Games
    Speaker:     Emilio Jeldrez (King)
    Date: Monday, March 17
    Time: 5:30pm – 6:00pm
    Location: Room 2010, West Hall

    Tuesday, March 18

    Live Service Games Summit: Mass Engagement Winning Strategies: The 15M Player Tournament of ‘Candy Crush Saga’
    Speaker: Margaux Diaz (King), Roberto Kusabbi (King)
    Date: Tuesday, March 18
    Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
    Location: Room 2006, West Hall

    Thriving Players Summit: Prosocial Design Workshop
    Speaker:     Natasha Miller (Blizzard Entertainment), Weszt Hart (Riot Games)
    Date: Tuesday, March 18
    Time: 9:30am – 11;50am
    Location: Room 3005, West Hall

    The Climate Crisis Workshop
    Speaker: Grant Shonkwiler (Shonkventures LLC), Trevin York (Dire Lark), Paula Angela Escuadra (Microsoft / Xbox), Jennifer Estaris (ustwo games), Arnaud Fayolle (Ubisoft)
    Date: Tuesday, March 18
    Time: 10:00am – 6:00pm
    Location: Room 204, South Hall

    Gaming Reimagined: Mobile’s Impact on Play Today (Presented by King)
    Speaker: Todd Green (King), Paula Ingvar (King), Peiwen Yao (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Tuesday, March 18
    Time: 10:50am – 11:50am
    Location: Room 2000, West Hall

    Unpacking Anti-Toxicity Strategy in “Call of Duty” (Presented by Community Clubhouse)
    Speaker: Mark Frumkin (Modulate), Grant Cahill (Activision)
    Date: Tuesday, March 18
    Time: 2:40pm – 3:40pm
    Location: Esplanade 158, South Hall

    Live Service Games Summit: Game Designer’s Notebook
    Speakers: Marta Cortiñas (King), Kenny Dinkin (King)
    Time: 2:40pm – 3:40pm
    Location: Room 2006, West Hall

    Wednesday, March 19

    Opening a Billion Doors with Xbox (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Leo Olebe (Microsoft), Chris Charla (Microsoft)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
    Location: Room 3022, West Hall

    Accelerating Your Inner Loop with Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot AI (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: David Li (Microsoft), Michael Price (Microsoft)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
    Location: GDC Industry Stage, Expo Floor, South Hall

    Grow Your Audience with the Updated Xbox Experience on PC (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker:     Tila Nguyen (Microsoft), Jose Rady (Microsoft)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
    Location: GDC Industry Stage, Expo Floor, South Hall

    Make your Game Available ANYWHERE with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Harrison Hoffman (Microsoft), Jordan Cohen (Microsoft)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
    Location: Room 2000, West Hall

    Masterworking Systems: Lessons Learned from the Engineering of Season of Loot Reborn in ‘Diablo IV’
     Speaker: Patrick Ferland (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
    Location: Room 2006, West Hall

    Ask Game Lawyers Anything Roundtable Day 1
    Speaker: Ryan Black (DLA Piper (Canada) LLP), Brandon Huffman (Odin Law and Media), Angelo Alcid (Microsoft Corp.), Yan Perng (Netflix)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
    Location: Room 308, South Hall

    Xbox Game Studios Panel: Scaling Cross-Platform Development Across Xbox and PC (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Kate Rayner (Microsoft), Soren Hannibal Nielsen (Microsoft, Chuck Rozhon (Obsidion Entertainment), Chad Dawson (Double Fine Productions) Phil Cousins (Microsoft), Magnus Auvinen (Machine Games)
    Date: Wednesday, March 19
    Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
    Location: Room 2000, West Hall

    Thursday, March 20

    DirectX State of the Union: Raytracing and PIX Workflows (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Claire Andrews (Microsoft), Austin Kinross (Microsoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 9:30am – 10:30am
    Location: Room 2009, West Hall

    VFX Storytelling: How “Hearthstone” Breathes Life Into Hundreds of Cards
    Speaker: Alex Cortes (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
    Location: Room 2006, West Hall

    Strategies for Indie Devs: How to Succeed with Xbox (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: James Lewis (Microsoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm
    Location: GDC Industry Stage, Expo Floor, South Hall

    G.A.N.G. Demo Derby: Sound Design
    Speaker: Nick Hartman (Sound Lab), Scott Gershin (Sound Lab), Charles Deenen (Source Sound Inc), Gary Miranda (Injected Senses Audio), Brian Farr (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 12:15pm – 1:45pm
    Location: Room 3018, West Hall

    From Idea to Action: Lessons from a New Accessibility Initiative (Presented by The Entertainment Software Association)
    Speaker: Aubrey Quinn  (Entertainment Software Association), Paul Amadeus Lane  (Amadeus 4th Corp), Amy Lazarus  (Electronic Arts), Dara Monasch  (Google), Anna Waismeyer  (Microsoft/Xbox), Steven Evans  (Nintendo of America), David Tisserand  (Ubisoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 12:15pm – 1:15pm
    Location: GDC Main Stage, West Hall, Street Level

    Windows Productivity Tools for Game Developers (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Demitrius Nelon (Microsoft), Kayla Cinnamon (Microsoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 12:15pm – 1:15pm
    Location: Room 2024, West Hall

    Securing the Joy of Gaming: Xbox’s Commitment to Gaming Security and Innovation (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Temi Adebambo (Microsoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
    Location: GDC Industry Stage, Expo Floor, South Hall

    Xbox Play Anywhere Developer Roundtable (Presented by Microsoft)
    Speaker: Chris Charla (Microsoft)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
    Location: Room 2004, West Hall

    King: Enhancing Mobile Audio with Accessibility and Inclusion
    Speaker: Eduardo Broseta  (King)
    Date: Thursday, March 20
    Time: 2:30pm – 3:00pm
    Location: Room 3024, West Hall

    Friday, March 21

    Game Career Seminar: STR, DEX and INT: A Genre-Spanning Way to Think About Gameplay
    Speaker: Joseph Shely  (Blizzard Entertainment)
    Date: Friday, March 21
    Time: 11:50am – 12:20pm
    Location: Room 3005, West Hall

    Game Career Seminar: Killer Portfolio or Portfolio Killer Part 2: Portfolio Reviews
    Speakers:     Greg Foertsch  (Bit Reactor), Sarah LeBlanc  (Bit Reactor), Rembert Montald  (Lightspeed LA), David Yee  (Unannounced), Jeffrey Johnson  (inXile Entertainment), Jade Law  (Wardog Studios), Gaurav Mathur  (E-Line Media), Jessica Kutrakun  (Hypixel Studios), Inmar Salvatier  (Maxis), Jeff Parrott  (Blizzard), Daanish Syed  (Bit Reactor), David Johnson  (UndertoneFX), Jeff Skalski  (Yellow Brick Games)
    Date:     Friday, March 21
    Time:     2:00pm – 5:00pm
    Location:     Room 3000, West Hall

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Executive Board Concludes Annual Discussions on CEMAC Common Policies and Common Policies in Support of Member Countries Reform Programs

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    February 26, 2025

    • The CEMAC economy lost momentum in 2023 due to a contraction in hydrocarbon production, while the external position weakened.
    • The commitment expressed at the extraordinary Heads of State Summit in December 2024 to address macroeconomic imbalances, strengthen regional institutions, and prioritize structural reforms offers hope for a more resilient medium-term outlook.
    • Implementing fiscal consolidation in line with these commitments and accelerating structural reforms will be critical to bolstering economic diversification and resilience.

    Washington, DC: On February 24, 2025, the IMF Executive Board concluded the annual discussions with the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) on Common Policies of Member Countries and Common Policies in Support of Member Countries Reform Programs.[1]

    The CEMAC economy slowed in 2023, driven by a decline in hydrocarbon production, with real GDP growth decelerating to 2.5 percent. The external position weakened as the accumulation of foreign exchange (FX) reserves slowed, leaving them below adequate levels. Economic activity is estimated to have gained some momentum in 2024, with real GDP expanding by 3.2 percent, supported by a rebound in hydrocarbon output. However, regional policy assurances on the net foreign assets (NFA) for end-June 2024 (EUR 4.5 billion) were not met, falling short by EUR 4.43 billion. Preliminary data also suggest that the end-December 2024 policy assurances on NFA are unlikely to have been met. This reflects a weakening external position due to lower oil prices and fiscal slippages. Inflation remained persistently high at 4.3 percent in September 2024, exceeding the regional convergence criterion.

    While regional authorities maintained an appropriate monetary policy stance, progress on the reform agenda has slowed somewhat. At its September 2024 meeting, the Central Bank (BEAC) kept the policy rate unchanged at 5 percent and continued its weekly liquidity injections through its main refinancing window to mitigate increased volatility of liquidity conditions in the banking system. BEAC also advanced the enforcement of the FX regulations. BEAC and the Banking Commission of Central Africa (COBAC) remained engaged with banks structurally dependent on BEAC’s refinancing, ensuring they submit credible refinancing plans. The CEMAC Commission has sustained its regional surveillance consultations across member States, while the Permanent Secretariat of CEMAC’s Economic and Financial Reform Program (PREF-CEMAC) has continued implementing the region’s structural reforms action matrix.

    The outlook remains clouded by high uncertainty. Its trajectory depends on the effective implementation of corrective measures by member states, consistent with the commitment made at the extraordinary Heads of State Summit in December 2024 to address macroeconomic imbalances, strengthen regional institutions, and advance structural reforms. In the near term, real GDP growth is projected to slow to 2.8 percent in 2025, primarily due to weaker oil output. Inflation is projected to decline further to 3.1 percent by end-2025, reflecting the lagged effects of past policy tightening and lower global commodity prices. Significant downside risks remain, including delays in addressing fiscal slippages, declining commodity prices, tighter financial conditions, heightened political uncertainty amid a busy 2025 election calendar, persistent inflation, financial instability, slow structural reform progress, food insecurity, domestic conflicts, and climate-related disruptions.

    In the medium term, growth is projected to strengthen to 3.6 percent by 2029, mainly owing to a rebound in the non-oil sector. Structural reforms aimed at improving governance, enhancing the business climate, and expanding access to finance are expected to bolster potential output. Member states are anticipated to implement sustained fiscal consolidation, with public debt projected to decline to 42 percent of GDP by 2029, down from 50.9 percent of GDP in 2024. The current account balance is projected to deteriorate to -2.2 percent of GDP by 2029, from about -1.2 percent of GDP in 2024, driven mainly by lower hydrocarbon export receipts and production. Member states’ adjustment efforts are expected to stabilize reserve coverage at around 4.3 months of prospective imports in the medium term, slightly below staff’s adequacy metrics for a resource-rich monetary union (5 months).

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They noted the loss of economic momentum due to a contraction in hydrocarbon production and slower non-oil growth. Given the weakening external position, large fiscal imbalances, heightened stress in the regional debt market, and elevated uncertainty, they underscored the urgency of a well calibrated macroeconomic policy mix and sustained reform efforts to enhance resilience to shocks and preserve macroeconomic and financial stability.

    Directors welcomed the commitment made at the extraordinary Heads of State Summit in December 2024 to address macroeconomic imbalances, strengthen regional institutions, and prioritize structural reforms to ensure equitable adjustment burden sharing and enhance the monetary union’s external stability. They urged CEMAC authorities to swiftly implement fiscal consolidation in line with these commitments, noting the need to enhance non-oil tax revenues and improve expenditure efficiency, including completing energy subsidy reforms, while ensuring targeted social safety nets for the most vulnerable. Strengthening public financial management, reinforcing debt management, and addressing arrears will also be critical.

    Directors concurred that BEAC should maintain a tightening monetary policy bias and only reduce interest rates if there is clear evidence of inflation converging toward the regional convergence criterion and diminishing risks to external stability. Considering persistent tight liquidity conditions, BEAC should sustain liquidity providing operations while continuing efforts to address fragmentation within the banking system. Continued enforcement of FX regulations also remains crucial.

