Category: Fisheries

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Tonga: Building infrastructure resilience in an isolated, hazardous world

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Tonga: Building infrastructure resilience in an isolated, hazardous world

    (In collaboration with UNDRR and CDRI)

    When an underwater volcano erupted about 65 kilometres north of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, in January 2022, it sent ash high into the atmosphere and triggered a tsunami that struck the archipelago nation with waves as high as 15 metres. While the waves killed four people directly in Tonga, the eruption and consequent tsunami smashed into residential and non-residential buildings alike, damaged other infrastructure such as submarine cables, and contaminated water supplies with ashfall.

    The event also highlighted how Tonga must quickly build more resilience into its infrastructure and economy if it wants to improve the quality of life for its roughly 100,000 population.

    The country is a lower-middle income nation, constrained by its geographic isolation, small market size, and high cost of basic services. A Pacific archipelago of 172 islands, whose nearest neighbours – Fiji and Samoa – are more than 700 kilometres away, Tonga is highly dependent on climate sensitive-sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Its economy is sensitive to external shocks. 

    Cyclones, tsunamis, and volcanoes cause serious damage every time they hit Tonga, and yet – in recent years – the Pacific nation has experienced more extreme weather events than usual. Cyclone Gita, a category 4 tropical cyclone which hit Tonga in February 2018, was one of the most powerful storms to hit Tonga in decades, killing two, destroying at least 171 homes, and damaging more than 1,100 others. 

    This immense vulnerability to multiple natural hazards – and the dangers of cascading impacts – led Tonga to become one of four countries – together with Bhutan, Chile, and Madagascar – pioneering the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review. Developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the methodology helps countries to identify and prioritise the strategies that will build their infrastructure resilience through a five-step approach.

    • The process
    • The process

      In 2021, Tonga enacted the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) 2021 Act, replacing the Emergency Management Act 2007, signaling a new ambition to manage risk instead of reacting to disaster

      After the 2022 volcano eruption, it also connected quickly with international partners. With World Bank support, it upgraded its ports, roads, and an airport, making them more resilient to storm surges, floods, and high winds. The Asian Development Bank has also helped with grants to help the country recover from disasters and health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

      The infrastructure resilience assessment approach in the Global Methodology, provided Tonga with the opportunity to take a holistic look at their infrastructure and risk, identify the gaps, and then fill them.

      Stress-testing of Critical Infrastructure against Identified Hazard, Tonga

      In the first phase, a technical working group was set up with representatives from 21 departments and agencies across six ministries. Supported by this working group, the review process began with a kick-off meeting that included key stakeholders for infrastructure development, disaster risk reduction, and sectoral operations. Next, in phase two, it reviewed existing policies and regulations, assessing the extent to which they address disaster risks and support infrastructure resilience.

      In the third phase, stakeholders conducted stress tests and gap analysis on ten critical infrastructure functions against a range of hazards, including cyclones, droughts, underground water / seawater intrusion, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, non-communicable diseases, land degradation and erosion, floods, sea level rises, and cybersecurity breaches. By identifying these vulnerabilities, interdependences, and cascading risks, the participants were able to seriously consider the economic impacts and interdependences of different hazards throughout. 

    • Water sector
    • Water sector

      One of the sectors examined was the water sector, including a deep dive analysis. Water is everywhere in a small island development state (SIDS) like Tonga, of course, but securing a stable supply remains difficult. Water in Tonga comes from ground water and rainwater, which are both vulnerable to impacts from climate change. 

      Rising sea-levels mean that many assets are at risk of flooding, while soil erosion is also a threat. When sea levels rise, salt water can enter some freshwater supplies, reducing the available water for drinking. 

      Funding the necessary upgrades, however, is a challenge. The Tonga Water Board (TWB) operates without subsidies, making capital investment difficult.

      Meanwhile, the lack of a centralised infrastructure database complicates the assessment and management of existing resources. Multiple institutions manage water resources across the archipelago’s 45 or so inhabited islands, doing so with varying levels of expertise. While integrated planning and coordination should be essential for efficiency, the system is fragmented. Integrated planning and management are urgently needed to ensure resilience in the water sector. Equally as importantly, there’s a need for more data and information, and for a better understanding of how to use the already available data, which does not capture all boreholes and rainwater harvesting.

      Finally, the water pumping stations are dependent on electricity. This means that if a cyclone damages the power lines and impacts electricity supply, then water supply would also be affected. The disaster responses are complicated by limited standard operating procedures (SOPs) as cyclones, volcanoes, and tsunamis all affect the water infrastructure in different ways. Take a look at how some of the most recent events have affected Tonga’s water infrastructure:

      TROPICAL CYCLONES:

      Cyclone Gita (2018) damaged water distribution systems and rainwater tanks, while other cyclones have led to extensive system failures.

      VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AND ASHFALL:

      The 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai severely impacted water punps and contaminated rainwater tanks, leading to supply disruptions.

      DROUGHTS:

      Prolonged droughts in 2023 have affected rainwater collection systems, exacerbating water shortages.

      TSUNAMIS:

      The 2022 tsunami contamined groundwater sources in southern islands and destroyed coastal water infrastructure.

      Several resilience measures do exist. Desalination units provide emergency water, even if their maintenance or repairs sometimes fall on untrained community members, causing delays and potential safety issues. Overall, however, these are uneven and insufficient.

      Some development support has been provided, but the projects are also unevenly distributed. They tend to focus mostly on the main island, leaving outer islands underserved. 

      From the Infrastructure Resilience Review, several recommendations emerged:

    • Transport
    • Transport

      The Infrastructure Resilience Review also looked at transport, given the importance and vulnerabilities of Tonga’s ports, airports, and roads. 

      On the one hand, Tonga’s geographic isolation makes it highly dependent on its ports and airports for imports of food, fuel, and spare parts. In 2000, the last available energy balance showed that 75 percent of the country’s energy depends on imported petroleum products. Over 98 percent of Tonga’s grid-supplied electricity is generated using imported diesel. 

      On the other hand, those ports and airports are highly vulnerable to disruption of the other critical infrastructure functions, including transport. The ports and airports both depend on Tonga’s roads, for example, to connect them with the rest of the country.

      Multi Hazards Disaster Risk Assessment, ARUP 2021

      However, while Tonga’s climate is already tropical, climate change is expected to bring heavier and more frequent rainfall, damaging roads in the low-lying areas. Inadequate drainage will compound this damage, disrupting transport and mobility to the ports and airports. 

      In turn, this could also disrupt Tonga’s electricity, which relies heavily on diesel imports, as well as the delivery of clean water to remote areas or even – in case of emergencies – access to evacuation centres. 

      “The infrastructure resilience review reminds us that we are not passive actors, but that to a much greater extent we are masters of our own destiny,” said Sione Pulotu ‘Akau’ola, CEO for Ministry of MEIDECC.

      “In the long run, building resilience into our infrastructure will save us lives, destruction, and economic damage,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Obligations concerning nationals who directly or indirectly support illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing – E-001562/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001562/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Rasmus Nordqvist (Verts/ALE)

    Article 39 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 (IUU Regulation) establishes obligations for Member States to ensure that their natural and legal persons (‘nationals’), including ultimate beneficial owners from the EU of foreign fishing vessels, do not directly or indirectly support IUU fishing. In line with this obligation, Member States are required to identify, prosecute and take appropriate measures against vessels involved in illegal fishing, while also cooperating with other countries to tackle IUU activities on a global scale.

    However, it has come to light that some Member States appear to adopt a restrictive interpretation of these obligations. Specifically, they argue that vessels must first be included on an IUU list by a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) before any action can be taken against their ultimate beneficial owners. This restrictive approach has the potential to limit the effectiveness of the regulation and undermine its core objective of preventing illegal fishing worldwide.

    Given the above, can the Commission confirm whether Article 39 of the IUU Regulation applies to all ultimate beneficial owners from EU Member States, even if their vessels are not included on an IUU list by an RFMO or the EU itself? If so, how can the Commission ensure the full implementation of these obligations?

    Submitted: 16.4.2025

    Last updated: 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN welcomes Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this afternoon welcomed H.E. Taku Eto, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. They discussed key issues in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors, as well as the implementation of the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan to advance the sustainability agenda, focusing on decarbonization, reduction of harmful agrochemicals, and digitalization in these sectors.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN welcomes Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: Annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OCTOPUS FUTURE GENERATIONS VCT PLC

    Annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2024

    Octopus Future Generations VCT plc (‘Future Generations VCT’ or the ‘Company’) is backing businesses that aim to address some of society’s biggest challenges, providing an opportunity for investors to share in the growth of ambitious, purpose‑driven companies.

    The Company is managed by Octopus AIF Management Limited (the ‘Manager’), which has delegated investment management to Octopus Investments Limited (‘Octopus’ or ‘Portfolio Manager’) via its investment team Octopus Ventures.

    Chair’s statement

    I am pleased to present the financial report and audited accounts for the Company for the 18 months to 31 December 2024.

    I would like to welcome all of our new shareholders to the Company. Future Generations VCT invests in exciting early-stage companies which aspire to address current environmental and societal issues. In 2023, the Board reviewed and approved a proposal to move the Company’s year end from 30 June to 31 December. As a result, shareholders are receiving this annual report covering an extended 18-month period and will thereafter receive a half-year report as at June, and annual report and audited financial statements for the years ending December thereafter.

    The NAV per share at 31 December 2024 was 88.8p, which represents a net decrease of 5.5p per share from 30 June 2023. In the 18 months to 31 December 2024, we utilised £10.1 million of our cash resources, including £8.2 million which was invested into 16 new and follow‑on opportunities. The cash balance of £20.1 million (excluding cash awaiting allotment) as at 31 December 2024 represents 42% of net assets at that date. The loss made in the period to 31 December 2024 was £2.9 million. This decline is reflective of some company specific performance challenges and the difficult funding conditions in the early-stage space which have led to downward movements in some valuations. Given the Company is still a relatively young VCT, many of its portfolio companies are at the beginning of their journey and will likely require further funding to succeed, so it is to be expected to see under performance or even failures before any growth in value of companies which are ultimately successful. The decline is also accentuated by the running costs of the Company exceeding returns from investments, which is to be anticipated at this stage.

    We look forward to deploying further capital into attractive new investment opportunities, and we ultimately intend the profile of the Company to comprise 80% to 90% in VCT qualifying investments and 10% to 20% in permitted non-VCT qualifying investments or cash.

    Fundraise
    We raised £3.6 million in the fundraise which closed on 31 October 2024. The 2023/2024 VCT fundraise market was highly competitive, ranking as the third highest on record with £882 million raised. In this environment, newer VCTs such as ours faced challenges in raising funds, as we compete with more established funds.

    On 3 February 2025, to further support the Company’s growth, the Board launched an initial offer to raise up to £5 million. The offer closed for new applications on 1 April 2025 for the 2024/2025 tax year having successfully raised £5.0 million.

    As investors will be aware, the intention is to invest in businesses which meet one of three key themes, which we hope will demonstrate excellent investment prospects as well as having the potential to transform the world we live in for the better.

    VCT status
    In November 2023, a ten-year extension was announced to the ‘sunset clause’ (a retirement date for the VCT scheme), meaning that VCT tax reliefs will be available until 5 April 2035. This extension passed through Parliament in February 2024 and on 3 September 2024 His Majesty’s Treasury brought the extension into effect through The Finance Act 2024.

    Board of Directors
    As announced in the half-yearly report to 31 December 2023, Emma Davies announced her retirement from the Board of Directors with effect from 31 March 2024 and Ajay Chowdhury was appointed with effect from 1 March 2024 and was elected by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in December. We are already benefiting from his extensive experience in the early-stage venture ecosystem.

    All the other Directors have indicated their willingness to remain on the Board and will be seeking re-election at the AGM.

    Portfolio Manager
    In September 2024, Octopus Titan VCT PLC, a fund which the Company has co-invested alongside to date, announced a review of strategy, due to the ongoing performance issues it has faced. This review (which benefits from independent external advice) is ongoing, and when concluded, the results will be shared with the Board of the Company and via any public announcements that the Board of Octopus Titan VCT PLC may make.

    During this period, the investment team has prioritised much of its resource towards those portfolio companies which they believe have the potential to drive the greatest returns. This has affected your Company’s investment rate into new opportunities.

    In the meantime, there have been a significant number of leavers from the broader Octopus Ventures team which invests capital from both the Company and other funds under management. Simon King, Octopus’ Lead Fund Manager for Future Generations, has unfortunately resigned to pursue a new opportunity after 13 years with Octopus. He will continue to take an active role as Lead Fund Manager of the Company until late summer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Simon for his contribution and to wish him well for the future. We will provide you with updates in due course regarding his potential successor.

    Erin Platts was appointed as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Octopus Ventures in January 2025. Previously, she was CEO of HSBC Innovation Banking UK, formerly Silicon Valley Bank UK and worked at the heart of the UK and European tech ecosystem. Erin will be looking to scale the Octopus Ventures business, including ensuring there is appropriate investment and portfolio management resource to support the ongoing success of the Company.

    AGM
    The AGM will take place on 4 June 2025 from 10am and will be held at 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT. Full details of the business to be conducted at the AGM are given in the Notice of the AGM. We will have a Portfolio Manager’s update at the AGM, supported by a filmed update from the Portfolio Manager which will be available on the website at www.octopusinvestments.com/futuregenvct/.

    Shareholders’ views are important, and the Board encourages shareholders to vote on the resolutions within the Notice of the AGM using the proxy form, or electronically at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy. The Board has carefully considered the business to be approved at the AGM and recommends shareholders to vote in favour of all the resolutions being proposed, as the Board will be doing.

    Outlook
    In the 18-month reporting period, the sharpest decline in NAV was seen in the first half of 2024 with a 7.1% drop. This was reflective of some of the portfolio companies struggling to scale, secure customer wins and successfully fundraise, meaning they were not achieving the milestones set at the time the Company invested. With companies not able to prove their business models, we will unfortunately see some fail. The Board is mindful that such performance is not an unusual outcome for a VCT at this stage of its investment life cycle, with any failures likely preceding valuation growth which is usually expected once the portfolio matures. The portfolio has been operating in a volatile macro environment since the Company launched and global geo-political and economic pressures continue to hamper some of their growth plans. However, we are satisfied to see a stabilisation in the NAV, with the portfolio showing a positive return in the six months from June to December 2024.

    The Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) environment has started to thaw with startups experiencing the highest annual M&A transaction levels since 2019¹. We are delighted to have been able to realise the Company’s first full and partial exits in the reporting period. These exits within just three years of launch we hope provide validation of Future Generations VCT’s investment strategy, demonstrating the ability of Octopus to identify and back high-potential companies while delivering early returns to the VCT and brings confidence that it is well positioned to generate long-term, sustainable value for shareholders.

    The long-term target is to pay an annual dividend of 5% of the NAV. However, given the expected holding period of target portfolio companies and restrictions imposed on VCTs, it is very unlikely that the Company will be able to pay dividends before 2026. During this time, any growth in value will increase the net asset value of the Company. Dividends are likely to be generated from successful exits, so the Company is unlikely to pay significant dividends until more portfolio companies have time to mature and realisations are secured.

    I would like to conclude by thanking both my Board colleagues and the Octopus team on behalf of all shareholders for their hard work. The Board’s long-term view of early-stage venture capital remains positive, and I am looking forward to seeing what 2025 brings for your Company.

    Helen Sinclair
    Chair

    1 https://carta.com/uk/en/data/state-of-private-markets-q4-2024/#key-trends

    Portfolio Manager’s review

    At Octopus, our focus is on managing your investments and providing investors with clear and transparent communication. Our annual and half-yearly updates are designed to keep you informed about the progress of your investment.

    Focus on Future Generations VCT’s performance
    The NAV per share at 31 December 2024 was 88.8p, which represents a decrease in NAV of 5.5p per share versus a NAV of 94.3p per share as at 30 June 2023. The Company invests in three key areas that we believe demonstrate excellent investment prospects and have potential to transform our world for the better.

    Below is a breakdown of the 36 investments held as at 31 December 2024, showing the proportion and value of the portfolio in each investment theme:

    Proportion by number of portfolio companies in each theme
    Revitalising healthcare: 53%
    Empowering people: 28%
    Building a sustainable planet: 19%

    Value of the portfolio in each theme
    Revitalising healthcare: £13.3m
    Empowering people: £8.0m
    Building a sustainable planet: £5.5m

    The decline in valuation over the 18-month period has been in large part driven by the downward valuation movements across 11 companies which saw a collective decrease in valuation of £7.9 million. The businesses which contributed most significantly to this were Tympa Health, Pear Bio and Elo Health. Tympa Health over‑invested in growth and had to make significant cost cuts and changes to senior management whilst running a fundraise process. It has successfully concluded a further investment round, but at a reduced valuation and the Company’s shareholding now sits behind a large preference stack, meaning that other investors get paid back first before the Company would see any returns. Pear Bio also had to significantly reduce its cash burn but has limited runway and needs to further fundraise, so the valuation has been reduced to reflect the risk to its future. Elo Health struggled to find a market fit and execute on the investment thesis, so to extend its cash runway it had to raise an investment round at a reduced valuation. These three valuation movements account for 86% of the total decline in the reporting period. The total investment cost of these three companies was £7 million.

    Octopus Ventures believes that some of the companies which have seen decreased valuations in the 18 months have the potential to overcome the issues they face and get their growth plans back on track. We will continue to work with them to help them realise their ambitions. In some cases, if a company is achieving its performance milestones, the support offered could include further funding, to ensure a business has the capital it needs to execute on its strategy. At this early stage of the Company’s life cycle, it is to be anticipated that failures will likely precede valuation growth, which takes longer as the portfolio companies must achieve their agreed milestones and mature.

    Conversely, 12 companies saw an increase in unrealised valuation in the period, delivering a collective increase in valuation of £4.4 million. These valuation increases reflect businesses which have successfully concluded further funding rounds, grown revenues or met certain important milestones. Notable strong performers in the portfolio include Apheris and Manual, both of which have shown impressive capital efficient growth. These strong performers demonstrate that there are opportunities available for companies to scale.

    The interest on Future Generation’s uninvested cash reserves was £1.4 million in the 18 months to 31 December 2024 (30 June 2023: gain of £0.4 million), driven by returns on money market funds. The Board’s objective for these investments is to generate sufficient returns through the cycle to cover costs, at limited risk to capital.

    Disposals
    In September 2024, as part of a Series A funding round, Octopus sold a portion of the Company’s shares in Neat. Then in November, Pluxee (a global leader in employee benefits) acquired Cobee. The two exits combined offer the Company a return of 1.5x, including contingent deferred proceeds.

    Overview of investments
    The Company completed 16 investments in the 18 months to 31 December 2024 (comprising a total of £8.2 million) and 4 further investments after the reporting date totalling £2.4 million. More information on some of these businesses can be found below:

    A selection of our completed investments

    Revitalising Healthcare

    Pencil Biosciences is a gene editing technology platform.

    Awell Health automates routine clinical tasks, synchronising data between systems and driving seamless coordination between care teams and patients.

    Cellvoyant is an artificial intelligence (AI) first biotechnology company creating novel stem cell-based therapies for chronic diseases.

    Manual provides easy access to advice and medical support for diagnosis, custom treatment plans and holistic care to induce long-term behaviour change.

    Nanosyrinx has developed a targeted biologic therapeutic delivery platform (a nano-syringe).

    Empowering people

    Correcto is an AI writing and grammar tool for the Spanish language.

    Remofirst is an Employer of Record (EOR) and compliance platform that allows companies to hire and pay employees globally.

    Swiipr has developed a digital payments platform specifically for the airline industry.

    Building a sustainable planet

    Metris Energy has created a platform that allows landlords of multi-unit buildings to monetise modular renewable energy projects through a single billing platform to charge tenants.

    Drift is designing sailing vessels and routing algorithms required to capture deep water wind energy and convert it into onboard hydrogen gas for transportation back to shore using a fully integrated desalination, electrolysis and storage system.

    Q&A

    Q. How do you value a portfolio company?
    A. Future Generations VCT’s unquoted portfolio companies are valued in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP) accounting standards and the International Private Equity and Venture Capital (IPEV) valuation guidelines.

    This means we value the portfolio at fair value, with all companies being valued at least twice yearly, for our half-year (June) and annual accounts (December).

    Q. What do you mean by ‘fair value’?
    A. When we say fair value, we mean the price we expect people would be willing to buy or sell an asset for, assuming they understand the asset and market conditions, are knowledgeable parties, act independently, and that the transaction is carried out under the normal course of business (i.e. is not rushed and proper marketing has taken place).

    Q. Who values the portfolio, what is the process and what oversight is there to make sure this is right?
    A. The Octopus Investment Managers involved with the portfolio companies, either in the capacity of a Director or observer on the board, or the primary contact, will provide commentary including, but not limited to, recent developments with the portfolio and the wider market in which they operate, progress towards milestones, management team changes, board dynamics and technical progress. This is combined with the latest available financial accounts and budget provided by the portfolio company which will be summarised into Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

    From this information, a member of the separate Valuations team drafts the initial proposal. This will highlight any material changes, key asset level assumptions used and KPIs, and discuss portfolio company performance as well as the rationale underpinning the selected valuation methodology. A peer review exercise then takes place, where the proposals are challenged and reviewed. The peer reviewer is an investment professional from the Fund Manager (typically the Lead Fund Manager) who has not been involved in preparing the valuations.

    This will then be reviewed and approved by the Octopus Valuations Committee which comprises individuals with appropriate expertise and experience in valuations. Those individuals are not involved in the investment decisions and as such can independently review and challenge. The Future Generations VCT Board will then meet to discuss them in detail, revise as necessary and ultimately approve them.

    There are also more valuation checkpoints throughout the year in advance of allotments and other share-related transactions, which means that the portfolio’s valuation is reviewed to ensure NAV is fairly represented prior to these corporate actions.

    As part of our continuous improvement processes, we periodically review the actual realised value of our investments compared to their last holding value and refine our valuation methodologies accordingly. This, combined with the high proportion of valuations that are based on the terms of further funding rounds led by new external investors, firmly underpins the robustness of the valuation process.

    Valuations
    The table illustrates the split of valuation methodology (shown as a percentage of portfolio value and number of companies). ‘External price’ includes valuations based on funding rounds that typically completed in the last 18 months to the period end or shortly after the period end, and exits of companies where terms have been agreed with an acquirer. ‘Multiples’ is predominantly used for valuations that are based on a multiple of revenues for portfolio companies. Where there is uncertainty around the potential outcomes available to a company, a probability weighted ‘scenario analysis’ is considered.

    Valuation methodology By value By number of companies
    Multiples 18% 3
    External price 44% 12
    Scenario analysis 14% 7
    Milestone analysis 24% 10
    Write-off 4

    Portfolio case studies

    CoMind
    CoMind is building revolutionary brain sensing technologies.

    Their mission is to redefine the way the brain is measured and treated at every stage of care. One of the first applications of CoMind’s core technology is in measuring intracranial brain pressure using an adhesive sensor and advanced signal processing. This will be a step change from the current standard of having to drill through the skull to measure intracranial pressure in patients impacted by traumatic brain injury, stroke, and/or other neurocritical conditions.

    While other companies are trying to create noninvasive technology in this sector, we believe CoMind has a distinct competitive advantage. CoMind has developed an advanced optical sensing technique that has opened up new possibilities in monitoring brain health. Unlike existing methods, CoMind’s technology is more similar to the “LiDAR” (Light Detection and Ranging) systems used in self-driving cars. This allows CoMind’s devices to give a unique, detailed view of brain health, helping doctors deliver more personalised and targeted treatments to patients at every stage of care.

    >250 subjects were measured in 2024.
    Several devices are currently being used in hospitals for clinical trials.

    Swiipr
    Passengers get quick, easy-to-use compensation, airlines save on processing costs while improving service.

    When flights are disrupted, compensating passengers is a hassle for both airlines and travellers. Swiipr’s platform simplifies this by automating payment verification and processing through a system designed specifically for airlines. The company provides passengers with virtual and physical prepaid cards, offering instant, flexible spending compared to outdated paper vouchers or slow payments. Swiipr also supports airlines with solutions for crew, operational, and crisis payments, enabling fast, direct payouts to staff. Passengers get quick, easy-to-use compensation, airlines save on processing costs while improving service, and retailers benefit from instant payment settlement. Swiipr also integrates with airline Customer Relationship Management systems, making it an essential partner for the industry.

    Octopus Ventures is excited about Swiipr’s travel-focused digital payments solution and its potential to revolutionise how airlines handle pay-outs. Swiipr’s innovative product aims to transform compensation payments and speed up management processes for airlines and beyond. By enabling digital payments, Swiipr seeks to boost efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and provide automated processes that are transparent and compliant with regulations.

    With over 500 million passengers affected by travel disruptions each year, simplifying the path to compensation has the potential to significantly improve customer satisfaction, build trust, and foster loyalty in the industry.

    Only 1–2% of disrupted passengers currently receive compensation.
    Billions of dollars lost by passengers in outdated, inefficient pay-out processes every year.
    Pay360 Payment Award winner: Best B2B Programme and Best Customer Facing Experience at the 2024 awards.

    DRIFT
    DRIFT aims to drive the clean energy transition worldwide with high-performance sailing vessels that harness deep ocean wind to produce green hydrogen at sea and deliver it globally.

    It does this using a unique, AI-enabled vessel routing system that enables the vessels to find and stay in optimum weather conditions. The growing demand for clean hydrogen to accelerate the decarbonisation of sectors such as heavy industry, transportation and manufacturing is sparking innovation in the sector. DRIFT’s solution is mobile, resilient and works outside of existing infrastructure. The company is developing renewable energy partnerships that will benefit coastal and island communities around the world.

    DRIFT is leading the way in developing a truly innovative new class of mobile renewable energy, building the world’s first net-positive ships and unlocking a new era of clean fuel generation capable of covering 70% of the globe. The company’s technology uniquely unlocks the planet’s greatest resource, overcoming supply challenges and enabling a fair and equitable clean energy transition.

    €10 trillion: Goldman Sachs estimates that the green hydrogen market could reach €10 trillion by 2050.

    24%: Bank of America predicts that clean hydrogen could provide 24% of global energy needs by 2050.

    COP 28 winner: DRIFT is a COP 28 award-winning DeepTech company and winner of the Monaco Prize for Innovation in Renewable Hydrogen and Transportation 2024.

    Top 10 investments
    Here, we set out the cost and valuation of the top 10 holdings, which account for over 58% of the value of the portfolio.

    Portfolio company Investment cost Valuation at
    31 December 2024
    Investment Theme
    1. HelloSelf Limited £2.6m £2.6m Revitalising healthcare
    2. Remofirst, Inc £1.2m £1.7m Empowering people
    3. Infinitopes Ltd £1.6m £1.6m Revitalising healthcare
    4. Neat SAS £0.6m £1.5m Building a sustainable planet
    5. TYTN Ltd (t/a TitanML) £0.5m £1.5m Building a sustainable planet
    6. Apheris AI GmbH £1.5m £1.5m Empowering people
    7. Menwell Limited (t/a Manual) £0.9m £1.5m Revitalising healthcare
    8. Mr & Mrs Oliver Ltd (t/a Skin + Me) £1.0m £1.4m Revitalising healthcare
    9. Intrinsic Semiconductor Technologies Ltd £0.9m £1.2m Empowering people
    10. CoMind Technologies Ltd £0.8m £1.0m Revitalising healthcare

    Top 10 investments in detail1

    1

    HelloSelf Limited
    A digital, personalised psychological therapy and coaching platform.
    www.helloself.com

    Initial investment date: January 2023
    Investment cost: £2.6m
      (2023: £2.6m)
    Valuation: £2.6m
      (2023: £2.6m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 March 2024
    Turnover: Not available2
    (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: £(15.5)m
      (2023: £(9.8)m)
    Valuation methodology: Calibration

    2
    Remofirst, Inc.
    Global payroll and compliance system for remote teams.
    www.remofirst.com

    Initial investment date: February 2024
    Investment cost: £1.2m
      (2023: n/a)
    Valuation: £1.7m
      (2023: n/a)
    Last submitted accounts: Not available2
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Valuation methodology: Last Round

    3
    Infinitopes Ltd
    Has built an antigen discovery platform to develop cancer vaccines that provide better treatment outcomes.
    www.infinitopes.com

    Initial investment date: December 2022
    Investment cost: £1.6m
      (2023: £1.6m)
    Valuation: £1.6m
      (2023: £1.6m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: £9.3m
      (2023: £8.1m)
    Valuation methodology: Last Round

    4
    Neat SAS
    An embedded insurance platform that gives merchants the ability to provide insurance bundles to their customers at a competitive rate.
    mobility.neat.eu

    Initial investment date: November 2022
    Investment cost: £0.6m
      (2023: £0.8m)
    Valuation: £1.5m
      (2023: £0.8m)
    Last submitted accounts: Not available2
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Valuation methodology: Last round

    5

    TYTN Ltd (t/a TitanML)
    An artificial intelligence company which is developing a one-stop-shop for Natural Language Processing AI Optimisation, allowing enterprises to generate value from their data.
    www.titanml.co

    Initial investment date: February 2023
    Investment cost: £0.5m
      (2023: £0.5m)
    Valuation: £1.5m
      (2023: £0.5m)
    Last submitted accounts: 30 April 2024
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: £1.5m
      (2023: £2.0m)
    Valuation methodology: Last Round

    6

    Apheris AI GmbH
    An end-to-end federated learning platform enabling data scientists to conduct analysis over sensitive data without compromising the privacy or security of the data subjects.
    www.apheris.com

    Initial investment date: November 2022
    Investment cost: £1.5m
      (2023: £1.2m)
    Valuation: £1.5m
      (2023: £1.2m)
    Last submitted accounts: Not available2
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: Not available2
      (2023: Not available2)
    Valuation methodology: Last round

    7

    Menwell Limited (t/a Manual)
    Making high-quality healthcare more accessible and stigma-free
    www.manual.co

    Initial investment date: May 2024
    Investment cost: £0.9m
    (2023: n/a)
    Valuation: £1.5m
      (2023: n/a)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: £54.7m
    (2023: £22.4m)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: £(7.9)m
    (2023: £(10.6)m)
    Net assets: £11.8m
    (2023: £8.0m)
    Valuation methodology: Last round

    8
    Mr & Mrs Oliver Ltd (t/a Skin + Me)
    A direct to consumer, personalised skin care company.
    www.skinandme.com

    Initial investment date: December 2022
    Investment cost: £1.0m
      (2023: £1.0m)
    Valuation: £1.4m
      (2023: £1.3m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 August 2023
    Turnover: £28.7m
      (2023: £14.3m)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: £1.8m
      (2023: £(3.3)m)
    Net assets: £12.8m
      (2023: £(0.7)m)
    Valuation methodology: Revenue Multiple

    9
    Intrinsic Semiconductor Technologies Ltd
    Solid state memory technology that is simple to integrate and faster than current alternatives like Flash.
    www.intrinsicsemi.com

    Initial investment date: December 2023
    Investment cost: £0.9m
      (2023: n/a)
    Valuation: £1.2m
      (2023: n/a)
    Last submitted group accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
    (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
    (2023: Not available2)
    Consolidated net assets: £4.0m
      (2023: £5.5m)
    Valuation methodology: Scenario Analysis

    10

    CoMind Technologies Ltd
    Development of non-invasive brain sensing technology for monitoring of medical conditions.
    comind.io

    Initial investment date: November 2023
    Investment cost: £0.8m
      (2023: n/a)
    Valuation: £1.0m
      (2023: n/a)
    Last submitted group accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
    (2023: Not available2)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: Not available2
    (2023: Not available2)
    Net assets: £17.1m
      (2023: £4.1m)
    Valuation methodology: Milestone Analysis

    1. These are numbers per latest public filings. More recent figures have not yet been disclosed.
    2. Information not publicly available.

    Portfolio engagement
    As part of our strategy, we require portfolio companies to put in place a Diversity and Inclusion policy (D&I) and an Anti-Harassment policy. We also engage with each company to help them understand their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support them to take action to minimise them. You can see how we are progressing with these goals below, as at the date of this report:

    D&I policy status
    Policy in place: 100%

    Engaged in monitoring 2023 greenhouse gas emissions1
    Signed up: 16
    Introduced: 19
    In progress: 1

    1 As of 31 December 2024, only 2023 carbon emissions data was available.

    Outlook
    Despite the declining NAV in the reporting period, we are reassured to see an increase in the NAV per share of the fund in the last six months. This, combined with the two profitable realisations in the period, is offering us early proof points of the Company’s investment strategy to deliver sustainable growth as it moves into its third year of deployment. With a more diversified portfolio, in terms of both stage and sector, this also offers a clearer path for the Company to enter a growth phase.

    As is to be expected at this stage in the Company’s lifecycle, it has started to make its first follow-on investments into portfolio companies which are achieving their agreed milestones and successfully gaining new external lead funders. The Company made two follow-on investments in the reporting period and three after.

    This strategy of reinvesting into existing portfolio companies aims to increase the Company’s stake in portfolio companies that have achieved market fit and are scaling successfully, supporting its overall growth plan. Along with further financial support, Octopus’ resources are directed in the most impactful way, both through Octopus-appointed non-executive Directors or monitors on the boards and our in-house People and Talent team. This team works directly with the portfolio company management teams, offering training and recruitment support to ensure the best talent pool is being explored to help drive success.

    We are excited to have the opportunity to continue to scale the Company, support its ambition to make the world a better place for future generations, and hope to deliver attractive returns to shareholders.

    Simon King
    Partner and Lead Fund Manager for Future Generations VCT

    Risks and risk management

    The Board assesses the risks faced by Future Generations VCT, reviews the mitigating controls and monitors the effectiveness of these controls.

    Emerging and principal risks, and risk management
    The Board is mindful of the ongoing risks and will continue to make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place. The Board carries out a regular review of the risk environment in which the Company operates.

    Emerging risks

    The Board has considered emerging risks. The Board seeks to mitigate risks by setting policy, regularly reviewing performance and monitoring progress and compliance. In the mitigation and management of these risks, the Board applies the principles detailed in the Financial Reporting Council’s Guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting.

    The following are some of the potential emerging risks management and the Board are currently monitoring:

    • adverse changes in global macroeconomic environment;
    • challenging market conditions for private company fundraising and exits;
    • geo‑political instability; and
    • climate change.