    Directors reiterated the need for strong collective action from national and regional authorities to preserve financial stability. Efforts should focus on strengthening COBAC’s supervisory capacity, strictly enforcing regulations for noncompliance, resolutely recapitalizing or resolving weak banks, ensuring that banks adequately account for sovereign exposure, addressing new risks posed by digital payments and assets, and strengthening the AML/CFT framework.

    Directors reiterated the importance of strengthening the regional surveillance framework and called for further efforts towards the adoption of the draft sanction mechanism for breaches of regional surveillance rules.

    Directors stressed the importance of accelerating structural reforms to strengthen governance and regulation, human capital, climate adaptation, and regional trade and infrastructure, which would help boost potential growth, economic diversification, and resilience.

    Directors regretted that BEAC did not meet the authorities’ policy assurance on NFA for June 2024, and that the December 2024 target is unlikely to be met, as committed in June 2024. They assessed that the authorities undertook and committed to sufficient corrective action to address the shortfall during the December 2024 Heads of State meeting and endorsed the authorities’ policy assurance on NFA accumulation for end March 2025 and end June 2025 as committed in February 2025. Directors also supported the new policy assurances on financial stability. They emphasized that implementation of these assurances is critical for the success of Fund supported programs with CEMAC member countries.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. In the context of these bilateral Article IV consultations, staff hold separate annual discussions with the regional institutions responsible for common policies in four currency unions—the Euro Area, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the Central African Economic and Monetary Union, and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. For each of the currency unions, staff teams visit the regional institutions responsible for common policies in the currency union, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the currency union’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, staff prepares a report, which forms the basis of discussion by the Executive Board. Both staff’s discussions with the regional institutions and the Board discussion of the annual staff report will be considered an integral part of the Article IV consultation with each member.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’ authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summing up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm .

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Tatiana Mossot

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IPAA Applauds Passage of Rep. Pfluger’s Resolution to Nullify Biden Methane Tax Regulations

    Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America

    Headline: IPAA Applauds Passage of Rep. Pfluger’s Resolution to Nullify Biden Methane Tax Regulations

    Feb 26, 2025 IPAA Applauds Passage of Rep. Pfluger’s Resolution to Nullify Biden Methane Tax Regulations

    WASHINGTON – The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) issued the following statement following the House passage of Congressman August Pfluger’s H.J. Res. 35 which through the Congressional Review Act process disapproves of the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) methane emissions fee on oil and natural gas facilities which will lead to higher prices for consumers, reduced domestic energy production, and increased American reliance on foreign energy sources.

    IPAA President & CEO Jeff Eshelman: “The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) congratulates Congressman Pfluger for his leadership in overturning the EPA’s Waste Emissions Charge (Methane Tax) regulations. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution which passed today with bipartisan support allows Congress to nullify the regulations the Biden Administration established to implement the misguided methane tax. The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress passed the methane tax to single out and punish the oil and natural gas industry despite its already burdensome EPA regulatory framework. The tax was passed without appropriate understanding of its impact or industry safeguards. IPAA has always opposed the methane tax and believe it is simply a tax designed to hamper American oil and gas production. Combined with the CRA effort in the Senate, IPAA urges quick action by President Trump to enact this resolution and work with his Administration to eliminate this unnecessary tax on American oil and natural gas producers as soon as possible.”

    IPAA also supports legislation led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Congressman Pfluger to repeal the Methane Tax.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cook Islands needs to ‘stand on our own two feet,’ says Brown – wins confidence vote

    RNZ Pacific

    Prime Minister Mark Brown has survived a motion in the Cook Islands Parliament aimed at ousting his government, the second Pacific Island leader to face a no-confidence vote this week.

    In a vote yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, Cook Islands time), the man who has been at the centre of controversy in the past few weeks, defeated the motion by 13 votes to 9. Two government ministers were absent for the vote.

    The motion was put forward by the opposition MP Teariki Heather, the leader of the Cook Islands United Party.

    Ahead of the vote, Heather acknowledged that Brown had majority support in Parliament.

    However, he said he was moving the motion on principle after recent decisions by Brown, including a proposal to create a Cook Islands passport and shunning New Zealand from deals it made with China, which has divided Cook Islanders.

    “These are the merits that I am presenting before this House. We have the support of our people and those living outside the country, and so it is my challenge. Where do you stand in this House?” Heather said.

    Brown said his country has been so successful in its development in recent years that it graduated to first world status in 2020.

    ‘Engage on equal footing’
    “We need to stand on our own two feet, and we need to engage with our partners on an equal footing,” he said.

    “Economic and financial independence must come first before political independence, and that was what I discussed and made clear when I met with the New Zealand prime minister and deputy prime minister in Wellington in November.”

    Brown said the issues Cook Islanders faced today were not just about passports and agreements but about Cook Islands expressing its self-determination.

    “This is not about consultation. This is about control.”

    “We cannot compete with New Zealand. When their one-sided messaging is so compelling that even our opposition members will be swayed.

    “We never once talked to the New Zealand government about cutting our ties with New Zealand but the message our people received was that we were cutting our ties with New Zealand.

    “We have been discussing the comprehensive partnership with New Zealand for months. But the messaging that got out is that we have not consulted.

    ‘We are not a child’
    “We are a partner in the relationship with New Zealand. We are not a child.”

    He said the motion of no confidence had been built on misinformation to the extent that the mover of the motion has stated publicly that he was moving this motion in support of New Zealand.

    “The influence of New Zealand in this motion of no confidence should be of concern to all Cook Islands who value . . . who value our country.

    “My job is not to fly the New Zealand flag. My job is to fly my own country’s flag.”

    Last week, hundreds of Cook Islanders opposing Brown’s political decisions rallied in Avarua, demanding that he step down for damaging the relationship between Aotearoa and Cook Islands.

    The Cook Islands is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. It is part of the Realm of New Zealand, sharing the same Head of State.

    This year, the island marks its 60th year of self-governance.

    According to Cook Islands 2021 Census, its population is less than 15,000.

    New Zealand remains the largest home to the Cook Islands community, with over 80,000 Cook Islands Māori, while about 28,000 live in Australia.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Executive Board Approves New 40-month US.4 billion Extended Fund Facility Arrangement for El Salvador

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    IMF Executive Board Approves New 40-month US$1.4 billion Extended Fund Facility Arrangement for El Salvador

    February 26, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board approved a new 40-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for El Salvador, with access equivalent to US$1.4 billion. The Board’s decision allows the authorities an immediate disbursement equivalent to around US$113 million.
    • The IMF-supported program aims to ensure conditions are in place to boost El Salvador’s growth prospects and resilience by strengthening public finances, rebuilding external and financial buffers, and improving governance and transparency. Bitcoin risks are also being addressed.

    Washington, DC: Today the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a 40-month extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for El Salvador, with access of SDR 1033.92 million (around US$1.4 billion, or 360 percent of quota). The Board’s approval allows the authorities an immediate disbursement of SDR 86.16 million, equivalent to around US$113 million. The arrangement is expected to catalyze additional multilateral financial support, for a combined overall financing package of over US$3.5 billion over the program period.

    Building on recent progress, the authorities’ IMF-supported program aims at addressing macroeconomic imbalances and strengthening governance and transparency, with the objective of boosting El Salvador’s growth prospects and resilience. Under the program, the primary balance will improve by 3½ percent of GDP over three years, underpinned initially by a rationalization of the wage bill, while protecting priority social and infrastructure spending. This will be complemented by measures to rebuild reserve buffers and bolster financial stability, as well as actions to strengthen fiscal transparency and anti-corruption and Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks. The program also addresses risks arising from the Bitcoin project, including by making acceptance of Bitcoin voluntary and by confining public sector engagement in Bitcoin-related activities and transactions in and purchases of Bitcoins.

    Following the Executive Board’s discussion on El Salvador, Mr. Nigel Clarke, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

    “The Salvadorean economy is steadily expanding on the back of robust remittances and tourism, and a greatly improved security situation. External deficits have narrowed, inflation has fallen, and recent liability management operations have reduced near-term financing needs. Nevertheless, El Salvador continues to face deep macroeconomic imbalances, stemming from high debt and weak external and financial buffers, as well as barriers to investment and productivity. The authorities’ economic program, supported by an Extended Fund Facility arrangement, aims to strengthen fiscal and external sustainability while creating the conditions for stronger and more inclusive growth.

    “The Fund-supported program is underpinned by an ambitious growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, aiming to put public debt on a firm downward path and building fiscal buffers. The consolidation is being supported by raising public spending efficiency and reforms of the civil service and the pension system over time, while providing sufficient space to protect priority social and infrastructure spending.

    “The program will enhance El Salvador’s resilience to shocks, through a gradual and determined strengthening of external and financial sector buffers. A plan to increase banks’ liquidity buffers has already been approved, with Fund financing also supporting government buffers and central bank reserves. Improvements in regulation and supervision as well as a new financial stability legislation will also bolster financial stability and inclusion.

    “Envisaged improvements in governance and transparency are expected to boost confidence and private investment. Early steps have been taken through the enactment of a new Anti-Corruption legislation, and publication by the Court of Accounts of audits of financial statements of government agencies and COVID audits. These will be followed by upgrades to procurement and accountability processes, as well as the strengthening of AML/CFT frameworks.

    “The potential risks of the Bitcoin project are being addressed in line with Fund policies and with Fund advice to the authorities. Prior actions include legal reforms that have made acceptance of Bitcoin by the private sector voluntary and ensured that tax payments are made only in U.S. dollars. Transparency of the public crypto e-wallet has been strengthened, and the government plans to gradually unwind its participation in the e-wallet. Going forward, program commitments will confine government engagement in Bitcoin-related economic activities, as well as government transactions in and purchases of Bitcoin. Regulation and supervision of digital assets will be enhanced in line with evolving international best practices.

    “Decisive ownership and implementation and broad political and public support will be critical to ensure the program’s success. Agile policy making and contingency planning will be essential to manage downside risks in the context of dollarization. Continued financial and technical support from other official creditors will also be necessary to support program implementation.’’

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: African Development Bank, Pandemic Fund sign agreement to leverage resources for pandemic preparedness

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank Group has signed an agreement to become an implementing entity of the Pandemic Fund. This enables the Bank to coordinate financing of the Fund’s approved projects in Africa, as well as to participate in a call for proposals for financing investments scheduled to launch next month.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Trade Facilitation Agreement: Eight years of cutting trade costs and boosting growth for all members

    Source: World Trade Organization

    The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has been a game-changer for international trade. As the first major multilateral trade agreement added to the WTO rulebook since the Uruguay Round in 1995, it has already boosted trade by more US$ 230 billion across the globe. Since taking effect in 2017, the TFA has simplified customs procedures, cut through red tape and increased regulatory transparency — making cross-border trade faster, cheaper and more predictable for businesses of all sizes.

    The benefits of trade facilitation are broadly enjoyed across the full WTO membership, creating more opportunities for resilient, secure and efficient trade and supply chains for developed and developing members alike.

    Streamlining trade

    Trade inefficiencies are not just an inconvenience: they impose substantial economic costs. Delays in transit can account for up to 44 per cent of transport costs, resulting from storage charges, bottlenecks at weighbridges, police checks and border crossings. Every hold-up chips away at competitiveness and increases costs. This can cost businesses valuable contracts and revenue. 

    A single trade transaction on average involves as many as 36 original documents and 240 copies. This administrative burden not only increases costs but also discourages micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from participating in global trade.

    • Since its entry into force, the TFA has expedited the movement, release and clearance of goods and enhanced the transparency of trade regulations and procedures. It has also reduced excessive paperwork, unnecessary delays and inefficiencies at borders, and has fostered cooperation between customs authorities and other stakeholders.
    • TFA implementation has cut trade costs worldwide by an average of 1 to 4 per cent, leading to an increase in trade of over US$ 230 billion, with the most significant gains observed in agriculture. Developing and least-developed country (LDC) members have gained the most, demonstrating the Agreement’s capacity to foster efficient trade systems worldwide and creating opportunities for more people to benefit. 