    Detailed below are the principal risks of Future Generations VCT, and the mitigating actions in relation to those risks.

    Principal risks

    Risk Mitigation Change
    Investment performance:    
    The focus of Future Generations VCT investments is into early-stage, unquoted, small and medium‑sized VCT qualifying companies which, by their nature, entail a higher level of risk and shorter cash runway than investments in larger quoted companies. Octopus has significant experience of investing in early-stage unquoted companies, and appropriate due diligence is undertaken on every new investment. A member of the Octopus Ventures team is appointed to the board of a portfolio company using a risk-based approach, considering the size of the company within the Future Generations VCT portfolio and the engagement levels of other investors. This arrangement, in conjunction with its Portfolio Talent team’s active involvement, allows Future Generations VCT to play a prominent role in a portfolio company’s ongoing development and strategy. Increased exposures reflected in the previous period remain unchanged due to the difficult macro environment and challenging trading conditions for some portfolio companies continuing.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    VCT qualifying status:    
    Future Generations VCT is required at all times to observe the conditions for the maintenance of approved VCT status. The loss of such approval could lead to Future Generations VCT and its investors losing access to the various tax benefits associated with VCT status and investment. Octopus tracks Future Generations VCT’s qualifying status throughout the period, and reviews this at key points, including at the point of investment and realisation. This status is reported to the Board at each Board meeting. The Future Generations VCT Board has also engaged external independent advisers to undertake an independent VCT status monitoring role. VCT status monitoring by independent advisers continues to reduce the risk of an issue causing a loss of VCT status.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Loss of key people:    
    The loss of key investment staff by the Portfolio Manager could lead to poor fund management and/or performance due to lack of continuity or understanding of Future Generations VCT. The Portfolio Manager has a broad team experienced in and focused on early-stage investing. This mitigates the risk of any one individual with the required skill set and knowledge of venture capital investing, and the portfolio specifically, leaving. Key investment staff are also incentivised via the performance incentive fee. The increase is attributed to the departure of key personnel from the Octopus Ventures team and risk exposure reflects a reduction in performance fees potentially increasing attrition.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Operational:    
    The Future Generations VCT Board is reliant on the Portfolio Manager to manage investments effectively, and manage the services of a number of third parties, in particular the registrar, depositary and tax advisers. A failure of the systems or controls at Octopus or third‑party providers could lead to an inability to provide accurate reporting and accounting and to ensure adherence to VCT rules. The Future Generations VCT Board reviews the system of internal controls, both financial and non-financial, operated by Octopus (to the extent the latter are relevant to Future Generations VCT’s internal controls). These include controls designed to make sure that Future Generations VCT assets are safeguarded and that proper accounting records are maintained. No overall change in risk exposure on balance.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Information security:    
    A loss of key data could result in a data breach and fines. The Future Generations VCT Board is reliant on Octopus and third parties to take appropriate measures to prevent a loss of confidential customer information. Annual due diligence is conducted on third parties which includes a review of their controls for information security. Octopus has a dedicated Information Security team and a third party is engaged to provide continual protection in this area. A security framework is in place to help prevent malicious events. The appropriateness of mitigants in place are continuously reassessed to adapt to new risk exposures, such as those posed by artificial intelligence. No overall change on balance, although cyber threat remains a significant risk area faced by all providers.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Economic:    
    Events such as an economic recession, movement in interest rates, inflation and rising living costs could adversely affect some smaller companies’ valuations, as they may be more vulnerable to changes in trading conditions of the sectors in which they operate. This could result in a reduction in the value of Future Generations VCT assets. Future Generations VCT aims to invest in a diverse portfolio of companies, across a range of sectors, which helps to mitigate against the impact on any one sector. Future Generations VCT also maintains adequate liquidity to make sure that it can continue to provide follow‑on investment to those portfolio companies which require it and which are supported by the individual investment case. Increased exposures reflected in the previous periods remain as economic uncertainty persists through high inflation, high interest rates and other economic factors.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Legislative:    
    A change to the VCT regulations could adversely impact Future Generations VCT by restricting the companies Future Generations VCT can invest in under its current strategy. Similarly, changes to VCT tax reliefs for investors could make VCTs less attractive and impact Future Generations VCT’s ability to raise further funds. The Portfolio Manager engages with HM Treasury and industry bodies to demonstrate the positive benefits of VCTs in terms of growing early-stage companies, creating jobs and increasing tax revenue, and to help shape any change to VCT legislation. Risk exposure has reduced following the extension of the sunset clause to 2035 being agreed.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Liquidity:    
    The risk that Future Generations VCT’s available cash will not be sufficient to meet its financial obligations. Future Generations VCT invests into smaller unquoted companies, which are inherently illiquid as there is no readily available market for these shares. Therefore, these may be difficult to realise for their fair market value at short notice. Future Generations VCT’s liquidity risk is managed on a continuing basis by Octopus in accordance with policies and procedures agreed by the Board. Future Generations VCT’s overall liquidity risks are monitored on a quarterly basis by the Board, with frequent budgeting and close monitoring of available cash resources. Future Generations VCT maintains sufficient investments in cash and readily realisable securities to meet its financial obligations. At 31 December 2024, these resources were valued at £20,084,000. Risk exposures continue to increase, reflecting the potential knock-on effects of economic uncertainty, impacting fundraising and increasing the risk of disposal failure.

    Viability statement

    In accordance with the FRC UK Corporate Governance Code published in 2018 and provision 36 of the AIC Code of Corporate Governance, the Directors have assessed the prospects of Future Generations VCT over a period of five years, consistent with the expected investment holding period of an investor. A fundraise with an initial offer to raise up to £5 million was launched on 3 February 2025. The offer closed for new applications on 1 April 2025 for the 2024/2025 tax year having successfully raised £5 million. Under VCT rules, subscribing investors are required to hold their investment for a five‑year period in order to benefit from the associated tax reliefs. The Board regularly considers strategy, including investor demand for Future Generations VCT’s shares, and a five-year period is considered to be a reasonable time horizon for this.

    The Board carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks facing Future Generations VCT and its current position. This includes risks which may adversely impact its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity, and focused on the major factors which affect the economic, regulatory and political environment. Particular consideration was given to the Company’s reliance on, and close working relationship with, the Investment Manager. The principal risks faced by the Company and the procedures in place to monitor and mitigate them are set out above.

    The Board has carried out robust stress testing of cash flows, which included assessing the resilience of portfolio companies, including the requirement for any future financial support.

    The Board has additionally considered the ability of Future Generations VCT to comply with the ongoing conditions to make sure it maintains its VCT qualifying status under its current Investment policy.

    Based on this assessment, the Board confirms that it has a reasonable expectation that Future Generations VCT will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the five-year period to 31 December 2029. The Board is mindful of the ongoing risks and will continue to make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place, in addition to monitoring the cash flow forecasts to make sure Future Generations VCT has sufficient liquidity.

    Directors’ responsibilities statement

    The Directors are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Directors’ Report, the Directors’ Remuneration Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. They are also responsible for ensuring that the annual report and financial statements include information required by the UK Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority.

    Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – The Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), United Kingdom accounting standards and applicable law. Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the Company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to:

    • select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
    • make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
    • state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
    • prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business; and
    • prepare a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report and Directors’ Remuneration Report which comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

    The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

    In so far as each of the Directors is aware:

    • there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditor is unaware; and
    • the Directors have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

    The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Having taken advice from the Audit Committee, the Directors are of the opinion that this report as a whole provides the necessary information to assess the Company’s performance, business model and strategy and is fair, balanced and understandable.

    The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

    The Directors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:

    • the financial statements, prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including FRS 102, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company; and
    • the annual report and financial statements (including the Strategic Report), give a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

    On behalf of the Board

    Helen Sinclair
    Chair

    Income statement

        18 months to 31 December 2024 Year to 30 June 2023
        Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
        £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    Gain on disposal of fixed asset investments   1,382 1,382
    Net loss on valuation of fixed asset investments   (3,564) (3,564) (6) (6)
    Investment management fee   (345) (1,035) (1,380) (174) (522) (696)
    Investment income   1,427 1,427 424 424
    Other expenses   (759) (759) (500) (500)
    Earnings/(loss) before tax   323 (3,217) (2,894) (250) (528) (778)
    Tax  
    Earnings/(loss) after tax   323 (3,217) (2,894) (250) (528) (778)
    Earnings/(loss) per share – basic and diluted   0.6p (6.3)p (5.7)p (0.6)p (1.3)p (1.9)p
    • The ‘Total’ column of this statement is the profit and loss account of Future Generations VCT; the supplementary revenue return and capital return columns have been prepared under guidance published by the Association of Investment Companies.
    • All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations.
    • Future Generations VCT has only one class of business and derives its income from investments made in shares and securities and from bank and money market funds.

    Future Generations VCT has no other comprehensive income for the period.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Balance sheet

        As at 31 December 2024 As at 30 June 2023  
        £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000  
    Fixed asset investments     26,769   24,895  
    Current assets:            
    Debtors   1,166   379    
    Applications cash1   100   370    
    Cash at bank   112   152    
    Money market funds   19,972   20,140    
          21,350   21,041  
    Creditors: amounts falling due within one year   (196)   (518)    
    Net current assets     21,154   20,523  
    Net assets     47,923   45,418  
    Share capital     54   48  
    Share premium     51,854   46,461  
    Capital reserve realised     (328)   (640)  
    Capital reserve unrealised     (3,526)   3  
    Revenue reserve     (131)   (454)  
    Total equity shareholders’ funds     47,923   45,418  
    NAV per share     88.8p   94.3p  
    1. Cash received from investors but not yet allotted.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    The statements were approved by the Directors and authorised for issue on 28 April 2025 and are signed on their behalf by:

    Helen Sinclair
    Chair
    Company No: 13750143

    Statement of changes in equity

      Share capital
    £’000
    Share premium
    £’000
    Capital reserve realised1
    £’000
    Capital reserve unrealised
    £’000
    Revenue reserve1
    £’000
    Total
    £’000
    As at 1 July 2023 48 46,461 (640) 3 (454) 45,418
    Comprehensive income for the period:            
    Management fees allocated as capital expenditure (1,035) (1,035)
    Current year gain on disposal of fixed asset investments 1,382 1,382
    Net loss on fair value of fixed asset investments (3,564) (3,564)
    Gain after tax 323 323
    Total comprehensive loss for the period 347 (3,564) 323 (2,894)
    Contributions by and distributions to owners:            
    Share issue 6 5,506 5,512
    Share issue costs (113) (113)
    Total contributions by and distributions to owners 6 5,393 5,399
    Other movements:            
    Prior year fixed asset loss unrealised (35) 35
    Total other movements (35) 35
    Balance as at 31 December 2024 54 51,854 (328) (3,526) (131) 47,923
      Share capital
    £’000
    Share premium
    £’000
    Capital reserve realised1
    £’000
    Capital reserve unrealised
    £’000
    Revenue reserve1
    £’000
    Total
    £’000
    As at 1 July 2022 33 31,572 (118) 9 (204) 31,292
    Comprehensive income for the period:            
    Management fees allocated as capital expenditure (522) (522)
    Net loss on fair value of fixed asset investments (6) (6)
    Loss after tax (250) (250)
    Total comprehensive loss for the period (522) (6) (250) (778)
    Contributions by and distributions to owners:            
    Shares issued 15 15,164 15,179
    Share issue costs (275) (275)
    Total contributions by and distributions to owners 15 14,889 14,904
    Balance as at 30 June 2023 48 46,461 (640) 3 (454) 45,418
    1. Reserves are available for distribution, subject to the restrictions.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Cash flow statement

        18 months to
    31 December 
    Year to
    30 June
        2024 2023
        £’000 £’000
    Cash flows from operating activities      
    Loss before tax1   (2,894) (778)
    Decrease/(increase) in debtors   173 (325)
    Decrease in creditors   (52) (103)
    Gain on disposal of fixed assets   (1,382)
    Loss on valuation of fixed asset investments   3,564 6
    Outflow from operating activities   (591) (1,200)
    Cash flows from investing activities      
    Purchase of fixed asset investments   (8,162) (23,238)
    Sale of fixed asset investments   3,146
    Outflow from investing activities   (5,016) (23,238)
    Cash flows from financing activities      
    Movement in applications account   (270) (1,544)
    Proceeds from share issues   5,512 15,179
    Share issue costs   (113) (275)
    Inflow from financing activities   5,129 13,360
    Decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (478) (11,079)
    Opening cash and cash equivalents   20,662 31,741
    Closing cash and cash equivalents   20,184 20,662
    Cash and cash equivalents comprise      
    Cash at bank   112 152
    Money market funds   19,972 20,140
    Applications cash   100 370
    Closing cash and cash equivalents   20,184 20,662
    1. Loss before tax includes cashflows from dividends of £1.4 million (2023: £0.4 million).

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Notes to the financial statements

    1. Principal accounting policies

    Octopus Future Generations VCT plc (‘Future Generations VCT’) is a Public Limited Company (plc) incorporated in England and Wales and its registered office is at 6th Floor, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT.

    Future Generations VCT has been approved as a Venture Capital Trust by HMRC under Section 259 of the Income Taxes Act 2007. The shares of Future Generations VCT were first admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and trading on the London Stock Exchange on 5 April 2022 and can be found under the TIDM code OFG. Future Generations VCT is premium listed.

    The principal activity of Future Generations VCT is to invest in a diversified portfolio of UK smaller companies in order to generate capital growth over the long term as well as an attractive tax-free dividend stream.

    The financial statements are presented in GBP (£) to the nearest £’000. The functional currency is also GBP (£). Some accounting policies have been disclosed in the respective notes to the financial statements.

    Basis of preparation
    The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, except for the measurement at fair value of certain financial instruments, and in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland’ (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies and Venture Capital Trusts (July 2022)’.

    2. Investment income
    Accounting policy

    Investment income comprises interest earned on money market funds. Dividend income is shown net of any related tax credit. Dividends receivable are brought into account when Future Generation’s right to receive payment is established and there is no reasonable doubt that payment will be received. Fixed returns on debt and money market funds are recognised so as to reflect the effective interest rate, provided there is no reasonable doubt that payment will be received in due course.

    Disclosure

      18 months to  
      31 December 2024

        30 June 2023

      £’000 £’000
    Money market funds 1,427 424
    Total investment income 1,427 424

    3. Investment management fees
    Accounting policy

    For the purposes of the revenue and capital columns in the Income Statement, the management fee has been allocated 25% to revenue and 75% to capital, in line with the Board’s expected long-term return in the form of income and capital gains respectively from Future Generations VCT’s investment portfolio.

    Disclosure

      18 months to 31 December 2024 Year to 30 June 2023
      Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
      £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    Investment            
    management fee 345 1,035 1,380 174 522 696
    Total 345 1,035 1,380 174 522 696

    The Portfolio Manager provides investment management services through agreements with Octopus AIF Management Limited and Future Generations VCT. It also provides accounting and administration services to Future Generations VCT under a Non-Investment Services Agreement (NISA). No compensation is payable if the agreement is terminated by either party, if the required notice period is given. The fee payable, should insufficient notice be given, will be equal to the fee that would have been paid should continuous service be provided, or the required notice period was given.

    4. Other expenses
    Accounting policy

    Other expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis and are charged wholly to revenue.

    The transaction costs incurred when purchasing or selling assets are written off to the Income Statement in the period that they occur.

      18 months to Year to
      31 December 30 June
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    NISA fees 213 122
    Directors’ remuneration1 157 77
    Audit fees2 78 63
    Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance 74 15
    Depositary fees 62 57
    Listing fees 46 58
    Registrars fees 28 21
    Director recruitment & expenses 27
    Report and account fees 26 38
    Other fees 48 49
    Total 759 500

    1. Includes employers’ NI.
    2. Includes VAT.

    Total ongoing charges are capped at 3.0% of net assets. For the period to 31 December 2024, the ongoing charges exceeded this cap and a rebate was paid from the Portfolio Manager for the amount of £39,000. For the 18 months to 31 December 2024 the ongoing charges were 3.0% (2023: 3.0%) of net assets. This is calculated by summing the annualised expenses incurred in the period (excluding non-recurring expenses) divided by the average NAV throughout the period.

    5. Tax on ordinary activities
    Accounting policy

    Corporation tax payable is applied to profits chargeable to corporation tax, if any, at the current rate. The tax effect of different items of income/gain and expenditure/loss is allocated between capital and revenue return on the ‘marginal’ basis as recommended in the SORP.

    Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences at the reporting date. Timing differences are differences between taxable profits and total income as stated in the financial statements that arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements.

    Disclosure
    The corporation tax charge for the period was £nil.

      18 months to Year to
      31 December 30 June
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    Loss on ordinary activities before tax (2,894) (778)
    Current tax at 25% (2023: 20.5%) (724) (159)
    Effects of:    
    Non-taxable income (357)
    Non-taxable capital gains 546 1
    Non-deductible expenses 1
    Excess management expenses on which deferred tax not recognised 534 193
    Tax rate differences1 (35)
    Total current tax charge

    1. Tax rate difference due to tax charge for the period being calculated at 20.5% and excess management expenses on which deferred tax is not recognised being calculated at 25%.