    Many WTO members have reported that TFA-driven targeted reforms have led to notable reductions in the time and costs involved in border crossings, demonstrating the tangible impact of trade facilitation measures.

    For example, Montenegro has increased express shipments released within one hour of arrival from 25 to 53 per cent, while Indonesia has reduced import licence processing time by an average of four days. Ecuador has cut processing times by 67 per cent annually, while Brazil has cut export costs by an ad valorem equivalent of 9 per cent and import costs by 7 per cent. Jordan has slashed processing time by as much as 75 per cent, saving US$ 15 per unit.

    Infrastructure improvements stimulated by the TFA have also played a crucial role in enhancing efficiency. One-stop border posts have significantly reduced waiting times at borders, cutting customs processing time and queuing delays by 62 per cent at the Kenya-Uganda border and by 87 per cent at the Kenya-Tanzania border, creating more incentives for intra-African trade as well as African trade with the rest of the world. These examples illustrate how targeted reforms, digitalization and improved border coordination are helping WTO members streamline trade processes and unlock economic benefits.

    TFA implementation is well underway but technical assistance is needed to ensure its full benefits

    When implementing the TFA, developing and LDC members can categorize their commitments, giving them flexibility in putting the Agreement’s provisions into practice. Category A commitments must be implemented immediately, whereas commitments under categories B and C can be implemented later. Category C allows members capacity-building support to undertake the commitment. To clarify their commitments, members underwent a notification process, which has concluded. The focus now is on-the-ground implementation.

    Figure 1: Number of Category B measures due to be implemented yearly

    Source: TFA Database

    Most Category B commitments have now been implemented, with only four still to be implemented by 2030 (see Figure 1). Meanwhile, 196 Category C measures are scheduled for implementation this year (see Figure 2). While Category C measures due for implementation will gradually decline from 2026 onwards, the timeline continues well into the 2040s. The magnitude of these commitments underscores the scale of technical assistance and capacity-building support required by many developing and LDC members to fully unlock the benefits of the TFA.

    Figure 2: Number of Category C measures due to be implemented yearly

    Source: TFA Database

    Figure 3 highlights the provisions registering the greatest number of Category C commitments over the next two years. These measures are often some of the most complex to implement as they require not only regulatory changes but also significant investment in infrastructure, technology and inter-agency coordination.

    Figure 3: Top five Category C measures due for implementation in 2025-26

    Source: TFA Database

    For instance, single window systems — a single platform to collect and process import, export, or transit information in an efficient and cost-effective manner — demand extensive digitalization efforts, requiring the integration of various agencies and the streamlining of data-sharing processes. Border agency cooperation to align procedures across multiple institutions can be challenging due to differences in mandates, resources and regulatory frameworks. In addition, risk management necessitates advanced data analytics and compliance verification mechanisms. These may be difficult to establish without sustained technical assistance and capacity-building support.

    As implementation progresses, sustained support will be essential to ensure that all members can fully reap the benefits of the TFA. Full implementation of the Agreement promises to deliver significant gains in trade efficiency and cost reduction, but only if there is ongoing investment in developing expertise, infrastructure and regulatory reforms. The 2025 peak in Category C commitments demonstrates the urgent need for targeted interventions to address persistent structural and financial barriers.

    The WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) plays a key role in helping developing and LDC members mobilize the technical assistance and capacity-building support they need to implement the TFA. Since its establishment, the TFAF has been instrumental in supporting developing and LDC members through their ratification of the Agreement and their submission of more than 130 notifications within agreed deadlines.

    It has also assisted 46 developing members, including 18 LDCs, in securing assistance from development partners — either by sharing information or by providing project preparation grants. Thanks to TFAF support, ten developing members, including two LDCs, have successfully partnered with donors to meet their TFA capacity-building needs.

    With more than 500 commitments still due for implementation over the next five years, the TFAF remains a critical mechanism for channelling resources and ensuring that technical assistance aligns with members’ evolving needs.

    How improvements in trade facilitation efforts can be leveraged

    Digitalization offers ways to further enhance efficiency, transparency and coordination at borders. While approaches to using digital trade facilitation differ, members are discussing its role in shaping the future of trade procedures.

    In 2024, members decided to use the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation to share experiences on the impact of digitalization on TFA implementation. Discussions have highlighted both successes and challenges, with some members showcasing innovative digital solutions, and others emphasizing the need for capacity-building to bridge the digital divide across economies with different levels of development. Digitalization will continue to be on the Committee’s agenda throughout 2025.

    At the domestic level, national trade facilitation committees (NTFCs) provide a critical institutional framework to drive effective implementation of the TFA. These committees coordinate efforts among government agencies, often in collaboration with private sector stakeholders, to ensure a holistic approach to trade facilitation reforms. NTFCs are key to identifying implementation bottlenecks, streamlining regulatory processes and aligning technical assistance with national priorities. As members navigate the complex reforms required for full TFA implementation, NTFCs will be instrumental in ensuring that trade facilitation improvements translate into tangible economic benefits.

    Value of full TFA implementation for all members

    Eight years after its entry into force, the TFA continues to reduce trade costs, improve customs efficiency and expand market opportunities for all members. As full implementation progresses, the benefits for businesses and economies will accelerate.

    While the benefits of trade facilitation are often highlighted in the context of developing and LDC members, the advantages extend across the entire WTO membership, including developed members. As more WTO members implement the TFA, businesses in developed members also benefit from smoother, more predictable trade flows, less red tape and fewer costly delays at borders.

    Lower trade costs and greater efficiency enhance global supply chain resilience, minimizing disruptions and ensuring more secure and reliable access to products. Ultimately, continued implementation of the TFA strengthens global trade networks, making trade more inclusive, efficient and resilient to external shocks.

    With sustained engagement from WTO members and development partners, trade facilitation will be a key driver of global trade efficiency and economic growth for years to come.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DDG Ellard: Accepting fish subsidies agreement can give boost to global trading system

    Source: WTO

    Headline: DDG Ellard: Accepting fish subsidies agreement can give boost to global trading system

    Thank you, Marion, distinguished ladies, and gentlemen.
    Thank you to the OECD Secretariat for inviting me to today’s launch of the 2025 edition of the OECD Review of Fisheries. As with previous editions, this year’s report brings together and analyses a broad range of valuable data on the health of our fish resources, fisheries management systems, and government support policies. The invaluable resource highlights some of the key threats and challenges facing the fisheries sector, and also identifies possible solutions and opportunities for improving its economic and environmental sustainability.
    As the report makes clear, fisheries management regimes and public support measures, when guided by informed decision-making, have the potential to work as two sides of the same coin, complementing each other to ensure that our oceans continue to serve the millions of fishers around the world whose livelihoods depend upon their health.
    By adopting the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in June 2022, WTO Members took one important step in this direction. As many of you are aware, the landmark Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies prohibits subsidies to fishing activities considered to be among the most harmful to the sustainability of our oceans, including subsidies to vessels involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and fishing of overfished stocks. The 2025 Review of Fisheries recognizes that the provision of subsidies for such activities is among the major challenges facing sustainable fisheries practices. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies offers WTO Members a powerful tool to address this devastating and accelerating problem.
    However, the AFS will begin to deliver its benefits for sustainable fisheries only when it enters into force, which requires two-thirds of WTO Members (111) to deposit their instruments of acceptance.
    To date, 89 Members have done so, leaving us with only 22 ratifications left for the Agreement to enter into force.
    WTO Members have set the ambitious goal of achieving this objective as soon as possible. What a thrill it would be to celebrate the entry into force of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies with the international ocean community at the UN Ocean Conference in June – that’s our goal.
    Almost all OECD Members, and a good share of its accession candidate countries and key partners, have already ratified the Agreement. But not all of you have done so. So, I urge those that have not yet deposited their instruments of acceptance to accelerate as much as possible your domestic ratification processes and join your fellow Members and partners that have already ratified. And I urge those of you that have finished to serve as a helpful source of information and assistance to those who have not.
    Depositing your instruments of acceptance will not only demonstrate your commitment to the sustainability of our oceans, but it will also serve as an important boost to the multilateral trading system at an important and challenging time.
    Entry into force of the Agreement will also unlock access to technical assistance and capacity-building provided through the WTO Fish Fund for the developing country Members that have ratified the Agreement. Thanks to the significant financial support of our Members, the WTO Fish Fund is now ready to become fully operational upon entry into force. And I take this opportunity to sincerely thank OECD Members for their generous contributions to this Fund, which represent more than 90% of the near USD 15 million in donations and pledges received so far.
    But our work does not end with the entry into force of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. As you know, WTO Members are engaging in a second wave of negotiations with a view to agreeing on a set of additional disciplines regulating subsidies that are generally considered to contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.
    The extraordinary work of OECD Members and its Secretariat in producing the 2025 and previous editions of the Review of Fisheries report, and especially the Fisheries Support Estimates, has been welcomed and is helping WTO Members to have more informed and factual discussions of the issues at stake.
    In this regard, I have observed that one of the encouraging findings of this year’s Review of Fisheries is that the balance of risks posed by government support measures has improved significantly since 2010, with a marked reduction in policies that pose the highest risk (e.g., fuel subsidies) in favour of policies where the risk posed is less direct (e.g., income support). In addition, the Review shows that OECD Members have increased their spending on fisheries management, monitoring, control, and surveillance – all measures that are essential to improving and maintaining the health of fish stocks.
    Despite these apparent advances in the sector, this year’s Review also finds that 65% of all support to fishing activities still presents a risk of encouraging unsustainable fishing in the absence of effective management. This is a particularly salient conclusion for WTO Members as they pursue the second wave of negotiations because the draft disciplines currently on the table tie the use of subsidies that may contribute to overcapacity and overfishing with effective management measures.
    Evidence-based findings and analyses of the kind contained in the 2025 Review of Fisheries are why I see the mission of the WTO and mission of the OECD to be complementary, and mutually reinforcing. In different but essential ways, the work of each of our organizations is contributing to fisheries subsidies reform, paving a path for the elimination of harmful subsidies, and ultimately the sustainability of our oceans.

    Thank you.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Trade Policy Review: Ukraine

    Source: World Trade Organization

    The following documents are available:

    Secretariat report

    A detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat.

    Government report

    A policy statement by the government of the member under review.

    From the meeting

    The Secretariat and Government reports are discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB).

    Background

    Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. All WTO members are subject to review, with the frequency of review depending on the country’s size.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon sets new 5G upload speed record as it continues to advance its network to manage AI and other emerging workloads

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon sets new 5G upload speed record as it continues to advance its network to manage AI and other emerging workloads

    NEW YORK – As the ecosystem around 5G evolves, Verizon has been actively optimizing its network with 5G advanced technology, high-speed fiber, edge computing and intelligent management to efficiently handle the massive data demands of real-time applications, seamless cloud connectivity, and data-intensive demands of AI-driven workloads.

    Verizon and its collaborators Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., just made another large leap forward in advancing that ecosystem. Using a combination of two TDD carrier component aggregation with C-band spectrum and uplink MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, the companies achieved a US record-breaking 480 Mbps uplink speed using sub-6 GHz spectrum.

    “Emerging applications, such as smart surveillance, industrial automation, augmented reality devices and generative AI models, require massive amounts of data to be continuously uploaded for analysis, decision-making, and model training,” said Srini Kalapala, Senior Vice President of Technology and Product Development at Verizon. “Faster uplink speeds, in combination with the other advancements we’ve been introducing into our network, ensure that AI-driven systems can process real-time video feeds, sensor data, and user interactions without lag, improving responsiveness and accuracy. The work we are doing to drive uplink speeds is a key variable that will allow our customers to take advantage of these AI applications on our network.”

    Extremely fast upload speeds are particularly critical for time-sensitive applications like healthcare diagnostics, remote robotics, and live broadcasting, where delays in data transmission can impact outcomes. Higher uplink speeds for solutions such as these provide seamless data transmission from customers’ devices to the cloud, enable low-latency interactions and reduce bottlenecks in data-heavy applications. With the 5G enhanced uplink capabilities demonstrated in this trial, businesses and industries will be able to unlock many benefits of AI, enabling smarter automation, improving efficiencies, and delivering more immersive user experiences. Real-time applications such as video conferencing, cloud gaming, IoT communications, and augmented reality (AR) also rely on robust uplink capabilities for seamless performance. Additionally, as more users generate and upload high-resolution content to platforms like social media and streaming services, strong uplink capabilities help maintain smooth performance and enhance customers’ experience.

    “Reaching 480 Mbps uplink speeds is a remarkable achievement and highlights the strength of Ericsson’s RAN technology,” said Hannes Ekström, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Verizon for Ericsson North America. “This breakthrough not only boosts data upload efficiency but also meets the high demands of real-time applications and AI-driven tasks. Our technology is essential for providing smooth performance and outstanding user experiences across enterprise and consumer applications alike.”

    About the trial

    In this demonstration of technological capabilities, Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies used 200 MHz of C-band spectrum, employing 2×2 MIMO on each 100MHz channel, hosted on Ericsson’s state-of-the-art Generation 4 RAN Processor 6672 and Massive MIMO TDD antenna integrated radio AIR 6449.

    MIMO is a technology that uses multiple antennas on both the network and the device to send and receive multiple data streams simultaneously. It enhances throughput, reliability, and coverage by leveraging multiple antennas to combat interference and improve signal strength.

    The trial also employed TDD (Time Division Duplex.) TDD is a method that allows both uplink and downlink to share the same frequency band but at different time slots. It is used to dynamically allocate time for uploads and downloads based on dynamically shifting network demands, and improves spectral efficiency, especially in scenarios where download and upload needs vary.

    “This achievement is a powerful demonstration of Verizon, Ericsson, and Qualcomm Technologies’ commitment to advancing the 5G frontier. Fast upload speeds are essential for applications where every second matters, ensuring seamless data transmission from devices to the cloud for real-time interactions. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of empowering businesses to fully leverage AI, driving smarter automation, greater efficiency, and more engaging user experiences,” said Sunil Patil, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.e MIMO TDD antenna integrated radio AIR 6449.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes PM Suminwa Tuluka of Democratic Republic of the Congo to WTO

    Source: WTO

    Headline: DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes PM Suminwa Tuluka of Democratic Republic of the Congo to WTO

    Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, on 25 February at the WTO. They discussed the importance of digitalization and regional cooperation for economic transformation and global trade, and the role that the WTO can play in support of these efforts.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New WTO publication “Trade for Peace: Pathways to Sustainable Trade and Peace” launched

    Source: WTO

    Headline: New WTO publication “Trade for Peace: Pathways to Sustainable Trade and Peace” launched

    The book launch highlighted how the Trade for Peace publication “Pathways to Sustainable Trade and Peace” supports the work of policymakers, academics and practitioners by providing an in-depth exploration of the complex relationship between trade and peace.
    The publication is composed of 16 chapters written by 31 authors, representing more than nine partner institutions, including the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre (ITC), Interpeace, the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the World Economic Forum.
    “Trade is an indispensable part of building the secure, sustainable, and inclusive world we want and need,” notes WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the publication’s foreword. “For trade to yield peace dividends, particularly in the difficult context of FCS, the trade community needs to work with other partners. It is my hope that this volume can help lay the groundwork for such collaboration to advance a 21st century vision of Trade for Peace,” she adds.
    WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the importance of the publication in the current challenging times. “This book is a concrete output from the research pillar of the Trade for Peace Programme, which aims at deepening the understanding of the trade-peace nexus and addressing the gap in literature on the interlinkages between trade and peace in its various dimensions. It is the first WTO publication on the topic with the goal of providing insights on how trade and peace interact and how governments and other stakeholders can leverage trade to foster economic development and stability,” he said. His remarks are available here.
    Panellists included the co-editor of the publication Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Chief of the Knowledge Management Section at the WTO, and five authors — Alan W. Wolff, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at PIIE and former WTO Deputy Director-General, Itonde Kakoma, President and CEO of Interpeace, Franck Bousquet, Deputy Director of the Institute for Capacity Development at the IMF, Barbara Ramos, Chief of Strategies and Policies for Trade and Investment at the ITC, and Serge Stroobants, Director of Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the IEP.
    Participants in the hybrid event also included Maika Oshikawa, Director of the WTO Accessions Division, co-editors Patrick Low, former Chief Economist at the WTO, and Roberta Piermartini, Chief of the Applied Economic Research Section at the WTO, as well as several other authors featured in the publication.
    Moderated by Amanda Miashiro, Legal/Economic Affairs Officer at the WTO Accessions Division and co-editor of the publication, the event discussed the complexity of trade and peace in light of a changed global political landscape. Panellists emphasized that fragility worldwide is increasing, with the average levels of peace at historical lows.
    The discussion raised key questions about which legal frameworks and conditions must be in place for trade to be a driver of peace and stability and how to transform the capacity of actors operating in fragile and conflict-affected contexts to not only be conflict-sensitive but also to actively contribute to peace outcomes. The recording of the event is available here.
    Panellists further recalled that peace is intertwined with the history of the multilateral trading system. They also highlighted the role of the g7+ WTO Group in advancing the Trade for Peace agenda for FCS. Shedding light on how fragility issues deeply affect societies, small and medium-sized enterprises and the economy, panellists stressed the importance of understanding conflict drivers and specificities of fragile regions to be able to fortify macroeconomic policies and state capacity, improve competitiveness and contribute to socioeconomic recovery.
    According to IEP data, the global economic impact of violence was more than US$ 19.1 trillion in 2023, which prompted a discussion on how trade could play a more effective role in reducing the cost and impact of economic violence by promoting peace. The full publication is available here.
    In addition to the publication launch, this session unveiled the Trade for Peace Research and Knowledge Database. This hub is dedicated to collecting ongoing research studies and other resources on the linkages between trade and peace, serving as a tool for stakeholders to support evidence-based policy development and strategy.
    For more information, see WTO Trade for Peace, 4th edition of Trade for Peace Week

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Rethinking remote assistance security in a Zero Trust world

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Rethinking remote assistance security in a Zero Trust world

    The recent breach of the United States Treasury underscores a stark reality: cyber adversaries are no longer just looking for gaps in traditional network security—they are actively exploiting the tools organizations rely on for daily operations. Remote assistance technologies, essential for IT support and business continuity, have become prime targets for credential theft, moving within the network, and system exploitation. The message is clear: securing remote assistance is no longer optional; it is a fundamental requirement for maintaining operational resilience.  

    A multi-pronged approach to securing remote assistance with Zero Trust

    For too long, remote assistance security has been presumed rather than intentionally designed into its architecture. The rise in sophisticated cyberthreats demands a fundamental shift in our approach. Organizations must rethink remote assistance security through the lens of Zero Trust, using the three key principles of verify explicitly, use least privilege, and assume breach as a guide and ensuring that every session, user, and device is verified, compliant, and monitored before access is granted. 

    Discover how implementing Zero Trust can fortify your remote assistance security by visiting our Zero Trust Workshop, where you’ll find an interactive guide to embedding security into your IT operations.  

    This requires a structured approach with a foundation of: 

    1. Identity and access control—ensuring that only authenticated, compliant users and devices can initiate or receive remote assistance. 
    2. Endpoint security and compliance—enforcing security baselines and conditional access across all managed devices. 
    3. Embedded security in remote assistance—building security into the very foundation of remote assistance tools, eliminating gaps that cyberattackers can exploit. 
    Explore the Microsoft Zero Trust approach

        Identity and access control: The first line of cybersecurity defense

        Identity security is the cornerstone of any secure remote assistance strategy. A compromised identity is often the first step in a cyberattack, making it critical to ensure only verified users and devices can initiate or receive remote assistance sessions. Organizations must enforce: 

        • Explicit identity verification—using multi-factor authentication (MFA) and risk-based conditional access to ensure only authorized users gain access. 
        • Least privilege access—ensuring remote assistance is granted only for the necessary duration and with minimal privileges to reduce the risk of exploitation. 
        • Real-time risk assessment—continuously evaluating access requests for anomalies or suspicious activity to prevent unauthorized access. 

        By shifting the security perimeter to identity, organizations create an environment where trust is earned dynamically, not assumed.  

        Closing the gaps with endpoint security and compliance with Microsoft Intune

        Cyberattackers frequently exploit outdated, misconfigured, or non-compliant endpoints to gain a foothold in enterprise environments. IT and security leaders must ensure that remote assistance is built on a strong endpoint security foundation, where every device connecting to corporate resources meets strict compliance standards. This highlights the need for organizations to establish consistent security policies across all devices, ensuring they are up to date and compliant before being granted remote access.  

        Microsoft Intune provides the necessary tools to: 

        • Enforce compliance policies—restrict remote assistance to managed, up-to-date, and policy-compliant devices. 
        • Apply security baselines—standardize configurations across endpoints to minimize security gaps. 
        • Integrate with Microsoft’s security ecosystem—connecting remote assistance workflows with Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Defender product family, and other security tools for real-time monitoring and cyberthreat mitigation.  
        Discover more about Microsoft Intune

        Remote Help: Secure remote assistance built for Zero Trust 

        As organizations work toward a Zero Trust model, secure remote assistance must align with core security principles. This means moving beyond reactive security measures and embedding proactive, policy-driven controls into every remote session. Microsoft Intune Remote Help was designed with these imperatives in mind, providing a robust solution that enhances IT support while minimizing security risks. 

        While legacy remote assistance tools can lack enterprise-grade security controls, Remote Help is built to align with Zero Trust principles. Unlike traditional solutions, Remote Help: 

        • Integrates directly with Microsoft Entra ID—enhancing security where authentication and access controls can consistently take place. 
        • Provides session transparency—IT teams can track and monitor remote assistance activity in real time. 
        • Enforces compliance requirements—only compliant, managed devices can participate in remote assistance sessions.  

        For highly regulated industries, Remote Help offers an alternative to third-party tools that may introduce security blind spots. By embedding security directly into remote assistance workflows, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.  

        Start a free trial of Microsoft Intune Remote Help

        Engaging customers and partners to strengthen cyber resilience 

        Cybersecurity is a team sport. As cyberthreat actors grow more sophisticated, collaboration across industries is essential. Microsoft is committed to engaging with customers and partners to drive security innovation and resilience. Initiatives such as the Windows Resiliency Initiative (WRI) focus on: 

        • Reducing the need for admin privileges—helping organizations adopt a least privilege approach at scale.
        • Enhancing identity protection—strengthening defenses against phishing and identity-based attacks.
        • Quick machine recovery—empowering IT teams with tools to rapidly store compromised devices remotely.

        By fostering collaboration and continuously evolving security measures, Microsoft is helping organizations stay ahead of emerging cyberthreats. These on-going conversations with our customers and partners are crucial in shaping resilient security strategies that adapt to an ever-changing cyberthreat landscape.   

        A security-first approach for the future 

        The increasing reliance on remote assistance demands a security-first mindset. Organizations must recognize that every remote access session presents an opportunity for exploitation from an ever-evolving cast of cyberattackers. Rather than treating security as an afterthought, it must be deeply integrated into the architecture of the remote assistance solutions. A modern approach requires proactive risk mitigation, continuous verification, and seamless security controls that support productivity without compromising protection.  