    Unrelieved tax losses of £3,231,000 (2023: £1,094,000) are estimated to be carried forward at 31 December 2024 (subject to completion of Future Generations VCT’s tax return) and are available for offset against future taxable income, subject to agreement with HMRC. Future Generations VCT has not recognised the deferred tax asset of £808,000 (2023: £273,000) in respect of these tax losses because there is insufficient forecast taxable income in excess of deductible expenses to utilise these losses carried forward.

    Approved VCTs are exempt from tax on capital gains. As the Directors intend for Future Generations VCT to continue to maintain its approval as a VCT through its affairs, no current deferred tax has been recognised in respect of any capital gains or losses arising on the revaluation or disposal of investment.

    6. (Loss)/earnings per share

      18 months to 31 December 2024 Year to 30 June 2023
      Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
      £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    Earnings/(loss) attributable to Ordinary shareholders (£’000)

    323

    (3,217)

    (2,894)

    (250)

    (528)

    (778)

    Earnings/(loss) per Ordinary share (p) 0.6 (6.3) (5.7) (0.6) (1.3) (1.9)

    The Earnings/(loss) per share is based on 51,727,417 (2023: 40,987,788) Ordinary shares, being the weighted average number of Ordinary shares in issue during the period.

    There are no potentially dilutive capital instruments in issue and so no diluted return per share figures are relevant. The basic and diluted earnings per share are therefore identical.

    7. Net asset value per share

      31 December 30 June
      2024 2023
    Net assets (£’000) 47,923 45,418
    Shares in issue 53,941,104 48,138,337
    NAV per share (p) 88.8 94.3

    8. Transactions with the Manager and Portfolio Manager

    Future Generations VCT is classified as a full-scope Alternative Investment Fund under the Alternative Investment Fund Management Directive (the ‘AIFM Directive’). Future Generations VCT has appointed Octopus AIF Management Limited to provide the services of an AIFM of a full-scope AIF. In accordance with its power to do so under AIFMD, Octopus AIF Management Limited has delegated investment management to Octopus Investments Limited, whilst retaining the obligations of a risk manager.

    Future Generations VCT paid Octopus AIF Management Limited £1,380,000 (2023: £696,000) in the period as a management fee, after applying a rebate to maintain the total ongoing charges below the 3% cap. The annual management charge (AMC) is based on 2% of Future Generations VCT’s NAV. The AMC is payable quarterly in advance and calculated using the latest published NAV of Future Generations VCT and the number of shares in issue at each quarter end. Once the quarter has ended, an adjustment will be made if the NAV at the end of the current quarter is calculated and which differs from the NAV as at the end of the previous quarter. The Manager will donate 10% of the management fee to the Octopus Giving Charitable Foundation, which was set up in 2014 to help charities make the world a better place and which, since inception, has donated more than £1 million to such worthy causes.

    Octopus also provides Non-Investment Services to Future Generations VCT, payable quarterly in advance. The fee is 0.3% of Future Generations VCT’s NAV, calculated at quarterly intervals. The NISA fee is calculated using the latest published NAV of Future Generations VCT and the number of shares in issue at each quarter end. As with the AMC, an adjustment will be made once the quarter has ended if the NAV at the end of the current quarter is calculated and which differs from the NAV as at the end of the previous quarter. During the period £213,000 (2023: £122,000) was paid to Octopus for Non‑Investment Services. In addition, Octopus is entitled to performance-related incentive fees, subject to Future Generations VCT’s total return at year end exceeding the total return at the previous year end when an incentive fee was paid, or 97p if the first incentive fee has not yet been paid (the ‘Excess’), equal to 20% of the Excess. No performance fee will be paid prior to the financial year ending on 31 December 2025, dividends (paid or declared) being equal to or greater than 10p per Ordinary share and the total return exceeding 120p.

    The cap relating to Future Generations VCT’s total expense ratio, that is the regular, recurring costs of Future Generations VCT expressed as a percentage of its NAV, above which Octopus has agreed to pay, is 3.0%, and is calculated in accordance with the AIC Guidelines.

    Octopus AIF Management Limited remuneration disclosures (unaudited)
    Quantitative remuneration disclosures required to be made in this annual report in accordance with the FCA Handbook FUND 3.3.5 are available on the website: https://www.octopusinvestments.com/remuneration-disclosures/.

    9. Related party transactions

    Several members of the Octopus investment team hold non-executive directorships as part of their monitoring roles in Future Generations VCT’s portfolio companies, but they have no controlling interests in those companies.

    Emma Davies, a Non-Executive Director of Future Generations VCT, previously held the role of co-CEO of Octopus Ventures and she also holds shares in Octopus Capital Ltd. On 24 March 2023, Emma Davies ceased to be employed by Octopus Capital Limited and therefore she is no longer considered a related party. Emma retired as a Non-Executive Director of Future Generations VCT on 31 March 2024. No dividends have been paid to the Directors of Future Generations VCT in the period (2023: £nil).

    10. 2024 financial information

    The figures and financial information for the period ended 31 December 2024 are extracted from the Company’s annual financial statements for the period and do not constitute statutory accounts. The Company’s annual financial statements for the period to 31 December 2024 have been audited but have not yet been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The Auditors’ report on the 2024 annual financial statements was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain any statements under Sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

    11. 2023 financial information

    The figures and financial information for the year ended 30 June 2023 are compiled from an extract of the published financial statements for the period and do not constitute statutory accounts. Those financial statements have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included the Auditors’ report which was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain any statements under Sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

    12. Annual Report and financial statements
    The Annual Report and financial statements will be posted to shareholders in early May and will be available on the Company’s website, https://octopusinvestments.com/our-products/venture-capital-trusts/octopus-future-generations-vct/.
    The Notice of Annual General Meeting is contained within the Annual Report.

    13. General information

    Registered in England & Wales. Company No. 13750143
    LEI: 213800AL71Z7N2O58N66

    14. Directors

    Helen Sinclair (Chair), Joanna Santinon and Ajay Chowdhury

    15. Secretary and registered office   

    Octopus Company Secretarial Services Limited
    6th Floor, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OCTOPUS TITAN VCT PLC

    Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

    Octopus Titan VCT plc announces the final results for the year to 31 December 2024 as below.

    Octopus Titan VCT plc (‘Titan’ or the ‘Company’) is managed by Octopus AIF Management Limited (the ‘Manager’), which has delegated investment management to Octopus Investments Limited (‘Octopus’ or ‘Portfolio Manager’) via its investment team Octopus Ventures.

    Key financials

      2024 2023
    Net assets (£’000) £831,358 £993,744
    Loss after tax (£’000) £(147,649) £(149,499)
    NAV per share 50.5p 62.4p
    Total value per share1 155.6p 164.4p
    Total return per share2 (8.8)p (9.5)p
    Total return per share %3 (14.1)% (12.4)%
    Dividends paid in the year 3.1p 5.0p
    Dividend yield %4 5.0% 6.5%
    Dividend declared 0.5p 1.9p
    1. Total value per share is an alternative performance measure, calculated as NAV plus cumulative dividends paid since launch, as described in the glossary of terms.
    2. Total return per share is an alternative performance measure, calculated as movement in NAV per share in the period plus dividends paid in the period, as described in the glossary of terms.
    3. Total return % is an alternative performance measure, calculated as total return/opening NAV, as described in the glossary of terms.
    4. Dividend yield is an alternative performance measure, calculated as dividends paid/opening NAV, as described in the glossary of terms.

    Chair’s statement
    Titan’s total return for the year to 31 December 2024 was -14.1% with net assets at the end of the period totalling £831 million.

    The Net Asset Value (NAV) per share at 31 December 2024 was 50.5p which, adjusting for dividends paid in the year, represents a net decrease of 8.8p per share from 31 December 2023 or a total return of –14.1%.

    This further decline in value has been driven by several factors, including company-specific performance issues and tougher trading conditions, which have reduced revenue growth across a range of sectors. As a result, many companies in the portfolio have not met performance expectations, leading to lower valuation multiples being applied compared to those at recent points of investment. This situation has been exacerbated by a continued slow private market fundraising environment, leading to more limited capital availability. Consequently, companies have prioritised extending their cash runway, aiming to achieve profitability or delay fundraising until market conditions improve. In the short term, this has led to reduced valuations due to slower growth, but in the long run, the disciplined focus on sustainable growth should be beneficial.

    With this further decline in NAV, the 5-year tax-free annual compound return for shareholders is now -3.5%. Since the high watermark as at 31 December 2021, Titan’s total return per share has been –39.8% with which the Board and Manager are, and shareholders will be, deeply disappointed. The scale of shareholder dissatisfaction has been made abundantly clear following the recently conducted survey.

    In the 12 months to 31 December 2024, the Company utilised £137 million of its cash resources, comprising £30 million in new and follow-on investments, £44 million in dividends (net of the Dividend Reinvestment Scheme (DRIS)), £38 million in share buybacks and £25 million in annual investment management fees and other running costs. The cash and corporate bond balance of £184 million at 31 December 2024 represented 22% of net assets at that date, compared to 20% at 31 December 2023.

    The total value (NAV plus cumulative dividends paid per share since launch) at the end of the period was 155.6p (31 December 2023: 164.4p). Titan’s one-year total return of -8.8p (-14.1%) five-year total return of -15.6p (-16.4%) and ten-year total return of 6.7p (6.6%) evidences the disappointing decline in performance in recent years.

    Strategic Review

    As shareholders will be aware, in the half-yearly report issued at the end of September 2024, we announced a review of strategy to ensure a thorough retrospective analysis took place and a plan be drawn up for how the Company can be best structured for sustainability and improved performance in the future. A significant amount of work has been undertaken by Octopus and our appointed external advisers, Smith Square Partners LLP, across a number of different workstreams. This includes a detailed analysis of historical investment performance, ongoing sustainability, the forward-looking pipeline for realisations, future investment strategy, investment team resources and, finally, investment manager’s culture and governance. The significant performance challenges and the early-stage nature of much of the portfolio mean that it will take some time for changes to have an impact on performance and a longer-term approach to shaping the future of the Company is needed. We are making reasonably good progress, and more can be read about the steps which have been taken in the Spotlight section. The response to our shareholder survey is included below. From this it is clear that there is widespread and deep dissatisfaction with the past performance of Titan, both in absolute and relative terms and an understandable frustration with the lack of capital growth in recent years. The Board also acknowledges the recent press coverage, particularly in respect of shareholders’ views on the fees that Titan pays. We would like to thank those that participated in the survey, as well as those that have provided their feedback to both the Board and Octopus. The Board wishes to assure shareholders that it is considering the results and feedback alongside the review.

    We expect to provide a further update on the review at, or prior to, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 19 June 2025. However, we do not anticipate the process to be completed by this point, so any proposals for the future of the Company will likely be put to shareholders at a later date.

    Performance incentive fees
    As the 2024 total return has been negative, and total value per share has declined since 31 December 2021, no performance fee is payable. To remind you, the performance fee is calculated as 20% on net gains above the high-water mark (the highest total value per share as at previous year ends), which is currently set as 197.7p as at 31 December 2021.

    Dividends
    Following careful consideration and recognising the value that shareholders’ place on receiving tax-free dividends, I am pleased to confirm that the Board has decided to declare a second interim dividend of 0.5p per share (2023: 1.9p per share). This will be paid on 29 May 2025 to shareholders on the register as at 25 April 2025. This second interim dividend, in addition to the 1.2p per share interim dividend paid in December 2024 brings the total dividends declared to 1.7p per share in respect of 2024. However, this 0.5p per share dividend is lower than that paid in previous years because of the ongoing performance challenges and dividends are typically a distribution of achieved performance. Considering dividends paid during 2024 (totalling 3.1p), the total dividend yield for the year is 5%, therefore meeting the Company’s target.

    Dividends, whether paid in cash or reinvested under the DRIS, are always at the discretion of the Board, are never guaranteed, and are subject to regular review reflecting the returns generated by the Company, the timing of investment realisations, cash and distributable reserves and continuing compliance with VCT rules.

    The Board will consider any further dividends to be paid in 2025 in the second half of the year at, or around, the release of the interim accounts for the six months ending 30 June 2025, subject to Titan’s performance, both realised and unrealised, improving and, as ever, Titan holding sufficient cash reserves.

    As with the dividend paid to shareholders on 19 December 2024, and in light of the ongoing review of Titan’s strategy, the Board continues to suspend the Company’s dividend reinvestment scheme for the dividend to be paid on 29 May 2025, with the dividend being paid to shareholders in cash.

    Fundraise and buybacks
    We were pleased to raise over £107 million in the fundraise which closed on 5 April 2024. As stated in the half-yearly review, the Board will decide on the approach to future fundraising at the conclusion of the review of strategy.

    During the year, Titan repurchased 67 million shares for £38 million (representing 4.2% of the net asset value as at 31 December 2023). Further details can be found in Note 14 of the financial statements. Details of the share buybacks undertaken during the year can be found in the Directors’ Report.

    VCT status
    In November 2023, a ten-year extension was announced to the ‘sunset clause’ (a retirement date for the VCT scheme), meaning VCT tax reliefs will be available until 5 April 2035. This extension passed through Parliament in February 2024 and on 3 September 2024, His Majesty’s Treasury brought the extension into effect through The Finance Act 2024. The Board is delighted that this has brought clarity to the status of VCTs.

    Board of Directors
    Rupert Dickinson was appointed to the Board with effect from 1 May 2024 and was elected by shareholders at the AGM held in June 2024. Rupert has over 20 years’ experience in the wealth and investment management industries. We are already benefitting from his extensive experience.

    All the other Directors have indicated their willingness to remain on the Board, and Jane O’Riordan and Lord Rockley will be seeking re-election at the AGM.

    Portfolio Manager and team
    In March 2024, Malcolm Ferguson, Octopus’ lead Fund Manager for Titan, resigned and Jo Oliver was appointed as lead Fund Manager and Adviser to the Board on fund and strategy on an interim basis. In August 2024, Jo stepped down from this interim role. We wish to take this opportunity to thank both Jo and Malcolm for their contributions to the Company and wish them well for the future. We are pleased that, despite Malcolm’s resignation, he continues to support with portfolio management on a contractual basis. The process to appoint a replacement lead Fund Manager will commence once the review of strategy is completed.

    Shareholders may be aware that there has been considerable turnover over the past twelve months in the Octopus Ventures team, which is responsible for managing Titan. As part of the on-going strategic review, Octopus is assessing the team structure, size, culture and experience to ensure it is aligned with its future investment strategy proposals. In the interim, the Octopus Ventures team is receiving additional senior support from across the business to ensure adequate resources are available.

    AGM and shareholder event
    The AGM will take place on 19 June 2025 from 12.00 noon and will be held at the offices of Octopus Investments Limited, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT. Full details of the business to be conducted at the AGM are given in the Notice of AGM.

    Shareholders’ views are important, and the Board encourages shareholders to vote on the resolutions within the Notice of AGM using the proxy form, or electronically at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy. Shareholders are invited to send any questions they may have via email to TitanAGM@octopusinvestments.com. The Board has carefully considered the business to be approved at the AGM and recommends shareholders to vote in favour of all the resolutions being proposed, as the Board will be doing.

    Currently, we do not anticipate the strategic review process will have been fully completed by the date of the AGM. As a result, we will issue a further communication to shareholders in due course setting a date for a shareholder event and, if applicable, a General Meeting at which shareholders will be able to vote on any proposals for the future direction of the Company.

    Outlook
    The further decline in NAV to 31 December 2024 is extremely disappointing, especially when set against the backdrop of the recent recovery of some of the comparable markets and other VCTs. This decline has been primarily driven by specific portfolio performance issues and sectoral downturns, leading to cash constraints exacerbated by a challenging fundraising environment. Some portfolio companies attempted to raise funds but were unsuccessful, resulting in several being placed into administration or accepting acquisition offers on unfavourable terms. More details on these disposals can be found in the Portfolio Manager’s review. Others had to complete funding rounds at lower valuations or in ways that negatively impacted the value of the Company’s shareholding.

    The Company returned £29 million in cash proceeds from exits in 2024, in addition to £12.4 million distributed from Zenith Holding Company to Titan. This is a disappointing outcome as it is below the level achieved in 2023, and does not accomplish the Company’s long-term sustainability target. Despite the Manager’s initiatives to increase the number of realisations of portfolio companies and return cash proceeds to Titan, we have not yet seen any profitable realisations in 2025. This sustained focus on achieving regular liquidity is an important step towards ensuring the ongoing sustainability of the Company.

    Despite this, the Board retains a degree of optimism about the potential of some of the companies within what is undoubtedly a diversified portfolio, with over 135 companies spanning a wide range of sectors, business models and investment stages. Furthermore, Titan’s portfolio remains well funded with circa 42% of the portfolio NAV being comprised of companies not expecting to need further funding. This figure rises to 67% when including those companies with more than 12 months’ cash runway.

    I would like to conclude by thanking both the Board and the Octopus team on behalf of all shareholders for their hard work during this very challenging period.

    Tom Leader
    Chair

    Spotlight on the review of strategy

    On 30 September 2024, the Board, in conjunction with the Manager, announced a strategic review. This was catalysed by the ongoing challenges in the early-stage venture market to which the Company is exposed and the resultant performance issues faced. Since this date, the Board and Manager have undertaken numerous actions to identify the areas of focus and potential changes which could be made to drive the best performance for the Company and outcome for shareholders. Below is a summary of the steps taken to date by both the Board and Manager.