        Now is the time for IT and security leaders to: 

        • Evaluate your current remote assistance tools—identifying the gaps and areas for improvement. 
        • Adopt Zero Trust principles—ensuring the access is verified and explicitly and continuously monitored. 
        • Leverage solutions like Microsoft Intune and Remote Help—deploying secure, enterprise-grade remote assistance capabilities. 

        By taking these steps, you can strengthen your security posture, minimize risk, and ensure that remote assistance remains a tool for operational efficiency rather than a gateway for cyberthreats.  

        To explore how Zero Trust can enhance your remote assistance security, visit the Zero Trust Workshop, an interactive, step-by-step guide to embedding security into every layer of IT operations, ensuring a comprehensive and measurable approach to security transformation. 

        Explore the Zero Trust Workshop

        Learn more with Microsoft Security

        To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. 

        MIL OSI Economics –

      1. MIL-OSI Economics: Landmark EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud completed

        Source: Microsoft

        Headline: Landmark EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud completed

        At Microsoft, we remain committed to enabling European businesses to thrive by providing the tools and support necessary to drive their success and give our customers throughout the European Union more control over their data. To fulfill these goals, today Microsoft is announcing that it has completed the EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud, an industry-leading solution that stores and processes public sector and commercial customer data in the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). 

        With the completion of the boundary, our European commercial and public sector customers are now able to store and process their customer data and pseudonymized personal data for Microsoft core cloud services — including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and most Azure services — within the EU and EFTA regions. In addition, Microsoft will store professional services data from technical support interactions for the core cloud services within the EU and EFTA regions.  

        This milestone is the culmination of a massive, multi-year engineering effort across hundreds of Microsoft product teams and thousands of developers around the globe. The EU Data Boundary reflects Microsoft’s commitment to delivering unmatched cloud services that support European transparency, protect privacy, and enhance customer control. It’s a reflection of our commitment to Europe and is part of a wide range of residency capabilities and solutions we provide to our customers.  

        The EU Data Boundary has been delivered to our customers in three phases: 

        • Microsoft launched Phase 1 in January 2023, enabling the storage and processing of customer data for core services, including most of the Microsoft Cloud suite of online services: Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Azure.
        • Phase 2, launched in January 2024, expanded the scope of the EU Data Boundary to include pseudonymized personal data, ensuring even data that is pseudonymized to prevent direct identification remains within these regions.
        • Phase 3, with the completion of the EU Data Boundary in February 2025, ensures that when customers in the EU and EFTA request technical support for services such as Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365, the professional services data provided by customers (such as logs) and generated by Microsoft (such as support case notes) are now stored within the EU and EFTA regions. For certain Azure services, additional customer action may be required to obtain the professional services data storage commitment, which is documented here.

        Building on decades of commitment to Europe

        Microsoft’s dedication to Europe spans more than 40 years. Over the past 16 months, we have invested more than $20 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure across the continent to expand our local options and meet growing demand.

        In addition, Microsoft offers a suite of solutions to provide our customers with greater control over their data’s location and to fulfill Microsoft’s fundamental principles and approach to transparency, accountability, and data protection:

        • Across our products, Microsoft offers more granular controls over the location of Microsoft 365 customer data through Microsoft 365 Advanced Data Residency.
        • Our Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty enables specific public sector customers to build and digitally transform Azure workloads while meeting sovereignty, compliance, security, and policy requirements.
        • We continually innovate to meet customer needs and lead in transparency and accountability through our European Cloud Principles.

        Taken together, these efforts reflect our ongoing focus on supporting Europe’s innovation, growth, and technology needs as the region moves into an increasingly digital future.

        Advancing global cybersecurity with the Microsoft Cloud

        Microsoft is deeply committed to cybersecurity, prioritizing the protection of our customers and the broader global digital ecosystem. Through the Secure Future Initiative (SFI), Microsoft integrates security into every aspect of our operations, from product design to daily practices. This global effort is essential in combating increasingly complex cyberattacks, ensuring a safer digital environment for our European customers and organizations worldwide.

        In limited security instances that require a coordinated global response, essential data may be transferred with robust protections that safeguard customer data. In these circumstances, Microsoft provides transparent information and implements comprehensive security measures, including encryption, strict access controls, and other resilient protections. This global intelligence allows Microsoft to provide real-time alerts and security response mitigation, ensuring customers remain protected no matter where a threat originates. Customers can learn more at: What is the EU Data Boundary?

        At Microsoft, we believe cloud technology can be innovative, secure, and built to honor European values. The EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud is another example of how we are working to empower European organizations with the solutions and tools they need to grow and thrive in a modern, secure cloud environment.

        While our products and services continue to be compliant with EU regulations, we are dedicated to listening to our customers in all parts of the world—and will continuously evolve to go beyond compliance where necessary to meet our customers’ unique needs.

        Learn more about the EU Data Boundary for the Microsoft Cloud.

        Tags: data privacy, EU, European Union

        MIL OSI Economics –

      2. MIL-OSI Economics: How Microsoft adaptive cloud offerings help deliver more reliable and secure energy

        Source: Microsoft

        Headline: How Microsoft adaptive cloud offerings help deliver more reliable and secure energy

        As utilities adapt to increasing electrification, grid modernization, and the expansion of distributed energy, traditional operational technology (OT) environments are being pushed beyond their limits. At the same time, utilities and energy providers must navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, from data sovereignty requirements in Europe to cybersecurity mandates like North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

        While cloud adoption is accelerating, many OT systems, such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Energy Management Systems (EMS), Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS), and Outage Management Systems (OMS), require hybrid architectures to ensure operational continuity, compliance, and secure integration with real-time grid control.

        The challenge is clear: how do energy providers unlock the full potential of the cloud while helping to ensure mission-critical operations remain secure, resilient, and interoperable with legacy infrastructure?

        Microsoft for energy and resources

        Drive innovation to achieve net zero and deliver safe, reliable, equitable energy for a sustainable future.

        Adaptive cloud: The bridge between IT, OT, and AI-powered intelligence

        The Microsoft adaptive cloud approach provides a seamless, scalable, and secure framework for unifying on-premises, edge, and cloud environments. Rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all migration to the cloud, the Microsoft adaptive cloud integrates IT and OT seamlessly, bringing together on-premises control systems and edge intelligence with cloud-scale analytics. Instead of forcing a binary choice between on-premises versus cloud, adaptive cloud supports energy providers to:

        • Integrate on-premises systems with cloud-driven intelligence while meeting global compliance and sovereignty requirements.
        • Utilize complex AI algorithms and real-time data streaming to unlock operational efficiencies, increase resilience, and enhance reliability.
        • Strengthen cybersecurity with built-in Zero Trust protections and industry-aligned security frameworks.
        • Support edge computing for localized grid control while harnessing the cloud’s computational power.

        At Microsoft, we’re working with energy leaders around the world to implement this adaptive cloud approach that unites and integrates siloed teams, distributed sites, and operational systems into a unified model for operations, security, applications, and data. With a foundation built on Microsoft Azure and spanning more than 60 public cloud regions, our approach supports energy providers to utilize cloud-native and AI capabilities across the enterprise while bringing together IT and OT systems to accelerate energy production and help teams manage increasingly complex environments more efficiently.

        Meeting growing demand while driving critical efficiencies

        As population growth and rapidly changing markets continue driving demand for energy, industry leaders are faced with immense pressure to not only provide secure, equitable, and sustainable energy, but to optimize every aspect of business for continued growth. The Microsoft adaptive cloud environment sets the stage for critical improvements that help energy companies keep up with demand without overextending their own resources. These improvements include:

        • Secure integration of cloud AI with critical OT systems. Many grid control systems such as SCADA, EMS, and DERMS must interact with real-time operational data while helping to ensure security and compliance. The Microsoft adaptive cloud supports these systems to securely connect to cloud-based AI and analytics without disrupting mission-critical workflows.
        • Enhanced security. The increasing sophistication of cyber threats makes security a non-negotiable priority. Supporting an adaptive cloud-based environment is a critical step in improving security measures and allowing quick responses, helping to ensure that energy systems are protected against evolving cyber threats. Real-time OT and IT threat detection is an imperative going forward.
        • Faster data analytics. Energy operators require high-speed decision-making, but traditional OT systems often rely on static models that struggle to adapt to real-time fluctuations. Running enterprise systems in Azure facilitates faster, more informed decision-making based on real-time data and supports cloud-based, high-speed analytics that ingest, process, and visualize terabytes of operational data from the grid. These data-driven insights can be applied to predictive maintenance, which helps reduce unplanned downtime and mitigates related operational expenses. Applying AI capabilities on top of analytics can supercharge the value of enterprise data, saving time and empowering decision-makers with actionable information.
        • Compliance with global regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. Energy companies navigate a complex web of regional regulations, including:
          • NERC CIP (North America)—critical infrastructure protection for utilities
          • GDPR (European Union)—data privacy and protection regulations
          • Schrems II Ruling (European Union)—restrictions on data transfers from the EU to third countries
          • ISO 27001 & IEC 62443—international cybersecurity frameworks for industrial control systems

        With hybrid capabilities in Azure, utilities can process sensitive data on-prem or within sovereign cloud regions while still using cloud-scale AI and automation.

        • Edge computing for low-latency control and decision-making. Certain grid operations require millisecond response times, making local processing at the substation or field level critical. Adaptive cloud allows real-time decision-making at the grid edge while still syncing with cloud-based AI for broader optimization.
        • Increased scalability and flexibility. An adaptive cloud also supports energy providers to remain agile with changing demands and adopt new technologies that can easily integrate with current infrastructure investments.

        Global energy leaders unlock new value with Azure

        Microsoft collaborates with energy customers to unearth insights that help them make better, faster decisions and optimize efficiencies across the enterprise. For many, that starts with introducing cloud solutions that make it easier to collect and organize data. But data regulations, legacy on-premises systems, and a growing number of applications to manage are just a few challenges that pop up along the way. Below are two recent examples of how Microsoft has worked with energy leaders to address these and other challenges.

        Uniper: Standardizing IT and OT with a hybrid cloud strategy

        Uniper, the world’s largest power generation company, wanted to introduce cloud solutions but faced strict regulations around where certain applications could operate depending on the type of data involved, making it difficult for the IT team to manage all applications in a uniform, secure way. Their solution:

        • Microsoft Azure Arc and Microsoft Azure Monitor created a single dashboard for managing applications across cloud and on-premises environments.
        • Microsoft Azure Stack HCI allowed hybrid use of cloud services while helping to ensure compliance with European data regulations.

        With this adaptive cloud strategy, Uniper can now manage IT and OT environments in a standardized way, launch new services faster, and optimize performance without disrupting critical infrastructure. This translates to launching orders more quickly, bringing new services to market faster, and building new systems with just a few clicks.

        Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA): AI-powered edge intelligence for industrial operations

        EGA is another energy leader that turned to Azure to pave a path for sustainable, scalable infrastructure. EGA’s on-premises environment couldn’t deliver the level of flexibility needed to manage increasingly complex and data-intensive operations with scalable computing infrastructure. EGA needed a hybrid cloud approach to support real-time AI and analytics across its energy-intensive operations. To address this challenge, the company deployed a hybrid environment managed by Azure Arc. The new environment allowed EGA to connect private cloud services through on-premises datacenters—which host operational data, quality control data, environmental and energy data, and supply chain and market data—with the public cloud. This helped optimize latency, support advanced AI and automation solutions, and offer sustaining commercial savings by applying intelligence at the edge. It also streamlined processing for massive amounts of real-time readings from sensors, machinery, and production lines.

        Using an adaptive cloud approach went a long way in helping EGA accelerate industrial AI use cases and improve production processes. The company experienced 10 to 13 times faster AI response time, lower latency, and 86% cost savings associated with AI image and video use cases. They also developed and trained a model on 100,000 images to define and differentiate between what makes a good anode and what makes a bad one, ultimately helping to improve the overall quality of their aluminum production.