    Date Investment Manager’s actions Titan VCT Board’s actions Board meetings held
    Sep 2024   Announcement of review of strategy. Four Board meetings
    Oct 2024 Establish internal review committee comprised of different areas of the business.

    Co-ordinating information packs for the external advisers.

    External adviser selection process concluded and terms agreed.  
    Nov 2024 Recruitment process for senior Portfolio Management roles commences.

    Internal review committee submits scope of work to the Board.

    External advisers, Smith Square Partners, appointed.

    Board reviews Octopus’ scope of work.

    Two Board meetings
    Dec 2024 Internal review committee submits information pack on sustainability and fund performance workstreams to the Board. Shareholder and adviser survey launched.

    Board reviews information pack on sustainability and fund performance.

    Board reviews external advisers’ analysis of performance and benchmarking.

    One Board meeting
    Jan 2025 Survey results analysed.

    External specialists commence review of Consumer Duty.

    Internal review committee submits information pack on team and culture and risk and governance work streams to the Board.

    Board reviews external advisers’ progress report including analysis of the realisations pipeline.

    Board reviews information pack on team and culture and risk and governance work streams.

    Survey results analysed.

    Two Board meetings
    Feb 2025 Internal review committee presents first part of the go-forward investment strategy and further sustainability analysis and metrics. Board reviews go‑forward strategy and sustainability analysis and metrics. One Board meeting
    Mar 2025 Results of Consumer Duty Review analysed. Board reviews external advisers’ progress report.

    Results of Consumer Duty Review analysed.

    Unaudited NAV released with update on progress of review.

    Two Board meetings
    Apr 2025 Internal review committee presents follow up detail on the go-forward investment strategy, as well as proposals for future team and resourcing plan.

    Proposal submitted to Board regarding ongoing fees.

    External advisers’ interim report shared with the Board.

    Annual report published.

    Board considers proposal on future team and resourcing strategy and fees.

    Board commences fee negotiations with Octopus.

    Two Board meetings

    Summary of the Manager’s internal review workstreams:

    1. Fund performance
    Working to understand the most appropriate investment and divestment strategy looking at past performance metrics, benchmarks and future objectives.

    2. Fund strategy
    Investigating potential future options for Titan’s strategy which could drive improved performance. Some potential options were included in the shareholder survey to canvas views.

    3. Sustainability
    Working on past performance and future forecasting to ensure Titan operates sustainably, returning funds through realisations.

    4. Team & culture
    Reviewing the team structure, size, culture and experience (past and present) and how it maps to the successful management of the Company. Full Octopus Ventures strategy refresh in line with new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Erin Platts joining.

    5. Consumer Duty
    External consultants appointed to carry out a review of Consumer Duty. This is to understand shareholders’ expected outcomes and assessing how the Company has delivered against them.

    6. Risk & governance
    Work led by the compliance team updating Titan’s risk register. Review and enhancement of governance processes and procedures, where relevant.

    What’s next
    1. Final Smith Square Partners report presented to the Board.
    2. Finalise fee proposal, as well as review of the Investment Management Agreement and Non-Investment Services Agreement.

    Octopus Ventures’ new CEO

    Erin Platts joined Octopus Ventures as CEO in January 2025.

    Previously, she held the role of CEO at HSBC Innovation Banking UK, formerly Silicon Valley Bank UK & EMEA. Over two decades in leadership roles with the institution, she established Silicon Valley Bank UK as a standalone, regulated subsidiary before leading the organisation through the transition period following its sale to HSBC in 2023, scaling operations to over 800 people, across six countries and into the market leading position across the sector.

    With a career spent in the US, UK and European tech ecosystems, Erin is an active and vocal spokesperson, championing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through partnerships with organisations including Tech Nation, Founders Forum and the Newton Venture Program.

    Portfolio Manager’s review

    At Octopus, our focus is on managing your investments and providing open communication. Our annual and half-year updates are designed to keep you informed about the progress of your investment.

    Focus on performance
    The NAV of 50.5p per share at 31 December 2024 represents a decrease in NAV of 8.8p per share versus a NAV of 62.4p per share as at 31 December 2023, after adding back dividends paid during the year of 3.1p (2023: 5p) per share, a negative total return per share of 14.1% in the year.

    The performance over the five years to 31 December 2024 is shown below:

      Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended
      31 December 31 December 31 December 31 December 31 December
      2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
    NAV, p 97.0 105.7 76.9 62.4 50.5
    Cumulative dividends paid, p 81.0 92.0 97.0 102.0 105.1
    Total value, p 178.0 197.7 173.9 164.4 155.6
    Total return1 7.1% 20.3% (22.5)% (12.4)% (14.1)%
    Dividend yield2 5.3% 11.3% 4.7% 6.5% 5.0%

    1. Total return % is an alternative performance measure, calculated as total return/opening NAV.
    2. Dividend yield is an alternative performance measure, calculated as dividends paid/opening NAV.

    We are deeply disappointed by the negative total return of 14.1% in 2024 which has been driven by a decline of £193 million across 72 companies. The businesses that contributed most significantly to this decline were Pelago, Many Pets and Big Health. Whilst these companies continue to look to scale, they have underperformed the high expectations set at their last funding round, and so have seen their valuations decline.

    These three valuation movements account for around a third of the total decline in NAV over the twelve-month reporting period.

    Octopus Ventures believes that many of the companies which have seen decreased valuations in the period have the potential to overcome the issues they face and get their growth plans back on track. Octopus Ventures continues to work with them to help them realise their potential. In some cases, the support offered could include further funding to ensure a business has the capital it needs to execute on its strategy. Our in-house Talent team is being utilised to build high-performing teams and support on key recruitment initiatives. This team, as well as our expert network of consultants, support companies on project work and can also work part-time with the businesses.

    More positively, 39 companies saw an increase in valuation in the period, delivering a collective increase in valuation of £56 million. These valuation increases reflect businesses which have successfully concluded further funding rounds at increased valuations, grown revenues or met certain important milestones. Notable strong performers in the portfolio include Legl, Taster and Katkin – all of which have increased their market reach through new product launches. These strong performers demonstrate that there are opportunities available for companies to thrive, and Titan’s diverse portfolio allows different routes for each company to succeed in their market.

    The gain on Titan’s uninvested cash reserves was £9.2 million in the year to 31 December 2024, primarily driven by a fair value movement of £4.4 million in the corporate bond portfolio and a return of £4.2 million on the money market funds. The objective for the money market funds is to earn appropriate market rates on highly liquid treasury holdings, with limited risk to capital.

    Titan total value growth from inception
    The table below highlights the compound annual growth rate across different holding periods.

    Despite the reduction in NAV in the year, the total value has seen an increase since the end of Titan’s first year, from 89.9p to 155.6p at 31 December 2024. Since Titan launched, a total of over £557 million has been distributed back to shareholders in the form of tax-free dividends. This includes dividends reinvested as part of the DRIS.

    Holding period Total return Tax-free compound
    annual growth rate
    Since October 2008 73.1% 3.4%
    10 years 6.6% 0.6%
    5 years (16.4)% (3.5)%
    1 year (14.1)% (14.1)%

    Disposals
    Disposals and deferred proceeds have returned £29 million in cash during the period. In addition, £12.4 million was distributed from Zenith Holding Company to the Company.

    Exits
    In June, Taxfix (a European focused tax return technology platform) acquired TaxScouts, for a combination of cash and equity, which has allowed it to enter the UK market. As a result, Titan now holds shares in Taxfix.

    In July, Foodsteps was acquired by Registrar Corp (a provider of regulatory and compliance software for the food, cosmetic and life sciences industry). This transaction was also for a combination of cash and equity and has offered Registrar Corp access to Foodsteps’ global market platform of over 32,000 companies in 190 countries.

    In November, Cobee was acquired by Pluxee Group (an employee benefits and engagement platform) as part of its strategic growth plan. Pluxee is a global leader in employee benefits and engagement, operating in 31 countries with over 5,000 employees. Pluxee is uniquely positioned to support Cobee’s continued growth.

    In November, nCino (a cloud-based software company that provides a platform for financial institutions to manage their business lines) acquired FullCircl. This will enhance nCino’s data and automation capabilities and allow it to expand its reach across the UK and Europe.

    In December, Behavox (a leading provider of AI powered archiving, compliance and security solutions) acquired Mosaic Smart Data.

    Partial exits
    Two partial exits completed in October with Neat (an embedded insurance platform that enables merchants to offer tailored insurance bundles to their customers at competitive rates) completing a €50 million Series A funding round, and Vitesse (a global domestic settlement and liquidity management system to hold funds and execute cross-border payments) completing a $93 million Series C investment round. As part of both of these rounds, Titan sold a portion of its shares. We are pleased to have realised some value for shareholders in these transactions, but also excited to maintain a holding in the companies and to be able to continue to support their growth journeys.

    Deferred proceeds
    In the year, Titan also received deferred proceeds from the sale of Calastone (to The Carlyle Group in 2020) which was held via Octopus Zenith Holding Company, iSize (to Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2023), Conversocial (to Verint), Glofox (to ABC Fitness), Comma (to Weavr) and Foodsteps (to Registrar).

    Exits at a loss
    There have been four disposals made at a loss: Titan sold its remaining shares in Cazoo, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Unmade was acquired by High-Tech Apparel, and Titan’s shares in Appear Here were converted to deferred shares and divested, as there was not seen to be a chance of recovery of any funds. Vinter was acquired by Kaiko (a leading provider of cryptocurrency market data, analytics and indices) for equity. As a result, Titan now holds shares in Kaiko, which are currently valued below Titan’s initial cost of investment, but these will be subject to re-valuation at least twice annually as per our normal process. In aggregate, these losses generated negligible proceeds compared to an investment cost of £19 million.

    Companies placed into administration
    Unfortunately, Audiotelligence, Stackin (now fully dissolved), Contingent, Phoelex, Excession, Dead Happy, Pulse Platform and Allplants were placed into administration having all been unsuccessful in securing further funding and having explored and exhausted all available options. In aggregate, the investment cost of the companies placed into administration totalled £26 million.

    In the year to 31 December 2024, Third Eye and LifeBook were fully dissolved having been placed into administration in previous reporting periods.

    The underperformance of a portfolio company is always disappointing for Octopus and shareholders alike, but it is an inherent characteristic of a venture capital portfolio, and we believe the successful disposals will continue to outweigh the losses over the medium to long-term.

      Year ended 31 December 2020 Year ended 31 December 2021 Year ended 31 December 2022 Year ended 31 December 2023 Year ended 31 December 2024 Total
    Disposal proceeds1 (£’000) 23,915 221,504 62,213 45,637 41,432 394,701

    1.This table includes cash and retention proceeds received in the period.

    New and follow-on investments
    Titan completed 8 new investments and made 14 follow-on investments in the reporting period. Together, these totalled £30 million (made up of £19 million into new companies and £11 million invested into the existing portfolio).

    Please see a summary of some of the new investments we made in the year.

    • DRIFT Energy: Designing sailing vessels and routing algorithms required to capture deep water wind energy and convert it into onboard hydrogen gas for transportation back to shore.
    • ExpressionEdits: Using a proprietary AI algorithm to design DNA sequences and intronization technology to enhance the expression of proteins in mammalian cells.
    • Forefront: Developing a tuneable Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) module for mobile devices which is smaller, cheaper, and more flexible than currently available products sold.
    • LabGenius: A next-generation platform leveraging machine learning to develop novel therapeutic antibodies.
    • Manual: Provides innovative treatments for a range of health conditions.
    • Remofirst is an Employer of Record (EOR) and compliance platform that allows companies to hire and pay employees globally.
    • SWiiPR: Developed a digital payments platform specifically for the airline industry.

    As explained in the half-yearly report, the Octopus Ventures team is focused on improving performance from the existing portfolio and driving improved returns to shareholders. Given Titan’s scale, the greatest returns are expected to be driven by its existing, largest holdings. Over the last nine months, Titan has focused on building value in its existing portfolio, allowing capital and time to be prioritised on existing companies. No term sheets for new investments have been signed since the summer of 2024. The five follow-on investments which completed in the second half of 2024 have all increased in value in the December valuation round, on average seeing an increase of 10%. We believe that this focus will drive positive future NAV performance as these portfolio companies are more established, so have a greater potential to secure further investment, or are closer to an exit.

    Shareholder survey results
    Octopus regularly seeks feedback from Titan’s investor and adviser base either through local Business Development Managers or after webinars with the Investment Managers. Considering the ongoing review of Titan’s strategy, which is looking at a wide range of areas such as investment strategy, fundraising and dividend policies, Octopus and the Board wanted to give investors and advisers an extra opportunity to share feedback and help shape the future strategic direction of Titan. In conjunction with an external research firm, between December 2024 and January 2025, Octopus surveyed Titan’s investor and adviser base to try to better understand investors’ priorities, areas of concern and opportunities which may be of interest.

    We were pleased to see significant engagement, having received over 3,000 responses from investors and advisers. As stated in the Chair’s statement, the results emphasise that the greatest areas of dissatisfaction are around past performance and the capital growth opportunity, as highlighted below. Octopus and the Board share investors’ frustration with the recent poor performance, and have been reviewing Titan’s investment strategy with the aim to improve shareholder returns. The Board intends to communicate to investors any strategic changes once they are agreed in due course.

    To understand investors’ priorities when making their investment decision we asked the following:

    When you first chose to invest in Titan VCT, how important were the following factors?
    The results were as follows in order of importance:

    1. Tax reliefs available on your investment (income tax relief, tax free dividends and tax free capital gains)
    2. 5% annual target dividend
    3. Capital growth opportunity
    4. Past performance of fund
    5. Access to early-stage, unlisted tech enabled companies with high growth potential
    6. Ability to sell your shares back to the VCT via the share buyback facility
    7. Size of fund
    8. Fees and charges

    Octopus asked investors to rank their level of satisfaction against each of the top eight factors and the results were as follows:

      Satisfied Dissatisfied Neutral or not sure
    Tax reliefs available on your investment 88% 2% 10%
    5% annual target dividend 50% 22% 28%
    Capital growth opportunity 18% 60% 22%
    Past performance of fund 21% 52% 27%
    Access to early-stage, unlisted tech enabled companies with high growth potential 39% 10% 51%
    Ability to sell your shares back to the VCT via the share buyback facility 29% 8% 63%
    Size of fund 34% 6% 60%
    Fees and charges 22% 18% 60%

    Survey results based on responses from 1,093 direct investors and 2,195 advised investors, does not include responses from advisers.

    Valuations
    Titan’s unquoted portfolio companies are valued in accordance with UK GAAP accounting standards and the International Private Equity and Venture Capital (IPEV) valuation guidelines. This means we value the portfolio at Fair Value, which is the price we expect people would be willing to buy or sell an asset for, assuming they had all the information available that we do, are knowledgeable parties with no pre-existing relationship, and that the transaction is carried out under the normal course of business.

    The table below illustrates the split of valuation methodology (shown as a percentage of portfolio value and number of companies). ‘External price’ includes valuations based on funding rounds that typically completed by the year end or shortly after the year end, and exits of companies where terms have been issued with an acquirer. ‘External price’ also includes quoted holdings, which are held at their quoted price as at the valuation date. As at 31 December 2024, Titan only held one quoted holding. ‘Multiples’ is predominantly used for valuations that are based on a multiple of revenues for portfolio companies. Where there is uncertainty around the potential outcomes available to a company, a probability-weighted ‘scenario analysis’ is considered.

    Valuation methodology By value By number of companies
    External price 17% 25
    Multiples 53% 30
    Scenario analysis 16% 33
    Milestone analysis 14% 25
    Write-off 25

    Case studies

    MANUAL
    https://www.manual.co/
    Making high-quality care more accessible and stigma-free

    MANUAL provides innovative treatments for a range of conditions, from hair loss and low testosterone to weight management and diagnostics.

    With over 800,000 patients served across the UK and Brazil, MANUAL continues to expand its impact. The company’s weight loss brand, Voy, has helped over 70,000 people lose weight. In 2024, MANUAL acquired Menopause Care – the UK’s second largest menopause clinic – furthering its mission to support underserved areas of health.

    Following the company’s £29 million Series B raise in 2024, the company is accelerating its growth, with a 140% revenue Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) since 2019. With this investment, MANUAL is scaling its reach and pioneering new healthcare solutions, ensuring more people get the treatments they need to improve their quality of life.

    • Nearly 90% of men do not seek help unless they have a serious problem
    • Served more than 800,000 patients to date

    Legl
    https://legl.com/
    Revolutionising Legal Services with AI and Data-Driven Insights

    Legl delivers a world-class client experience for UK law firms by reducing risk, improving cash flow, and enabling them to bill and collect payments faster. With actionable client intelligence, their customers are empowered to make smarter decisions and drive business growth.

    By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data insights, Legl creates seamless onboarding experiences and superior payment processing capabilities. Beyond onboarding, they provide intelligence and audit functionality to help firms manage risk intelligently in a complex and ever-changing environment. Its embedded finance stack, which has been built specifically for law firms, makes collecting payments, reducing debt, and fostering exceptional client relationships effortless. In turn, providing a step-change for internal cash flow and treasury management.