        An adaptive cloud approach to power a sustainable energy future

        As enterprises from across all industries aim to reduce their carbon footprint through more efficient, sustainable practices, there’s little doubt that all eyes are on the energy industry to lead the way. Microsoft is proud to be recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure (DHI), placing Microsoft Furthest and Highest in Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. Microsoft offers an adaptive cloud approach and can help energy companies make real progress toward a resilient and sustainable future by setting the stage for significant value-adds like improved data management and generative AI capabilities. Collectively, these improvements help strengthen security posture, simplify management of applications, improve operational performance, and, critically, reduce carbon footprint.

        By partnering with Microsoft, global energy providers can:

        • Unify IT and OT systems across on-premises, edge, and cloud for seamless integration.
        • Meet global regulatory and compliance requirements while maximizing cloud capabilities.
        • Enhance cybersecurity with real-time threat detection and Zero Trust protections.
        • Scale AI and analytics to energy infrastructure, reduce downtime, and improve efficiency, reliability, and resilience.

        By embracing adaptive cloud, energy providers can future-proof their operations, strengthen cybersecurity, and build the resilient energy systems of tomorrow—without compromising compliance, security, or operational continuity.

        We’re here to support customers and partners along the way, as we all look to accelerate the energy transition and build a sustainable energy future for the next generation.

        Explore more energy solutions and resources

        Learn more about Microsoft for energy and resources.

        GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. 

        Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 

        Bilal Khursheed

        Worldwide Power and Utilities Leader, Energy and Resources Industry, Microsoft

        With nearly two decades at the forefront of the Power and Utilities (P&U) industry, Bilal Khursheed holds the role of Worldwide Power & Utilities Leader at Microsoft, leading its go-to-market strategy for P&U. Renowned for merging innovation with tangible results, Bilal drives Microsoft’s global P&U vision and dedicates his expertise championing sustainability and mentoring the next generation of industry leaders.

        See more articles from this author

        MIL OSI Economics –

      3. MIL-OSI Economics: 13th Global Community of Practice (G-CoP) – Unlocking Africa’s Potential: Driving Innovation and Harnessing Domestic Debt Markets for Sustainable…

        Source: African Development Bank Group
        Do you wish to be part of a transformative conversation shaping Africa’s future?
        The African Development Institute of the African Development Bank is excited to invite you to the 13th Global Community of Practice (G-CoP) Policy Dialogue focusing on innovative strategies for unlocking Africa’s domestic debt markets.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      4. MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung 2025 Bespoke AI Appliances Now Available to Reserve

        Source: Samsung

        Samsung Electronics America is introducing a new line of Bespoke AI appliances this spring, with advanced AI-powered features that offer greater personalization and connectivity in your home. You can reserve a new 2025 Bespoke AI appliance now through March 24 and receive a $100 credit toward your pre-order purchase. With the reserve offer, you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $5,000 Samsung credit to be used on new Bespoke AI appliances.1

        Samsung debuted its first-ever suite of Bespoke AI appliances in 2024, introducing innovative products that integrate advanced AI technology with powerful connectivity and thoughtful design to help automate everyday tasks at home. The 2025 Bespoke AI line builds on these capabilities to offer a new level of AI-powered convenience that makes cooking, cleaning and doing laundry easier than ever. With seamless SmartThings integration2, AI sensors and cameras, and intuitive AI Home3 LCD touchscreen displays on more Samsung appliances, you can effortlessly monitor and manage your connected home from anywhere and multi-task with ease.
        The AI camera in Samsung’s new Bespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with 9” AI Home LCD Screen keeps tabs on the food you store and remove, automatically updating your SmartThings grocery list when items are running low and sharing alerts when you should use ingredients because they are approaching the end of the produce’s freshness dates.4  And with the touchscreen display, it’s easy to look up recipes that incorporate the food you have on hand and send cooking instructions directly to your Bespoke Wall Oven with 7” AI Home. The Bespoke Wall Oven also has an AI camera that will recognize meals and suggest how to cook them, automatically optimizing cook times and temperatures, so you can focus on other things.

        In the laundry room, Samsung is introducing exciting new Bespoke AI Laundry Combo models, offering even more options to consumers looking for a format that works in a small space without compromising on performance or style. Like Samsung’s other 2025 Bespoke AI appliances, the new Bespoke AI Laundry Combos and the new Bespoke Front Load Washer and Dryer with AI Home are all equipped with 7” LCD touchscreen displays that enable convenient operation and seamless multi-device experiences across your Samsung appliances. You can even check on the status of dinner cooking in your Bespoke AI Wall Oven while you start a new load of laundry.
        Bespoke AI appliances can also automatically optimize performance according to your habits and personal needs, and routine maintenance reminders and service alerts make it easy to care for them, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing they will run smoothly and reliably for years to come.5
        For more information and to reserve your new 2025 Bespoke AI appliance, visit Samsung.com.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      5. MIL-OSI Economics: The Indigenous-led solar farm redefining Alberta’s energy landscape

        Source: – Press Release/Statement:

        Headline: The Indigenous-led solar farm redefining Alberta’s energy landscape

        “Alberta needs to proceed with caution: it is counterproductive to jeopardize existing wind and solar projects,” Vittoria Bellissimo, president and CEO of CanREA, said in a December press release. “These projects were built in good faith but could fail if they cannot repay their debt, causing credit downgrades across the sector. This will raise borrowing costs for companies and ultimately increase the cost of electricity for customers.” Read more.
        The post The Indigenous-led solar farm redefining Alberta’s energy landscape appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      6. MIL-OSI Economics: Michael S Barr: Managing financial crises

        Source: Bank for International Settlements

        Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I note that the objectives of the Program on Financial Stability include “supporting the world’s financial authorities in refining proven crises management tools and strategies.” Speaking as a representative of one of those authorities, I thought I would further the program’s goals by focusing these remarks on the principles and practice of crisis management. I am favored in that task with what one might call the luck of having been regularly confronted with crises in each of my three stints as a public servant, over a career divided between government and academia. In noting how often my arrival in government was accompanied by crisis, it might be reasonable to wonder if this is correlation or causation.

        Kidding aside, crisis management is central to all management because it demands the very best from managers when it is most needed. Anyone who spends time in government can expect that some of the most memorable and challenging experiences will be managing through tough situations, when the answers to problems are unclear but the mission of the organization comes into acute focus. The financial system is in a perpetual state balancing risk and reward. Sometimes the system falls out of balance, and vulnerabilities turn into stress or even crisis. This moment is when it is crucial to mitigate spillovers from the financial system that can hurt businesses and households and wreak havoc on the economy at large.

        Some of the most important features of modern economies were developed to prevent and mitigate financial crises. The first central banks, and eventually the Federal Reserve, were created to provide stable currencies and banking systems in support of the long-term stability of the provision of credit necessary to foster growth and rising living standards. Regulation of financial markets, regulation and supervision of banks, federal deposit insurance, and laws to protect investors, consumers, and businesses were developed over time to promote both financial stability and durable economic growth. I have spoken previously about how monetary policy and financial stability are inextricably linked and how the tools we use to conduct monetary policy and support financial stability work together.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      7. MIL-OSI Economics: Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour: Transforming banking and advancing sustainability

        Source: Bank for International Settlements

        Since its inception 58 years ago, ASEAN has evolved to become a significant force in global trade, investment and diplomacy. ASEAN now stands as the world’s fourth-largest economic bloc, with an estimated GDP of USD4.13 trillion.1 Looking ahead to 2025, ASEAN is poised for another strong year. GDP is expected to grow by 4.7%,2 significantly outperforming the global average. Much has been said about ASEAN’s pivotal role in global supply chains, our geopolitical neutrality and our strategic location for global trade. However, ASEAN’s driver for sustainable economic growth also comes from within: robust domestic consumption from a youthful demographic, strong growth of individual member states and increasing regional integration. In 2023, for example, intra-ASEAN trade accounted for 21.5% of the region’s total trade in goods.

        Let me touch briefly on Malaysia’s growth outlook. After a strong performance last year, Malaysia is expected to record steady growth going into 2025 despite the challenging global environment. The diversified export structure will help cushion against external demand shocks. But, more importantly, key factors within the economy, particularly the robust expansion in investment activity and resilient household spending, will be important to drive growth this year. Exports are also expected to continue expanding with support from tech upcycle and forthcoming tourist arrivals. We acknowledge that the growth outlook is highly subject to risks from trade and investment restrictions. However, growth could potentially be higher from greater spillovers from the tech upcycle, more robust tourism activities and faster implementation of investment projects in the country.

        The financial sector lies at the core of ASEAN’s progress over the years. The sector acts as the central engine to our economy, facilitating financial flows within ASEAN. Indeed, over the last few decades, we have made progress in facilitating regional capital flows, connecting our payment infrastructure and introducing a framework to support the integration of our banking system through the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (ABIF). However, the potential for intra-ASEAN investments remains untapped, and there is still much to be done to achieve regional regulatory coherence. My vision is for the financial sector to become the critical enabler for the next phase of economic integration under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2045. This would require the sector to strategically harness the three driving forces: funding, technology and talent.

        Mobilising funds to unlock new growth sectors, bridge financing gap and drive sustainable growth for ASEAN

        Let’s start with funding, which is a crucial driver of ASEAN economic growth. ASEAN is facing significant funding gaps that demand our urgent attention. Let me share a few examples. The Asian Development Bank reports that ASEAN economies will need infrastructure investments of at least USD2.8 trillion from 2023 to 2030 to sustain economic growth, reduce poverty and respond to climate change. Key projects in the region that require large financing include the ASEAN Power Grid, which is pivotal to advancing the region’s climate and energy security agenda, and various ASEAN highway and railway projects, such as the Asian Highway Network, which are cornerstones of regional economic development and integration. Our micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) also face a daunting financing gap, exceeding USD300 billion annually.3

        These figures underscore the urgent need for strategic investments and collaborative efforts to secure a resilient and sustainable future for ASEAN. This need is even more pressing in a region where over 90% of all social infrastructure development has traditionally relied on public resources,4 and public funding faces increasing constraints. How, then, can the financial sector step in as a catalyst to crowd in diverse sources of funding and facilitate long-term investments to ensure sustainable economic expansion and build more resilient supply chains and communities?

        This is where blended finance, the strategic use of public, private, and philanthropic finance sources and development finance, can be a critical tool to mobilise additional private capital flows toward sustainable development in ASEAN. The financial sector is pivotal in advancing blended finance to meet funding gaps in ASEAN, by enabling acceptable risk-taking levels based on various funding sources. This approach leverages the willingness of development finance and philanthropic funders, including sovereign funds within ASEAN to assume greater risk exposure, utilising tools like partial credit guarantees to attract additional investors. Multilateral development banks and development finance institutions play a critical role by offering concessional financing and technical assistance, which supports local companies in accessing capital markets and structuring deals, thereby encouraging participation by private financial institutions through co-funding arrangements.

        I also believe that this is an opportunity for Islamic finance to demonstrate its unique role and impact. In recent years, Islamic finance has gained momentum within the ASEAN region. It offers alternative solutions to conventional financial structures through the use of risk sharing and social finance instruments that can be mobilised towards the development of productive economic sectors such as healthcare, transportation and green sectors. Notably, the deployment of blended capital using instruments such as waqf and zakat in Malaysia and a few neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Brunei have significantly contributed to financial inclusion for the underserved and strengthened support for the MSMEs. An example of this is Malaysia’s iTEKAD initiative, a social blended finance programme for low-income microentrepreneurs that provides social and commercial funding, which comes together with training and mentorship to empower them in generating sustainable income. In the capital market structure, Islamic finance has also been mobilised for infrastructure, climate and green projects. In Malaysia, for example, a total of USD56 billion of sukuk was issued in 2023 to fund real economic sectors with a high concentration in renewable energy and green real estate.