    • Helped firms manage risk for over one million clients
    • Processed over $500 million in payments

    BondAval
    https://www.bondaval.com/
    Transforming non-payment risk protection

    Founded in 2020, B2B insurtech Bondaval protects companies when their customers buy now, but don’t pay later, and is already serving some of the largest companies in the world. While existing options are opaque, inflexible or limited, Bondaval’s range of insurance products are made more powerful via their proprietary technology platform, which translates policy obligations into clear tasks, helps aggregate and monitor risk signals, and makes limit management effortless for credit managers. With their receivables secured, businesses can grow faster with more peace of mind, achieve more predictable financial performance, and even access new lines of financing.

    • Offices in London, New York and Dallas
    • Licensed in 30+ countries

    Taster
    https://taster.com/
    Food innovators redefining quick-service dining

    Taster was founded with the goal of revolutionising the quick-service food experience globally. In 2017, the company raised €8 million, and by 2021, they secured an additional €30 million. By the end of 2023, Taster had grown to 400 online restaurants, with its franchise network expanding across France, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Taster collaborates closely with co-creators and kitchen partners, from launching new brands to creating special edition menu items. Their strategy focuses on building social media-first brands that engage audiences and cultivate communities around their digital restaurants.

    • Operating in over 90 cities across Europe

    We are disappointed to report a net decrease in the value of the portfolio of £137 million since 31 December 2023, excluding additions and disposals. This represents a decline of 17% on the value of the portfolio at the start of the year. Here, we set out the cost and valuation of the top 20 holdings, which account for 61% of the value of the portfolio and 47% of the total NAV.

      Portfolio: Investment focus: Investment cost: Total valuation including cost:
    1 Skin+Me Health £11.5m £44.9m
    2 Amplience B2B Software £13.6m £35.0m
    3 Permutive B2B Software £19.0m £31.0m
    4 Elliptic Fintech £9.9m £26.2m
    5 Vitesse Fintech £8.8m £25.8m
    6 ManyPets Fintech £10.0m £24.6m
    7 Pelago1 Health £17.9m £23.2m
    8 Legl B2B Software £7.3m £18.6m
    9 Orbex Deep tech £12.0m £17.8m
    10 Token Fintech £12.6m £16.5m
    11 Taster Consumer £8.1m £15.4m
    12 vHive Deep tech £8.0m £14.9m
    13 Ometria B2B Software £11.5m £14.0m
    14 SeatFrog Consumer £9.6m £13.5m
    15 KatKin Consumer £8.2m £13.2m
    16 Automata Health £12.3m £12.4m
    17 XYZ Consumer £15.3m £10.7m
    18 BondAval Fintech £7.1m £10.6m
    19 Iovox B2B Software £7.2m £10.4m
    20 Ibex Health £11.8m £9.5m
    1. Digital Therapeutics, Inc., formerly Quit Genius, has rebranded as Pelago.

    Top 10 investments in detail1
    1
    Skin+Me

    Skin+Me offers direct-to-consumer, personalised skincare.
    www.skinandme.com

    Initial investment date: September 2019
    Investment cost: £11.5m
      (2023: £11.5m)
    Valuation: £44.9m
      (2023: £48.5m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 August 2023
    Turnover: £28.7m
    (2023: £14.3m)
    Profit/(loss) before tax: £1.8m
      (2023: £(3.3)m)
    Net assets: £12.8m
      (2023: £(0.7m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    2
    Amplience
    Amplience is a leading headless content management system, which powers retailers’ digital channels.
    www.amplience.com

    Initial investment date: December 2010
    Investment cost: £13.6m
      (2023: £13.6m)
    Valuation: £35.0m
      (2023: £41.8m)
    Last submitted accounts: 30 June 2024
    Turnover: £16.0m
      (2023: £14.9m)
    Loss before tax: £(5.5)m
      (2023: £(8.1)m)
    Net assets: £(22.8)m
      (2023: (£17.4m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    3
    Permutive
    Permutive’s publisher data platform gives its customers an in-the-moment view of everyone on their site.
    www.permutive.com

    Initial investment date: May 2015
    Investment cost: £19.0m
      (2023: £19.0m)
    Valuation: £31.0m
      (2023: £41.2m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 January 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
      (2023: £9.8m)
    Loss before tax: Not available2
      (2023: £(19.3)m)
    Net assets: Not available2
      (2023: £(40.2)m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
      2023: Multiple

    4
    Elliptic
    Crypto compliance and forensic investigation solutions used by financial institutions, crypto businesses, law enforcement, and regulators to detect and prevent financial crime.
    www.elliptic.co

    Initial investment date: July 2014
    Investment cost: £9.9m
      (2023: £9.9m)
    Valuation: £26.2m
      (2023: £19.0m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 March 2024
    Turnover: £13.7m
      (2023: £9.6m)
    Loss before tax: £(16.4)m
      (2023: £(27.1)m)
    Net assets: £(3.8)m
      (2023: £10.6m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    5
    Vitesse

    A settlement and liquidity management platform to hold funds and deliver international payments globally, using domestic, in-country processing.
    www.vitesse.io/

    Initial investment date: June 2020
    Investment cost: £8.8m
      (2023: £10.1m)
    Valuation: £25.8m
      (2023: £26.6m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 March 2024
    Consolidated turnover: £24.8m
      (2023: £11.2m)
    Consolidated profit/(loss) before tax: £0.6m
      (2023: £(5.7)m)
    Net assets: £17.3m
      (2023: £16.2m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Last Round

    6
    ManyPets

    An award-winning insurtech company with a specific focus on providing better pet insurance for everyone.
    www.manypets.com

    Initial investment date: October 2016
    Investment cost: £10.0m
      (2023: £10.0m)
    Valuation: £24.6m
      (2023: £47.1m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 March 2024
    Turnover: £29.6m
      (2023: £35.9m)
    Loss before tax: £(34.1)m
      (2023: £(67.5)m)
    Net assets: £79.9m
      (2023: £110.6m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    7
    Pelago

    A digital health solution for managing substance use disorders.
    www.pelagohealth.com

    Initial investment date: January 2020
    Investment cost: £17.9m
    (2023: £17.9m)
    Valuation: £23.2m
      (2023: £38.6m)
    Last submitted accounts: Not available2
    Turnover: Not available2
    2023: Not available2:
    Loss before tax: Not available2
    2023: Not available2
    Net assets: Not available2
    2023: Not available2
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Last round

    8
    Legl
    Cloud based legal workflow automation platform.
    www.legl.com

    Initial investment date: January 2021
    Investment cost: £7.3m
      (2023: £7.3m)
    Valuation: £18.6m
      (2023: £13.8m)
    Last submitted accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
      2023: Not available2
    Profit/(loss) before tax: $1.5m
      (2023: $(0.1)m)
    Net assets: $30.4m
      (2023: $28.8m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    9
    Orbex

    Focused on providing low-cost orbital launch services for small satellites.
    www.orbex.space

    Initial investment date: December 2020
    Investment cost: £12.0m
      (2023: £10.3m)
    Valuation: £17.8m
      (2023: £15.3m)
    Last submitted group accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
    2023: Not available2
    Consolidated loss before tax: £(17.2)m
    (2023:(8.8)m)
    Consolidated net assets: £16.3m
      (2023: £31.8m)
    Valuation methodology: Scenario Analysis
    2023: Scenario Analysis

    10
    Token

    A leading open banking solution, focused on payments.
    www.token.io

    Initial investment date: March 2017
    Investment cost: £12.6m
      (2023: £12.6m)
    Valuation: £16.5m
      (2023: £17.1m)
    Last submitted group accounts: 31 December 2023
    Turnover: Not available2
    2023: Not available2
    Loss before tax: Not available2
    2023: Not available2
    Net assets: £0.9m
      (2023: £0.7m)
    Valuation methodology: Multiple
    2023: Multiple

    1. These are numbers per latest public filings. More recent figures have not yet been disclosed.
    2. Information not publicly available.

    Outlook
    Our portfolio companies have been navigating a turbulent few years and global geo‑political and economic conditions remain uncertain. Due to the early‑stage nature of the portfolio companies, any improvement in conditions will not be felt immediately.

    The fundraising environment remains challenging for portfolio companies, with 2024 seeing both a decline in the number of investments completed at the seed and Series A stages and many rounds completing at decreased valuations. This is largely a function of a reset in venture-backed valuations which began in 2022, with many companies having no option but to accept a reduced valuation to bring in new capital to survive or scale. We have also seen in the year that the venture landscape has been reshaped by AI, which captured a 37% share in all funding in 2024 and 17% of all deals.1 However, when AI investments are excluded, global deal activity dropped to its lowest levels since 2016.

    With some of our portfolio companies struggling to secure new investors and requiring significant investment to develop, many have had to focus on cash preservation and limit their growth. As such, the valuation multiples being applied have declined in line with this. We have also seen some companies being unable to achieve the milestones Octopus set out when the initial investment was completed and so we have seen more declines in value.

    Looking to the future, the Octopus Ventures team has been focusing on driving both improved performance and distributions to Titan. In the year, we have been able to realise £29 million in cash proceeds to the Company from exits. This includes deferred amounts received in cash relating to disposals from previous periods. In addition, £12.4 million was distributed from Zenith Holding Company to the Company. The team is actively involved in its portfolio companies and during the year developed specific workstreams to support the portfolio with value-adding activities, as summarised below:

    • Capital allocation: aims to optimise financial planning by fostering stronger alignment between each company’s strategic objectives and their financial plans, reducing the risk of unexpected cash issues and value-eroding insolvencies or emergency down-rounds. Improving financial planning will ensure efficient resource allocation, minimise risks and enhance profitability, ultimately leading to sustainable growth and long-term success.
    • Return: looking to drive exits or other liquidity events as part of a clear aim of regularly recycling capital back into the Company.
    • Raise: to improve fundraising outcomes for portfolio companies, through initiatives such as supporting the creation of fundraising material, network introductions for potential investors or timeframe planning. Raising additional funding is crucial to provide the necessary capital to expand operations, invest in new technologies and seize available growth opportunities, ensuring a company’s long-term viability and competitive edge.
    • Talent and board: to drive performance in companies by supporting and influencing the build of high performing leadership teams and effective boards. This workstream is driven by Octopus Ventures in-house People and Talent team. Building talented teams drives innovation, enhances productivity and contributes to a positive work culture, all of which lead to a company’s overall success.

    Titan’s capital and resources have been prioritised on those portfolio companies which have the potential to drive the greatest returns. This portfolio focus has been leveraging the advantages Titan has of being a very large and mature VCT holding a highly diversified portfolio. Having made over 80 investments in the preceding few years, there remains the opportunity for long-term returns to the Company. The ongoing focus for the team will be optimising growth plans for the portfolio and taking advantage of exit opportunities.

    1. https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/venture-trends-2024/

    Risks and risk management

    The Board assesses the risks faced by Titan and, as a board, reviews the mitigating controls and actions, and monitors the effectiveness of these controls and actions.

    Emerging and principal risks, and risk management

    Emerging risks

    The Board has considered emerging risks. The Board seeks to mitigate emerging risks and those noted below by setting policy, regular review of performance and monitoring progress and compliance. In the mitigation and management of these risks, the Board applies the principles detailed in the Financial Reporting Council’s Guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting.

    The following are some of the potential emerging risks that management and the Board are currently monitoring:

    • adverse changes in global macroeconomic environment;
    • challenging market conditions for private company fundraising and exits;
    • geo-political instability; and
    • climate change.

    Principal risks

    Risk Mitigation Change
    Investment performance:    
    The focus of Titan’s investments is into unquoted, small and medium‑sized VCT qualifying companies which, by their nature, entail a higher level of risk and shorter cash runway than investments in larger quoted companies. Octopus has significant experience of investing in early-stage unquoted companies, and appropriate due diligence is undertaken on every new investment. A member of the Octopus Ventures team is appointed to the board of a portfolio company using a risk-based approach, considering the size of the company within the Titan portfolio and the engagement levels of other investors. Regular board reports are prepared by the portfolio company’s management and examined by the Manager. This arrangement, in conjunction with its Portfolio Talent team’s active involvement, allows Titan to play a prominent role when necessary in a portfolio company’s ongoing development and strategy. The overall risk in the portfolio is mitigated by maintaining a wide spread of holdings in terms of financing stage, age, industry sector and business model. The Board reviews the investment portfolio with the Portfolio Manager on a regular basis. The Portfolio Manager is incentivised via a performance incentive fee for exceeding certain performance hurdles. The Board and Octopus are reviewing the fee structure. Risk exposures continue to increase due to the difficult macro environment and challenging trading conditions for some portfolio companies continuing.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    VCT qualifying status:    
    Titan is required at all times to observe the conditions for the maintenance of approved VCT status. The loss of such approval could lead to Titan and its investors losing access to the various tax benefits associated with VCT status and investment. Octopus tracks Titan’s qualifying status regularly throughout the year, and reviews this at key points including investment realisation. This status is reported to the Board at each Board meeting. The Board has also engaged external independent advisers to undertake an independent VCT status monitoring role. Decreased exposures reflected in the previous period remain. VCT status monitoring by independent advisers continues to reduce the risk of an issue causing a loss of VCT status.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Loss of key people:    
    The loss of key investment staff by the Portfolio Manager could lead to poor fund management and/or performance due to lack of continuity or understanding of Titan. The Portfolio Manager has a broad team, experienced in and focused on early-stage
    investing and portfolio company management. Various mitigants exist to assist in managing key person risk. These include frameworks that review succession, remuneration and career progression. Workforce planning is continuous and reviews skillsets and team structures. To reduce the exposure further, the core team is also supplemented by part-time venture partners with sector or functional specialism.
    The increased exposures reflected in the previous period remain due to the loss of the lead fund manager and other leadership positions at the Portfolio Manager. The absence of a performance fee and lack of new investments or deal-making opportunities compared to previous periods are also factors.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Operational:    
    The Board is reliant on the Portfolio Manager to manage investments effectively, and manage the services of a number of third parties, in particular the registrar, depositary and tax advisers. A failure of the systems or controls at Octopus or third-party providers could lead to an inability to provide accurate reporting and accounting and to ensure adherence to VCT rules. The Board reviews the system of internal controls, both financial and non-financial, operated by Octopus (to the extent the latter are relevant to Titan’s internal controls). These include controls designed to make sure that Titan’s assets are safeguarded and that proper accounting records are maintained. No overall change in risk exposure on balance.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Information security:    
    A loss of key data could result in a data breach and fines. The Board is reliant on Octopus and third parties to take appropriate measures to prevent a loss of confidential customer information. Annual due diligence is conducted on third parties which includes a review of their controls for information security. Octopus has a dedicated information security team and a third party is engaged to provide continual protection in this area. A security framework is in place to help prevent malicious events. No overall change on balance, although cyber threat remains a significant risk area faced by all service providers. The appropriateness of mitigants in place are continuously reassessed to adapt to new risk exposures, such as those posed by artificial intelligence.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Economic:    
    Events such as an economic recession and movement in interest rates could adversely affect some smaller companies’ valuations, as they may be more vulnerable to changes in trading conditions or the sectors in which they operate. This could result in a reduction in the value of Titan’s assets. Titan invests in a diverse portfolio of companies, across a range of sectors, which helps to mitigate against the impact on any one sector. Titan also maintains adequate liquidity to make sure it can continue to provide follow‑on investment to those portfolio companies which require it and which is supported by the individual investment case. Increased exposures reflected in the previous periods remain and have heightened further as economic uncertainty persists through high inflation, high interest rates and other economic factors.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Legislative:    
    A change to the VCT regulations could adversely impact Titan by restricting the companies Titan can invest in under its current strategy. Similarly, changes to VCT tax reliefs for investors could make VCTs less attractive and impact Titan’s ability to raise further funds. The Portfolio Manager engages with HM Treasury and industry bodies to demonstrate the positive benefits of VCTs in terms of growing early-stage companies, creating jobs and increasing tax revenue, and to help shape any change to VCT legislation. Risk exposure has continued to reduce since the previous period following the extension of the sunset clause to 2035 being agreed.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Liquidity:    
    The risk that Titan’s available cash will not be sufficient to meet its financial obligations. Titan invests in smaller unquoted companies, which are inherently illiquid as there is no readily available market for these shares. Therefore, these may be difficult to realise for their fair market value at short notice. Titan’s liquidity risk is managed on a continuing basis by Octopus in accordance with policies and procedures agreed by the Board. Titan’s overall liquidity risks are monitored on a quarterly basis by the Board, with frequent budgeting and close monitoring of available cash resources. Titan maintains sufficient investments in cash and readily realisable securities to meet its financial obligations. At 31 December 2024, these investments were valued at £183,770,000 (2023: £199,841,000), which represents 22% (2023: 20%) of the net assets of Titan. The Board also reviews the cash runway in the portfolio. Risk exposure has continued to increase, reflecting economic uncertainty, the impact on fundraising and the risk of failing to exit portfolio companies.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Valuation:    
    The portfolio investments are valued in accordance with International Private Equity and Venture Capital (IPEV) valuation guidelines. This means companies are valued at fair value. As the portfolio comprises smaller unquoted companies, establishing fair value can be difficult due to the lack of a readily available market for the shares of such companies and the potentially limited number of external reference points. Valuations of portfolio companies are performed by appropriately experienced staff, with detailed knowledge of both the portfolio company and the market it operates in. These valuations are then subject to review and approval by Octopus’ Valuation Committee, comprised of staff who are independent of Octopus Ventures with relevant knowledge of unquoted company valuations, as well as Titan’s Board of Directors. Risk exposure remains unchanged from the previous period due to economic uncertainty within valuation modelling.
    Risk Mitigation Change
    Foreign currency exposure:    
    Investments held and revenues generated in other currencies may not generate the expected level of returns due to changes in foreign exchange rates. Octopus and the Board regularly review the exposure to foreign currency movement to make sure the level of risk is appropriately managed. Investments are primarily made in GBP, EUR and USD so exposure is limited to a small number of currencies. On realisation of investments held in foreign currencies, cash is converted to GBP shortly after receiving the proceeds to limit the amount of time exposed to foreign currency fluctuations. Risk exposure has not changed since the previous period.