        Embracing innovative financing structures will involve navigating various complexities that demand careful consideration, collaboration and adaptation. Hence, advancing capacity building within the financial sector is very crucial. In Malaysia, the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) continues to serve as a key focal point in supporting the financial preparedness for climate change. As part of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Bank Negara Malaysia is committed to supporting the region’s transition efforts. During the ASEAN Finance Ministers and Governors Meeting week from 7 to 10 April this year in Kuala Lumpur, we will host several side events to advance these discussions. These events include a closed-door investor roundtable focused on innovative financing solutions for sizeable ASEAN green and transition projects, as well as pitching sessions on sustainable ASEAN Projects. We invite the financial industry to contribute and participate in these events.

        Responsible deployment of technology in financial services is key to maximise its potential while minimising risk

        Ladies and gentlemen,

        There is an immense potential for ASEAN to also leverage technology. This is the second point. With a median age of about 30 and a substantial portion under 35,5 ASEAN’s population is digitally proficient. Indeed, the adoption of digital financial services can be a game-changer in addressing challenges within the region, which include to better serve the needs of large unbanked and underbanked populations in our region.

        The outlook for digital financial services in ASEAN is very bright. Through innovations such as mobile wallets, digital payments and micro-lending, digital finance is expanding access to financial services for individuals who previously had limited options. These services are not just filling gaps – they are creating new pathways to financial inclusion, thereby allowing individuals to save, invest and access credit with unprecedented ease.

        While digital financial services hold tremendous promise, it comes with its own set of risks. Today’s technological advances are progressing at an unprecedented pace, making our response to these developments very crucial. For financial institutions, deployment of technology must be done thoughtfully and responsibly with holistic consideration of the impacts and value to the broader environment and community. This unwavering commitment to enhance financial services and preserve consumer confidence includes addressing cybersecurity risks, strengthening climate resilience, promoting financial literacy and ensuring that digital financial services are secure and accessible to all segments of society.

        As regulators, our commitment is for our policies to strike a balance between embracing technological innovation and, at the same time, preserving financial stability. Our Regulatory Sandbox allows for experimentation and contributes to the recalibration of regulatory policies such as eKYC. We also adapt our regulations to welcome new players into the market, those that have strong value propositions on inclusion, as demonstrated by the issuance of our licensing and regulatory framework for digital banks and digital insurers and takaful operators.

        Investing in talent strategies that not only creates a more agile and adaptive workforce, but also paves the way for regional talent mobility

        Let me move on to the third point. At the heart of economic growth and development lies talent. ASEAN is blessed with a vibrant, young and dynamic workforce. To capitalise on this potential, the financial sector will need to create an environment that nurtures the next generation of leaders and innovators in finance who carry a unique ASEAN identity – one that is not only tech-savvy, but also adept at navigating the complexities of regional regulations and global economic shifts while championing social equity and environmental sustainability.

        I would like to also take this opportunity to share Malaysia’s efforts in developing talent in our financial sector. In July last year, the industry launched the Financial Sector Future Skills Framework, and this is to empower individuals to take charge of their professional development, while creating new talent pipelines and succession pools. I reiterate the call I made during the launch of the framework for the industry to work closely with training institutes, professional bodies and industry associations to ensure that training programmes meet the established quality assurance standards and set high standards in new skill areas.

        Complementing this is a dynamic talent development hub, offering tailored learning programmes and certifications. For example, the Financial Sector Talent Enrichment Programme (FSTEP) targets fresh graduates interested in launching their career in financial services, while globally recognised financial certifications are available for seasoned professionals.

        Malaysia is also home to regional research and learning hubs such as the SEACEN Centre and is recognised globally as a leader in Islamic finance. With a multitude of well-established talent development institutions and capacity-building providers in Islamic finance, we offer a fertile ground for nurturing specialised skills and thought leadership in this field.

        To truly capitalise on the large working-age population in ASEAN, we need to go beyond domestic efforts. Financial institutions across the region should pursue collaborative initiatives that enhance talent mobility, such as through mutual recognition of qualifications and expertise sharing. ABIF can also be leveraged to intensify efforts to promote greater regulatory coherence through capacity-building initiatives. By doing so, we can improve connectivity across ASEAN markets, paving the way for a more integrated and resilient future for the region.

        In closing, today’s discourse reaffirms the financial sector’s commitment to turning AEC 2045 into a reality. The challenge lies in ensuring that the ASEAN financial sector has the capacity to do so by mobilising funds, leveraging technology, and developing regional talent.

        As I conclude my speech, I leave you with a thought from Peter Drucker: ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it.’ Together, let’s create a future where the financial sector empowers ASEAN’s growth and integration. On that note, I wish you all productive discussions during the rest of the Summit.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      8. MIL-OSI Economics: Joachim Nagel: Presentation of the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Annual Report 2024

        Source: Bank for International Settlements

        Check against delivery 

        1 Welcome

        Ladies and gentlemen, 

        I would like to welcome you to our press conference, at which we will present our annual accounts.

        First Deputy Governor Sabine Mauderer will explain our annual accounts to you in more detail in just a few moments. 

        To begin, however, I would like to take a look at current developments in economic activity and prices. I will then explain what conclusions I draw for our monetary policy stance. And, at the end of my statement, I will present the most important figures from our profit and loss account.

        2 Need for economic policy action in Germany

        Two days on from the snap Bundestag election, the election results are at the focus of attention among the media and the public as a whole.

        There is a clear government mandate and a likely option for a coalition. In view of this, I hope that a new government will be formed swiftly.

        I am sure that all of the parties involved are cognisant of their responsibility: Germany needs an effective government as soon as possible. A government that uses smart economic policy to enable the economy to get back on track. That puts the German economy on a path to higher growth. By ensuring greater certainty of planning and improving supply-side conditions.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      9. MIL-OSI Economics: Sabine Mauderer: Presentation of the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Annual Report 2024

        Source: Bank for International Settlements

        Check against delivery 

        1 Introduction

        Ladies and gentlemen,

        A warm welcome to you from me as well. 

        Before we start looking at the 2024 annual accounts together in a few minutes, allow me to make a few introductory remarks.

        The President has already said it: the monetary policy measures of the past few years are still having an effect. They are also reflected on central banks’ balance sheets. 

        As you know, the Bundesbank started making provision for the increased financial risks early on, in the annual accounts for 2016. These risks materialised yet again in 2024. 

        On balance, the Bundesbank posted losses of around €19.8 billion in 2024, after a loss of €21.6 billion in the previous year. In 2023, however, we recorded a net distributable profit of zero because we used all of our provision for general risk and some of our reserves to offset losses. For 2024, remaining reserves totalling €0.7 billion were still available to offset some of the loss. The Bank is thus reporting an accumulated loss of €19.2 billion for 2024.

        Let me share three important messages:

        1. We have reached the peak of the losses.
        2. Net equity has climbed to more than €250 billion.
        3. There is a revaluation reserve of over €260 billion for the gold.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      10. MIL-OSI Economics: NOIA Releases Offshore Energy Innovation & Workforce Excellence Report

        Source: National Ocean Industries Association – NOIA

        Headline: NOIA Releases Offshore Energy Innovation & Workforce Excellence Report

        .49083011583″>NOIA .org
        NOIA Releases Offshore Energy Innovation & Workforce Excellence Report
        Washington, D.C. – The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) today released the report, “The Offshore Energy Industry’s Innovation & Workforce Excellence Report.” This comprehensive publication showcases the remarkable advancements and commitments of the offshore energy sector in innovation, environmental stewardship, and workforce development, featuring 16 case studies from NOIA member companies and other partner organizations.
        NOIA President Erik Milito said, “This report not only reflects our industry’s dynamic progress but also our commitment to smart, efficient, and responsible energy production. American offshore energy production is where innovation meets environmental responsibility, and this report, with its 16 comprehensive case studies, is a testament to that achievement. We’re not just meeting expectations—we’re surpassing them, pushing technology forward, and empowering our world-class workforce. That drive runs through every level of our industry, from the Gulf of America to the Atlantic coast and beyond, reflecting a shared commitment to excellence.”
        Case studies include:

        American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
        Danos
        Equinor
        Exmar Offshore
        Fugro
        Kosmos
        Noble
        Ørsted
        SEACOR Marine
        Seadrill
        SLB
        Talos
        TechnipFMC
        TGS
        Valaris
        The NEED Project
        Key Highlights of the Report:
        Innovation at the Forefront: With sections like “The Future of Offshore Innovation,” the report delves into cutting-edge projects such as the 20k Projects in the Gulf of America, highlighting how the industry is pushing boundaries in ultra-deep water exploration.
        Commitment to Sustainability: The document underscores the sector’s dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, offering insights into carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS), and sustainable offshore transport and operations.
        Workforce Excellence: Emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and safety, the report features case studies and initiatives from industry leaders, showcasing how companies are nurturing the next generation of energy professionals.
        Fostering Education Initiatives: NOIA’s dedication to ESG extends to educational initiatives through our long-standing partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. For over 25 years, this collaboration has aimed at enhancing energy education, including in the realm of offshore energy.
        Policy and Regulatory Insights: It provides an analysis of the current regulatory landscape affecting ESG reporting and investment, which is crucial for stakeholders navigating this space.
        Awards and Recognition: The report celebrates the achievements of companies like TechnipFMC, SEACOR Marine, LLOG, and SLB, who have been recognized for their exemplary practices in ESG and safety.
        NOIA encourages all stakeholders, from policymakers to industry professionals, to explore the detailed insights and case studies that highlight the sector’s leadership in innovation and workforce excellence.
        Download the full report here! 

        ##
        About NOIA The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      11. MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon infuses AI in the network, accelerates Open RAN innovation with multi-vendor RAN Intelligent Controller deployment

        Source: Verizon

        Headline: Verizon infuses AI in the network, accelerates Open RAN innovation with multi-vendor RAN Intelligent Controller deployment

        NEW YORK – Verizon, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has successfully deployed multi-vendor RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) functionality in its commercial network. This deployment marks a significant advancement in Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) technology and demonstrates yet another way Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in Verizon’s network to drive operational efficiency and ensure Verizon customers are always connected to the very best network experience. In this first multi-vendor deployment, Verizon integrated Samsung’s AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM) with Qualcomm DragonwingTM RAN Automation Suite’s RIC to integrate energy efficiency into its network. 

        “Verizon has been driving innovation in and adoption of O-RAN throughout the industry because we believe an open and standardized network drives more competition, more innovation, and increased supplier diversity,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Network Technology, Strategy, and Planning at Verizon. “Expanding on our industry-leading success with deploying O-RAN compliant radios and distributed units throughout our network, the introduction of the RAN Intelligent Controller will allow for greater flexibility and control over network operations.”

        What is a RAN Intelligent Controller enabled by O-RAN

        The RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) is a software-based component within a mobile network’s Radio Access Network (RAN) that uses artificial intelligence and automation to optimize network performance by making decisions based on network conditions. It’s a key part of the Open RAN architecture, enabling the integration of third-party applications to enhance network capabilities.

        “As the world moves toward a more interconnected future with 5G and beyond, the expectation for us is to deliver seamless, high-quality network experiences while managing the complexities of modern mobile networks,” continued Koeppe. “RAN Intelligent Control is emerging as a key enabler of efficient, adaptive, and scalable network operations and fits within our growing portfolio of automation and orchestration capabilities on the network.”

        The RIC controls applications that manage numerous functions on the network called rApps that leverage data and insights from the RAN to improve various aspects of mobile communication, such as coverage, capacity, efficiency and service quality. Historically, automation platforms have been developed and run by the same vendors providing proprietary hardware and software in a closed ecosystem. However, with the evolution of the RAN Intelligent Controller, they are now being developed independently of specific vendors and deployed on virtualized, open platforms. Verizon can now efficiently manage intelligent solutions and applications like rApps utilizing open interfaces and standardized protocols from standards bodies such as 3GPP and the O-RAN Alliance, allowing for more flexible and scalable network deployment and management.