    Viability statement

    In accordance with the FRC UK Corporate Governance Code published in 2018 and provision 36 of the AIC Code of Corporate Governance, the Directors have assessed the prospects of Titan over a period of five years, consistent with the expected investment hold period of a VCT investor. Under VCT rules, subscribing investors are required to hold their investment for a five-year period in order to benefit from the associated tax reliefs. The Board regularly considers strategy, including investor demand for Titan’s shares, and a five-year period is considered to be a reasonable time horizon for this.

    The Board carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks facing Titan and its current position, including risks which may adversely impact its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity, and focused on the major factors which affect the economic, regulatory and political environment. Particular consideration was given to Titan’s reliance on, and close working relationship with, the Portfolio Manager.

    The Board has carried out robust stress testing of cash flows which included assessing the resilience of portfolio companies, including the requirement for any future financial support and the ability to pay dividends, and buybacks.

    The Board has additionally considered the ability of Titan to comply with the ongoing conditions to make sure it maintains its VCT qualifying status under its current Investment policy.

    Based on this assessment the Board confirms that it has a reasonable expectation that Titan will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the five-year period to 31 December 2029. The Board is mindful of the ongoing risks and will continue to make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place, in addition to monitoring the cash flow forecasts to ensure Titan has sufficient liquidity.

    Directors’ responsibilities statement

    The Directors are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Directors’ Report, the Directors’ Remuneration Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. They are also responsible for ensuring that the annual report and financial statements include information required by the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority.

    Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – ‘The Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland’ (FRS 102), (United Kingdom accounting standards and applicable law). Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the Company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to:

    • select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
    • make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
    • state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
    • prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business; and
    • prepare a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report and Directors’ Remuneration Report which comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

    The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

    Insofar as each of the Directors is aware:

    • there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditor is unaware; and
    • the Directors have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

    The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Having taken advice from the Audit Committee, the Directors are of the opinion that this report as a whole provides the necessary information to assess the Company’s performance, business model and strategy and is fair, balanced and understandable.

    The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

    The Directors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:

    • the financial statements, prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including FRS 102, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company; and
    • the annual report and financial statements (including the Strategic Report), give a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

    On behalf of the Board

    Tom Leader
    Chair

    Income statement

        Year to 31 December 2024 Year to 31 December 2023
        Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
        £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    Gain/(loss)/gain on disposal of fixed asset investments   5,184 5,184 (1,870) (1,870)
    Gain on disposal of current asset investments   563 563 355 355
    Loss on valuation of fixed asset investments   (136,894) (136,894) (131,655) (131,655)
    Gain on valuation of current asset investments   4,439 4,439 8,098 8,098
    Investment income   4,215 4,215 4,467 4,467
    Investment management fee   (954) (18,125) (19,079) (1,054) (20,028) (21,082)
    Other expenses   (6,072) (6,072) (6,264) (6,264)
    Foreign exchange translation   (5) (5) (1,548) (1,548)
    Loss before tax   (2,811) (144,838) (147,649) (2,851) (146,648) (149,499)
    Tax  
    Loss after tax   (2,811) (144,838) (147,649) (2,851) (146,648) (149,499)
    Loss per share – basic and diluted   (0.2)p (8.8)p (9.0)p (0.2)p (9.7)p (9.9)p
    • The ‘Total’ column of this statement is the profit and loss account of Titan. The supplementary revenue return and capital return columns have been prepared under guidance published by the Association of Investment Companies.
    • All revenue and capital items in the above statement derive from continuing operations.
    • Titan has only one class of business and derives its income from investments made in shares and securities, and from bank and money market funds.

    Titan has no other comprehensive income for the period.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Balance sheet

        As at 31 December 2024 As at 31 December 2023  
        £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000  
    Fixed asset investments     640,797   791,403  
    Current assets:            
    Money market funds   93,523   91,172    
    Corporate bonds   90,247   108,669    
    Applications cash1   22   17,842    
    Cash at bank   213   2,970    
    Debtors   8,412   1,218    
          192,417   221,871  
    Creditors: amounts falling due within one year   (1,856)   (19,530)    
    Net current assets     190,561   202,341  
                 
    Net assets     831,358   993,744  
                 
    Share capital     1,647   1,594  
    Share premium       45,780  
    Capital redemption reserve     141   74  
    Special distributable reserve     1,056,537   1,025,614  
    Capital reserve realised     (125,444)   (89,570)  
    Capital reserve unrealised     (57,285)   51,674  
    Revenue reserve     (44,238)   (41,422)  
                 
    Total equity shareholders’ funds     831,358   993,744  
                 
    NAV per share     50.5p   62.4p  
    1. Funds raised from investors since Titan opened for new investment which have not been allotted as at year end.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    The statements were approved by the Directors and authorised for issue on 28 April 2025 and are signed on their behalf by:

    Tom Leader, Chair
    Company Number 06397765

    Statement of changes in equity

          Capital Special Capital Capital    
      Share Share redemption distributable reserve reserve Revenue  
      capital premium reserve reserve1 realised1 unrealised reserve1 Total
      £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    As at 1 January 2024 1,594 45,780 74 1,025,614 (89,570) 51,674 (41,422) 993,744
    Comprehensive income for the year:                
    Management fees allocated as capital expenditure (18,125) (18,125)
    Current year gain on disposal of fixed asset investments 5,184 5,184
    Current year gain on disposal of current asset investments 563 563
    Loss on fair value of fixed asset investments (136,894) (136,894)
    Gain on fair value of current asset investments 4,439 4,439
    Loss after tax (2,811) (2,811)
    Foreign exchange translation (5) (5)
    Total comprehensive income for the year (12,378) (132,455) (2,816) (147,649)
    Contributions by and distributions to owners:                
    Share issue (includes DRIS) 120 76,664 76,784
    Share issue costs (1,893) (1,893)
    Repurchase of own shares (67) 67 (37,986) (37,986)
    Dividends paid (includes DRIS) (51,642) (51,642)
    Total contributions by and distributions to owners 53 74,771 67 (89,628) (14,737)
    Other movements:                
    Share premium cancellation (120,551) 120,551
    Prior year fixed asset gains now realised 7,473 (7,473)
    Prior year current asset losses now realised (74) 74
    Transfer between reserves (30,895) 30,895
    Total other movements (120,551) 120,551 (23,496) 23,496
    Balance as at 31 December 2024 1,647 141 1,056,537 (125,444) (57,285) (44,238) 831,358
    1. Reserves are available for distribution, subject to the restrictions.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

          Capital Special Capital Capital    
      Share Share redemption distributable reserve reserve Revenue  
      capital premium reserve reserve1 realised1 unrealised reserve1 Total
      £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    As at 1 January 2023 1,368 92,896 27 887,288 (53,430) 160,634 (37,023) 1,051,760
    Comprehensive income for the year:                
    Management fees allocated as capital expenditure (20,028) (20,028)
    Current year loss on disposal of fixed asset investments (1,870) (1,870)
    Current year gain on disposal of current asset investments 355 355
    Loss on fair value of fixed asset investments (131,655) (131,655)
    Gain on fair value of current asset investments 8,098 8,098
    Loss after tax (2,851) (2,851)
    Foreign exchange translation (1,548) (1,548)
    Total comprehensive income for the year (21,543) (123,557) (4,399) (149,499)
    Contributions by and distributions to owners:                
    Share issue (includes DRIS) 273 207,132 207,405
    Share issue costs (5,737) (5,737)
    Repurchase of own shares (47) 47 (32,422) (32,422)
    Dividends paid (includes DRIS) (77,763) (77,763)
    Total contributions by and distributions to owners 226 201,395 47 (110,185) 91,483
    Other movements:                
    Share premium cancellation (248,511) 248,511
    Prior year current asset losses now realised (355) 355
    Transfer between reserves (14,242) 14,242
    Total other movements (248,511) 248,511 (14,597) 14,597
    Balance as at 31 December 2023 1,594 45,780 74 1,025,614 (89,570) 51,674 (41,422) 993,744
    1. Reserves are available for distribution, subject to the restrictions.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Cash flow statement

        Year to 31 December Year to 31 December
        2024 2023
        £’000 £’000
    Reconciliation of profit to cash flows from operating activities      
    Loss before tax1   (147,649) (149,499)
    Decrease in debtors2   279 3,671
    Decrease/(increase) in creditors   146 (440)
    Gain on disposal of current asset investments   (563) (355)
    Gain on valuation of current asset investments   (4,439) (8,098)
    Gain on disposal of fixed asset investments   (5,184) (1,111)
    Loss on valuation of fixed asset investments   136,894 131,655
    Outflow from operating activities   (20,516) (24,177)
    Cash flows from investing activities      
    Sale of current asset investments   23,424 4,028
    Purchase of fixed asset investments   (30,011) (97,650)
    Proceeds from sale of fixed asset investments3   41,432 45,637
    Inflow/(outflow) from investing activities   34,845 (47,985)
    Cash flows from financing activities      
    Movement in applications account   (17,820) (5,457)
    Dividends paid (net of DRIS)   (43,881) (58,210)
    Purchase of own shares   (37,986) (32,422)
    Share issues (net of DRIS)   69,025 187,852
    Share issue costs   (1,893) (5,737)
    (Outflow)/inflow from financing activities   (32,555) 86,026
    Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   (18,226) 13,864
    Opening cash and cash equivalents   111,984 98,120
    Closing cash and cash equivalents   93,758 111,984
    Cash and cash equivalents comprise      
    Cash at bank   213 2,970
    Applications cash   22 17,842
    Money market funds   93,523 91,172
    Closing cash and cash equivalents   93,758 111,984
    1. Loss before tax includes cashflows from dividends of £4.2 million (2023: £4.2 million).
    2. Movement in debtors, net of disposal proceeds received in the year £41.4 million, with £40.9 million relating to current year disposals and £0.5 million relating to prior year disposals.
    3. Of these proceeds, £12.4 million was distributed from Zenith Holding Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Titan, to Titan during the year.

    The accompanying notes form an integral part of the financial statements.

    Notes to the financial statements

    1. Principal accounting policies

    Titan is a Public Limited Company (plc) incorporated in England and Wales and its registered office is at 6th Floor, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT.

    Titan has been approved as a Venture Capital Trust by HMRC under Section 259 of the Income Taxes Act 2007. The shares of Titan were first admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and trading on the London Stock Exchange on 28 December 2007 and can be found under the TIDM code OTV2. Titan is premium listed.

    The principal activity of Titan is to invest in a diversified portfolio of UK smaller companies in order to generate capital growth over the long term as well as an attractive tax-free dividend stream.

    The financial statements are presented in GBP (£) to the nearest £’000. The functional currency is also GBP (£). Some accounting policies have been disclosed in the respective notes to the financial statements.

    Basis of preparation

    The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, except for the measurement at fair value of certain financial instruments, and in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland’ (FRS 102), and with the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Financial Statements of Investment Trust Companies and Venture Capital Trusts (July 2022)’.

    2. Investment income
    Accounting policy
    Investment income includes interest earned on money market funds. Dividend income is shown net of any related tax credit.

    Dividends receivable are brought into account when Titan’s right to receive payment is established and there is no reasonable doubt that payment will be received. Fixed returns on debt and money market funds are recognised so as to reflect the effective interest rate, provided there is no reasonable doubt that payment will be received in due course.

    Disclosure

      Year to Year to
      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    Money market funds 4,215 4,154
    Loan note interest receivable 313
    Total investment income 4,215 4,467

    In the current year, accrued loan note interest income is treated to be included in the fair value of investments. The opening balance of accrued loan interest has been reclassified to be included in the fair value of investments. This reclassification amends the balance previously reported as of 31 December 2023.

    3. Investment management fees
    Accounting policy

    For the purposes of the revenue and capital columns in the Income Statement, the management fee has been allocated 5% to revenue and 95% to capital, in line with the Board’s expected long-term return in the form of income and capital gains respectively from Titan’s investment portfolio.

    Disclosure

      Year to 31 December 2024 Year to 31 December 2023
      Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
      £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
    Investment            
    management fee 954 18,125 19,079 1,054 20,028 21,082

    The Portfolio Manager provides investment management services through agreements with Octopus AIF Management Limited and Titan. It also provides non-investment services to Titan under a non-investment services agreement. No compensation is payable if the agreement is terminated by either party, if the required notice period is given. The fee payable, should insufficient notice be given, will be equal to the fee that would have been paid should continuous service be provided, or the required notice period was given. The basis upon which the management fee is calculated is disclosed within the Annual Report and financial statements.

    4. Other expenses
    Accounting policy

    Other expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis and are charged wholly to revenue.

    The transaction costs incurred when purchasing or selling assets are written off to the Income Statement in the period that they occur.

      Year to Year to
      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    Ongoing adviser and non-advised charges 2,111 2,370
    Non-investment services fee1 2,078 2,020
    Other fees 780 480
    Directors’ remuneration2 263 192
    Audit fees 204 191
    Registrar’s fees 196 200
    Depositary fees 187 270
    Listing fees 136 401
    Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance 117 123
    Impairment of accrued loan note interest receivable 17
    Total 6,072 6,264
    1. For further information please see note 9.
    2. Includes employers’ NI.

    Total ongoing charges are capped at 2.5% of net assets. For the year to 31 December 2024, the ongoing charges were 2.5% of net assets (2023: 2.4%). This is calculated by summing the expenses incurred in the period (excluding ongoing IFA charges and non‑recurring expenses) divided by the average NAV throughout the period.

    5. Tax on ordinary activities
    Accounting policy

    Corporation tax payable is applied to profits chargeable to corporation tax, if any, at the current rate. The tax effect of different items of income/gain and expenditure/loss is allocated between capital and revenue return on the ‘marginal’ basis as recommended in the SORP.

    Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences at the reporting date. Timing differences are differences between taxable profits and total income as stated in the financial statements that arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements.

    Disclosure
    The corporation tax charge for the period was £nil (2023: £nil).

      Year to Year to
      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    Loss on ordinary activities before tax (147,649) (149,499)
    Current tax at 25% (2023: 23.5%) (36,912) (35,163)
    Effects of:    
    Non‑taxable income (1,054) (977)
    Non‑taxable capital loss 31,677 29,418
    Non‑deductible expenses 55 71
    Zenith distribution1 3,100
    Excess management expenses on which deferred tax not recognised 3,134 7,070
    Tax rate differences2 (419)
    Total current tax charge

    1. £12.4 million was distributed from Zenith Holding Company to Titan in the year which is taxable income for Titan.
    2. Tax rate difference in the year to 31 December 2023 due to tax charge for the year being calculated at 19% and excess management expenses on which deferred tax is not recognised being calculated at 25%.

    Unrelieved tax losses of £227,486,000 (2023: £214,949,000) are estimated to be carried forward at 31 December 2024 (subject to completion of Titan’s tax return) and are available for offset against future taxable income, subject to agreement with HMRC. Titan has not recognised the deferred tax asset of £56,871,000 (2023: £53,737,000) in respect of these tax losses because there is insufficient forecast taxable income in excess of deductible expenses to utilise these losses carried forward. There is no expiry period on these deductible expenses under the UK HMRC legislation.

    Approved VCTs are exempt from tax on capital gains. As the Directors intend for Titan to continue to maintain its approval as a VCT through its affairs, no current deferred tax has been recognised in respect of any capital gains or losses arising on the revaluation or disposal of investment.

    6. Dividends
    Accounting policy

    Dividends payable are recognised as distributions in the financial statements when Titan’s liability to make the payment has been established. This liability is established on the record date, the date on which those shareholders on the share register are entitled to the dividend.

    Disclosure

      Year to Year to
      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
      £’000 £’000
    Dividends paid in the year    
    Previous year’s second interim dividend – 1.9p (2023: 3.0p) 31,876 46,127
    Current year’s interim dividend – 1.2p (2023: 2.0p) 19,767 31,636
    Total 51,643 77,763
         
    Dividends in respect of the year    
    Interim dividend – 1.2p (2023: 2.0p) 19,767 31,636
    Second interim dividend – 0.5p (2023: 1.9p) 8,236 31,876
    Total 28,003 63,512

    The figures above include dividends elected to be reinvested through the DRIS.

    The second interim dividend of 0.5p for the period ending 31 December 2024 will be paid on 29 May 2025 to shareholders on the register on 25 April 2025, this equates to 1% of the Company’s opening NAV per share.

    7. Earnings per share

      Year to 31 December 2024 Year to 31 December 2023
      Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total
    Loss attributable to Ordinary shareholders (£’000) (2,811) (144,838) (147,649) (2,851) (146,648) (149,499)
    Loss per Ordinary share (p) (0.2)p (8.8)p (9.0)p (0.2)p (9.7)p (9.9)p

    The total loss per share is based on 1,644,900,726 (2023: 1,506,111,802) Ordinary shares, being the weighted average number of Ordinary shares in issue during the year.