        Enhancing Network Performance with AI-Powered Solutions

        In this first multi-vendor deployment, Verizon integrated Samsung’s AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM) with Qualcomm® Dragonwing RAN Intelligent Controller to integrate energy efficiency in its commercial network. The joint work demonstrated the operation of a multi-vendor ecosystem and resulted in energy savings.

        • Samsung’s AI-ESM enables Verizon to maximize network energy efficiency and facilitates a more sustainable approach without compromising network performance and user experience. It identifies various site environments, learns traffic patterns by location and time of day, and evaluates the extent of impact on network performance—helping to find the optimal threshold value.

          This solution automatically switches off cell or transmission paths within a cell site during periods of low traffic (when traffic load is below threshold value) to conserve power, and turns them back on when data traffic increases again (when traffic load reaches threshold value). By applying this, Verizon was able to achieve an energy savings gain of 15% on average, with a maximum of 35% per sector during low traffic periods in a variety of field tests.

        • The Qualcomm Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite builds programmability to enable a vendor-neutral rApp marketplace. The RAN Automation Suite DML (Data Management Layer) provides applications with RAN AI Services, including HNN (Hybrid Neural Network) and DNN (Deep Neural Network) technology, for AI-Driven RAN Management.

        “We believe that virtualization is the key to realizing the true benefits of AI. Samsung’s software-based vRAN provides the most optimal foundation to apply and utilize AI technology,” said Magnus Ojert, Senior Vice President & Head of US Networks Business, Samsung Electronics America. “Leveraging the large-scale vRAN network that Verizon and Samsung have built together, we will continue to maintain our competitive edge in the AI era, advancing AI-powered solutions to create a positive impact on the environment around the world.”

        “We are thrilled to extend our longstanding relationship with Verizon through this groundbreaking multi-vendor RAN Intelligent Controller deployment, leveraging the Qualcomm Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite,” said Ofir Zemer, VP, Product Management, Qualcomm Israel Ltd. “By enabling a vendor-neutral rApp marketplace, empowered by a set of RAN AI services, we are jointly fostering a diverse ecosystem and supporting a path of democratizing RAN AI.”

        Qualcomm and Qualcomm Edgewise are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      12. MIL-OSI Economics: Updated version of AML/CFT Handbook published

        Source: Isle of Man

        An updated Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Handbook has been published on the Authority’s website.

        Clean and Tracked Changes versions of the document have been produced to capture a number of minor amendments and provide additional clarity following recent legislative changes.

        Changes to note include:

        • Guidance is now colour-coded to differentiate between references to regulations and legislation
        • Further clarity provided to the Customer Risk Assessment guidance
        • Additional information included in relation to Commercially Exposed Persons (CEPs)
        • Updates to ongoing monitoring requirements in respect of Source of Funds and Source of Wealth
        • Splitting out of terminology for Money Laundering (ML), Terrorist Financing (TF) and Proliferation Financing (PF) for additional clarity
        • Minor typographical errors corrected and hyperlinks updated where appropriate

        The Authority is also publishing revised sector specific guidance for accountancy and tax advisors, moneylenders, and safe custody and administering or managing money on behalf of another person.

        These documents have been amended to bring them into line with the updates to the Island’s AML/CFT framework legislation made in October 2024. A full review of all sector specific guidance will be undertaken following the publication of the Island’s National Risk Assessment later this year.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      13. MIL-OSI Economics: Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence in the Defence Sector

        Source: ASEAN

        The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat was convened in Penang, Malaysia on 26 February 2025. Chaired by Malaysia, the Retreat exchanged views on strengthening ASEAN unity and regional cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges in the region. The ASEAN Defence Ministers also adopted the Joint Statement by ASEAN Defence Ministers on Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence in the Defence Sector, which can be downloaded here.

        The post Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence in the Defence Sector appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

        MIL OSI Economics –

      14. MIL-OSI Economics: North Macedonia: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

        Source: International Monetary Fund

        February 26, 2025

        A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

        The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

        Growth is gaining momentum amid rising risks

        Growth is gaining momentum. After picking up in early 2024, growth is expected at 3.3 percent in 2025, driven by stronger domestic demand as public investment projects (including the Corridor 8/10d road project) intensify and consumption is supported by government transfers and real wage growth. The impact of weak external demand seen in 2024 is expected to persist in 2025, driven by structural shifts in the European automotive sector. In the long term, high emigration, especially among the young segment of the population, is projected to lower potential growth, which Staff now estimate at 3.0 percent.

        Inflation is rising again. In January, inflation reached 4.9 percent year-on-year, up from a low of 2.2 percent in August 2024. Core inflation has become the main driver and remains persistent, fueled by strong wage growth. Food inflation remains high despite administrative price controls and other interventions.

        Domestic risks are elevated and the external outlook more uncertain. Weak public investment, stalled productivity reforms, emigration, and slowing activity of key trade partners threaten growth in the medium-term. Meanwhile, high real wage growth without productivity gains and increased fiscal transfers could further fuel inflation and erode competitiveness. Trade policy shifts and shocks to FDI may suppress exports and tighten financial conditions.

        Adhering to the fiscal rules requires credible fiscal consolidation

        IMF staff agree with the authorities’ goal of reducing the deficit this year, but are concerned revenue will underperform, rendering this goal out of reach. The 4 percent of GDP deficit envisaged in the 2025 budget will be exceeded if the authorities’ expected revenue gains (of 1½ percent of GDP) from reducing the shadow economy and increasing tax compliance fall short. We welcome the Public Revenue Office’s efforts to modernize tax collection and reduce informality, but these efforts will take time to deliver results. Staff recommends that in any planned supplementary budget, the authorities avoid increasing spending and focus on reducing tax expenditures and transfers (e.g., subsidies to agriculture). Ensuring the full and timely transfer of contributions to the second-pillar pension system is essential.

        A credible fiscal strategy is needed to bring debt on a downward path. The budget deficit has exceeded the 3 percent of GDP ceiling in the fiscal rules, while public debt is on an upward trend and has surpassed 60 percent of GDP in 2024—14 percentage points above pre-pandemic levels. A credible fiscal strategy to restore compliance with fiscal rules is key, for preserving credibility to maintain access to international capital markets, for creating space for investment, and strengthening resilience against future shocks. The focus should be on:

        • Controlling current spending:Staff recommend omitting further pension increases in September 2025 and returning to a rule-based pension system in 2026—indexing only to inflation—to support consolidation while protecting pensioners’ purchasing power. Staff advise limiting public wage growth to inflation in the near term. The Ministry of Finance should strengthen oversight to ensure public wage increases are consistent with achieving the fiscal rules. Over time, unifying the fragmented wage negotiating system will help prevent unexpected budget pressures.
        • Mobilizing revenues. North Macedonia’s tax revenue potential is estimated at 22-24 percent of GDP. To realize these revenues, tax reforms should focus on reducing tax expenditures, limiting reduced rates and exemptions, improving tax compliance, and gradually increasing property tax. The government’s accelerated digitalization efforts will enhance revenue mobilization.

        Beyond consolidation, structural fiscal reforms are needed to strengthen fiscal governance and improve spending efficiency, with some progress underway. Key ongoing measures include implementing the Public Investment Management decree and manual, adopting the PPP law, and conducting spending reviews to optimize budget allocation. Managing fiscal risks, especially from SOEs and major projects like the Corridor 8/10d road, is crucial. The inclusion of a fiscal risk assessment in the Medium Term Fiscal Strategy marks an achievement for the ministry. The state-owned electricity generator, ESM, requires investments in technology and efficiency improvements to lower production costs and expand production, while gradually reducing its role in the subsidized, regulated market. The operationalization of the Fiscal Council is a positive step and it is encouraged to strengthen its independent assessments.

        Monetary and financial sector policies to maintain stability and mitigate risks

        Policy rates should remain on hold and liquidity tools warrant further tightening until inflation steadily declines. Robust reserves accumulation in 2024 has fostered stability in the foreign exchange market. Given the renewed acceleration in both headline and core inflation, the National Bank (NBRNM) should remain on hold until there is clear evidence of sustained disinflation. Staff support the changes in reserve requirements implemented by the NBRNM and advise further tightening to absorb excess liquidity. The NBRNM should remain vigilant to inflationary risks from domestic factors, including wage and pension increases, as well as heightened external risks from trade uncertainties. If these risks materialize, the NBRNM should be prepared to tighten further to prevent inflation from becoming entrenched. The NBRNM has effectively managed recent challenges, including the energy cost shock. Its resilience stems from operational and financial autonomy, which underpin its independence and credibility—both essential for maintaining price and exchange rate stability and must be safeguarded.

        The financial system remains resilient, but macro prudential settings may need to be tightened in response to brisk credit growth. Overall, the banking sector is well-capitalized, highly liquid, and profitable, with low system-wide non-performing loans. NBRNM’s active macroprudential and microprudential measures have strengthened resilience. Strong balance sheets and increased deposits have fueled an acceleration in lending activity towards the end of 2024. The implemented loan-to-value and debt service-to-income ratios will continue to help safeguard financial stability by reducing pressures in the real estate market and preventing higher levels of indebtedness. Staff support the NBRNM’s gradual tightening of the countercyclical capital buffer and additional capital requirements to ensure banks maintain adequate loss-absorbing and recapitalization capacity, in line with EU regulations. Should lending and real estate prices continue growing briskly, further tightening of macroprudential instruments may be warranted.

        Structural reforms to boost productivity and offset costs of emigration

        IMF staff support the authorities’ objectives of boosting productivity, raising living standards, and reducing informality. Over the past decade, growth in North Macedonia has lagged regional peers and convergence with the EU has stalled. High emigration has led to a declining population that threatens to be a drag on potential growth. Accelerating structural reforms is key to achieving the authorities’ objectives, offsetting the costs of emigration, and supporting the country on its path to EU accession. The priorities are well known:

        • Improving the business environment. Reducing informality through streamlined business registrations and expanded digital public services is a priority. The predictability of the legal and regulatory environment can be improved by limiting the use of expedited procedures in Parliament, increasing stakeholder consultation, and applying the regulatory requirements more consistently. Simplifying and digitalizing work permits would help businesses address skill and labor shortages more efficiently. Avoiding ad-hoc adjustments to the minimum wage will help contain inflation, preserve competitiveness and provide a more predictable policy environment for business.
        • Strengthening the labor market. Improving labor market outcomes can stimulate private investment, increase labor participation, and reduce emigration. Raising educational quality and job matching between firms and workers through vocational training will help address labor shortages. Expanding affordable childcare in municipalities, and gradually raising the retirement age of women to match men can help to offset workforce losses from high emigration.
        • Increasing public infrastructure investment. The quality of public infrastructure in North Macedonia lags peers. The major infrastructure projects Corridor 8/10d and the Kicevo-Ohrid highways are over budget and behind schedule. Staff urge the authorities to complete the started projects and realize their investments. Capital expenditures should be safeguarded in the budget and public investment management should be strengthened to prioritize high-impact projects.
        • Strengthening the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts. Improving judicial independence and impartiality would strengthen contract enforcement and help reduce informality. The fight against corruption remains weak, particularly in prosecuting high-profile cases. Aligning the Criminal Code with international standards and enhancing resources for key anti-corruption institutions are crucial. The upcoming new national anti-corruption strategy is an opportunity to accelerate reforms through stronger accountability and coordination.
        • Enhancing governance.Improving public resource efficiency, accountability, and transparency requires expanding digital public services, reassessing state aid schemes, strengthening procurement systems, and improving SOE management.

        The IMF team thanks the authorities of North Macedonia and other counterparts for their productive collaboration and constructive policy dialogue.

        IMF Communications Department
        MEDIA RELATIONS

        PRESS OFFICER: Eva Graf

        Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

        MIL OSI Economics –