    There are no potentially dilutive capital instruments in issue and so no diluted return per share figures are relevant. The basic and diluted earnings per share are therefore identical.

    8. Net asset value per share

      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
    Net assets (£) 831,358,000 993,744,000
    Ordinary shares in issue 1,647,212,355 1,593,601,092
    NAV per share (p) 50.5 62.4

    9. Transactions with the Manager and Portfolio Manager

    Since 1 September 2017, Titan has been classified as a full-scope Alternative Investment Fund under the Alternative Investment Fund Management Directive (the ‘AIFM Directive’). As a result, since 1 September 2017, Titan’s investment management agreement was assigned by way of the deed of novation from Octopus Investments Limited to Octopus AIF Management Limited to act as Manager (an authorised alternative investment fund manager responsible for ensuring compliance with the AIFM Directive). Octopus AIF Management Limited has in turn appointed Octopus Investments Limited to act as Portfolio Manager to Titan (responsible for portfolio management and the day-to-day running of Titan).

    Titan paid Octopus AIF Management Limited £19,079,000 (2023: £21,082,000) in the period as a management fee. The annual management charge (AMC) is based on 2% of Titan’s NAV in respect of existing funds but in respect of funds raised by Titan under the 2018 Offer and thereafter (and subject to Titan having a cash reserve of 10% of its NAV), the AMC on uninvested cash is the lower of either (i) the actual return that Titan receives on its cash and funds that are the equivalent of cash (which currently consist of corporate bonds and money market funds) subject to a 0% floor and (ii) 2% of Titan’s NAV. The AMC is payable quarterly in advance and calculated using the latest published NAV of Titan and the number of shares in issue at each quarter end.

    Octopus provides non-investment services to the Company and receives a fee for these services which is capped at the lower of (i) 0.3% per annum of the Company’s NAV or (ii) the administration and accounting costs of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2020 with inflation increases in line with the Consumer Price Index. During the period, the Company paid £2,078,000 (2023: £2,020,000) to Octopus for the non‑investment services.

    In addition, Octopus is entitled to performance-related incentive fees. The incentive fees were designed to ensure that there were significant tax-free dividend payments made to shareholders as well as strong performance in terms of capital and income growth, before any performance-related fee payment was made.

    Due to performance in the year, the total value has decreased to 155.6p, representing a total loss of 8.8p. Therefore, the high water mark for the 2025 financial year remains at 197.7p.

    If, on a subsequent financial year end, the performance value of Titan falls short of the high water mark on the previous financial year end, no performance fee will arise. If, on a subsequent financial year end, the performance exceeds the previous best high water mark of Titan, the Manager will be entitled to 20% of such excess in aggregate.

    Octopus received £39,000 in the period to 31 December 2024 (2023: £36,000) in regard to arrangement and monitoring fees in relation to investments made on behalf of Titan. Since 31 October 2018, Octopus no longer receives such fees in respect of new investments or any such new fees in respect of further investments into portfolio companies in which Titan invested on or before 31 October 2018, with any such fees received after that time being passed to Titan.

    The cap relating to Titan’s total ongoing charges ratio, that is the regular, recurring costs of Titan expressed as a percentage of its NAV, above which Octopus has agreed to pay, is 2.5%, and is calculated in accordance with the AIC Guidelines.

    Octopus AIF Management Limited remuneration disclosures (unaudited)
    Quantitative remuneration disclosures required to be made in this annual report in accordance with the FCA Handbook FUND 3.3.5 are available on the website: https://www.octopusinvestments.com/remuneration-disclosures/.

    10. Related party transactions

    Titan owns Zenith Holding Company Limited, which owns a share in Zenith LP, a fund managed by Octopus.

    In the year, Octopus Investments Nominees Limited (OINL) has purchased Titan shares from shareholders to correct administrative issues, on the understanding that shares will be sold back to Titan in subsequent share buybacks. As at 31 December 2024, no Titan shares were held by OINL (2023: no shares) as beneficial owner. Throughout the period to 31 December 2024, OINL purchased 65,000 shares (2023: 1,883,000 shares) at a cost of £36,000 (2023: £1,563,000) and sold 65,000 shares (2023: 1,883,000 shares) for proceeds of £34,000 (2023: £1,353,000). This is classed as a related party transaction as Octopus, the Portfolio Manager, and OINL are part of the same group of companies. Any such future transactions, where OINL takes over the legal and beneficial ownership of Company shares, will be announced to the market and disclosed in annual and half‑yearly reports.

    Several members of the Octopus investment team hold non-executive directorships as part of their monitoring roles in Titan’s portfolio companies, but they have no controlling interests in those companies.

    Details of the Directors and their remuneration can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

    The Directors received the following dividends from Titan:

      Year to Year to
      31 December 31 December
      2024 2023
      £ £
    Jane O’Riordan 4,766 6,901
    Tom Leader 1,464 1,889
    Lord Rockley 2,406 2,776
    Julie Nahid Rahman 138 89
    Gaenor Bagley
    Rupert Dickinson
    738
    901

    11. 2024 financial information

    The figures and financial information for the year ended 31 December 2024 are extracted from the Company’s annual financial statements for the period and do not constitute statutory accounts. The Company’s annual financial statements for the year to 31 December 2024 have been audited but have not yet been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The Auditors’ report on the 2024 annual financial statements was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain any statements under Sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

    12. 2023 financial information

    The figures and financial information for the period ended 31 December 2023 are compiled from an extract of the published financial statements for the period and do not constitute statutory accounts. Those financial statements have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included the Auditors’ report which was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matter to which the auditors drew attention without qualifying the report, and did not contain any statements under Sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

    13. Annual Report and financial statements

    The Annual Report and financial statements will be posted to shareholders in early May and will be available on the Company’s website, octopustitanvct.com. The Notice of Annual General Meeting is contained within the Annual Report.

    14. General information

    Registered in England & Wales. Company No. 06397765
    LEI: 213800A67IKGG6PVYW75

    15. Directors

    Tom Leader (Chair), Jane O’Riordan, Lord Rockley, Gaenor Bagley, Julie Nahid Rahman and Rupert Dickinson.

    16. Secretary and registered office   

    Octopus Company Secretarial Services Limited
    6th Floor, 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: How do the Coalition and Labor plans on housing differ – and what have they ignored?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

    Any doubts that Australia’s growing housing challenges would be a major focus of the federal election campaign have been dispelled over recent weeks.

    Both major parties announced strikingly ambitious housing initiatives as campaign centrepiece offers. So how do they compare?

    What’s the Coalition offering?

    The Coalition had already pledged several significant housing initiatives, should it form government. Among those, the biggest ticket item is the $5 billion program for enabling infrastructure to “unlock up to 500,000 new homes”.

    In the absence of underpinning detail, both the wording of this pledge and its alleged potential impact have generated some scepticism.

    Also announced well ahead of the campaign was the Coalition’s plan to allow first home buyers to draw down on their superannuation. They could withdraw up to $50,000 to help fund mortgage deposits.

    This proposal has attracted some qualified support. But it’s been rejected by most of Australia’s top economists. This reflects concerns the measure could prove highly inflationary. It also risks a net loss for scheme participants if devalued retirement savings outweigh the benefit of accelerated access to home ownership.

    Likewise, the Coalition’s newly unveiled plan to allow mortgage interests for first home buyers to be tax-deductible has been fiercely criticised for its likely inflationary and regressive effects.

    Such arrangements are novel in Australia, but exist in some other countries. These include the Netherlands, where their impact has been recently described as damaging to both housing affordability and public finances.

    What’s Labor offering?

    Labor’s two new offers are to enable access to a mortgage with only a 5% deposit, and its $10 billion “Build to Sell” program.

    As a demand-side instrument, the first of these could have some inflationary impact. But given the modest nature of the assistance provided, and that it only expands the existing Home Guarantee Scheme from its current maximum annual quota of 50,000 to an expected take-up of around 80,000, this is likely to be limited.

    The Build to Sell plan would see collaboration with state and territory governments to commission 100,000 new homes in eight years. These would be for first home buyers only and, likely, for cost-price sale.

    In further details of the plan, released just days out from polling day, Labor says the plan would be progressed partly via $2 billion in concessional loans to the states.

    The whole build-to-sell idea revives the practice of the 1950s and 1960s where, in addition to constructing public housing for rent, state governments commissioned homes for sale. This contributed to the rapid rise in home ownership during that period.

    As a supply-side measure, the new plan builds on the 2022 National Housing Accord. The accord aims to expand overall housing industry output to 1.2 million new homes in the five years to 2029.

    Much about the Build to Sell plan has yet to be revealed. But from what we know, it looks like a bold initiative in challenging conventional modern thinking about the proper limits of direct state involvement in supplying a commodity largely provided through the market.

    By expanding overall housing production, it could help in slightly moderating prices market-wide, as well as benefiting the homebuyers directly involved.

    One-eyed agendas

    When it comes to helping first home buyers, both parties have put forth some ambitious new propositions. But social housing and homelessness pledges have been glaringly absent from their proposals.

    Neither Labor nor the Coalition has announced any significant new initiative to relieve rental stress at the lower end of the housing market, affecting millions of Australians. Measures that might, at least indirectly, help stem the rising tide of homelessness that now sees more than 10,000 newly homeless people being taken on by support agencies every month.

    Given its numerous initiatives to increase assistance to low-income and otherwise disadvantaged renters already enacted since 2022, Labor has a somewhat stronger excuse here.

    But while Albanese government measures, such as increased rent assistance, have eased the situation for some hard-pressed tenants, many other measures will only start to help in the next term of parliament.

    That’s especially true for the Housing Australia Future Fund and all of Labor’s other post-2022 federal programs to expand social and affordable housing construction. Pledged commitments during the current parliament should add 55,000 new social and affordable homes to the national portfolio.

    In combination with the Build to Sell initiative, this would see state-commissioned or otherwise funded housing construction perhaps equating to as much as 10% of all home-building later this decade. While short of the 16% achieved in the 1945-70 period, that would be a giant increase over the 1-2% typically recorded during the 2010s.




    Read more:
    Homelessness – the other housing crisis politicians aren’t talking about


    Even so, social and affordable housing investment so far pledged by Labor is limited in relation to demand. It’s estimated 640,000 households have an unmet need for social or affordable housing.

    The Coalition says if it wins the election, it would abolish the housing future fund. When asked how he would replace it, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor declared it unnecessary because “there’s billions of dollars that [already] goes to the states for social housing”.

    While narrowly true, this is also disingenuous. The relatively modest funds referenced here – paid annually under the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness – are entirely swallowed up in balancing the operating budgets of state public housing authorities.

    With public housing systems otherwise mired deep in deficits, it’s been decades since this funding stream has been sufficient to generate any new housing supply.

    In this respect, the Coalition’s 2025 housing pitch foreshadows a resumption of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison stance: nine years of federal subsidy drought for new social and affordable housing.

    What else is missing?

    Many have also criticised the recent major party offers as ignoring the overdue need for fundamental housing tax reform.

    That’s true for Labor. But the Coalition’s pitch on mortgage interest would, in fact, amount to a major property tax reset.

    Unfortunately, though, this so-called “negative gearing for first home buyers” would pile yet another damaging “market distortion” on top of all our existing property ownership tax breaks.

    These concessions have, over decades, contributed to today’s housing affordability problem, as their value is capitalised into higher prices.

    As observed by researcher Peter Mares, this new Coalition foray only goes to shine an even brighter light on the rational case to confront that problem head-on.

    Hal Pawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and Crisis UK. He is a part-time unpaid advisor to Senator David Pocock.

    ref. How do the Coalition and Labor plans on housing differ – and what have they ignored? – https://theconversation.com/how-do-the-coalition-and-labor-plans-on-housing-differ-and-what-have-they-ignored-253337

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology

    Ti Wi / Unsplash

    Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and promises, many from the new party Trumpet of Patriots (backed by Clive Palmer, a veteran of the mass text campaign).

    The practice isn’t new, and it’s totally legal under current laws. It’s also non-partisan. Campaigns of all stripes have partaken. Behold, the Liberal Party’s last-minute SMS to voters about asylum seekers before the 2022 federal election, or Labor’s controversial “Mediscare” text before the 2016 poll. Despite multiple cycles of criticism, these tactics remain a persistent feature of Australian election campaigns.

    A recent proposal to update decades-old rules could help change things – if a government would put it into practice.

    What does the law say about political spam?

    Several laws regulate spam and data collection in Australia.

    First, there is the Spam Act. This legislation requires that organisations obtain our consent before sending us marketing emails, SMSs and instant messages. The unsubscribe links you see at the bottom of spam emails? Those are mandated by the Spam Act.

    Second, the Do Not Call Register (DNCR) Act. This Act establishes a “do not call” register, managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which individuals can join to opt out of telemarketing calls.

    Finally, there is the Privacy Act, which governs how organisations collect, use and disclose our personal information. Among other things, the Privacy Act requires that organisations tell us when and why they are collecting our personal information, and the purposes for which they intend to use it. It restricts organisations from re-purposing personal information collected for a particular purpose, unless an exception applies.

    This trio of laws was designed to offer relief from unsolicited, unwanted direct marketing. It does not, however, stop the deluge of political spam at election time due to broad political exemptions sewn into the legislation decades ago.

    The Spam Act and DNCR Act apply to marketing for goods and services but not election policies and promises, while the Privacy Act contains a carve-out for political parties, representatives and their contractors.

    The upshot is that their campaigns are free to spam and target voters at will. Their only obligation is to disclose who authorised the message.

    How do political campaigns get our information?

    Secrecy about the nature and extent of campaign data operations, enabled by the exemptions, makes it difficult to pinpoint precisely where a campaign might have obtained your data from.

    There are, however, a number of ways political campaigns can acquire our information.

    One source is the electoral roll (though not for phone numbers, as the Australian Electoral Commission often points out). Incumbent candidates might build on this with information they obtain through contact with constituents which, thanks to the exemptions, they’re allowed to re-purpose for campaigning at election time.

    Another source is data brokers – firms which harvest, analyse and sell large quantities of data and profiles.

    We know the major parties have long maintained voter databases to support their targeting efforts, which have become increasingly sophisticated over the years.

    Other outfits might take more haphazard approaches – former MP Craig Kelly, for example, claimed to use software to randomly generate numbers for his texting campaign in 2021.

    What can be done?

    Unwanted campaign texts are not only irritating to some. They can be misleading.

    This year, there have been reports of “push polling” texts (pseudo surveys meant to persuade rather than gauge voter options) in the marginal seat of Kooyong. The AEC has warned about misleading postal vote applications being issued by parties via SMS.

    This election campaign has seen a flood of texts from Trumpet of Patriots among others.
    The Conversation, CC BY-SA

    Generative AI is hastening the ability to produce misleading content, cheaply and at scale, which can be quickly pushed out across an array of online social and instant messaging services.

    In short, annoying texts are just one visible symptom of a wider vulnerability created by the political exemptions.

    The basic argument for the political exemptions is to facilitate freedom of political communication, which is protected by the Constitution. As the High Court has said, that freedom is necessary to support informed electoral choice. It does not, however, guarantee speakers a captive audience.

    In 2022, the Attorney-General’s Department proposed narrowing the political exemptions, as part of a suite of updates to the Privacy Act. Per the proposal, parties and representatives would need to be more transparent about their data operations, provide voters with an option to unsubscribe from targeted ads, refrain from targeting voters based on “sensitive information”, and handle data in a “fair and reasonable” manner.

    The changes would be an overdue but welcome step, recognising the essential role of voter privacy in a functioning democratic system.

    Unfortunately, the government has not committed to taking up the proposal.

    A bipartisan lack of support is likely the biggest obstacle, even as the gap created by the political exemptions widens, and its rationale becomes flimsier, with each election cycle.

    Tegan Cohen has received funding from the Australian Research Council (FT210100263). She has volunteered for not-for-profit groups and parties, including the Wilderness Society and the Australian Greens.

    ref. Why are political parties allowed to send spam texts? And how can we make them stop? – https://theconversation.com/why-are-political-parties-allowed-to-send-spam-texts-and-how-can-we-make-them-stop-255413

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Legendary architect’s works on show for Hawke Centre exhibition

    Source:

    29 April 2025

    Architect Guy Maron at UniSA’s City West campus.

    Award winning South Australian architect Guy Maron AM is responsible for some of Adelaide’s most iconic buildings, including UniSA’s original City West campus and the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

    Yet his body of works also includes significant housing projects, educational facilities and commercial buildings.

    A retrospective exhibition Enduring Rationalism: The Architecture of Guy Maron will be held at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA, from 30 April to 30 May.

    The exhibition, shown in collaboration with UniSA’s Architecture Museum, will showcase photographs, drawings and writings from Maron’s extensive body of work. This includes prizewinning housing at Clovercrest from 1964 and the modern Australian Automobile Headquarters in Canberra, as well as many of Maron’s innovative competition entries for significant national buildings.

    Maron played a major role in the foundation of UniSA’s City West campus, designed to promote interaction and the flow of ideas and knowledge between students and across disciplines.

    He spent his early years in Sydney where he studied architecture at the University of Sydney before moving to North America where he lived and studied for four years.

    “It’s the desire for any young architect to reach to the top of his profession and as new graduates we were inspired by the pioneers of modern architecture such Walter Gropius, Frank Lloyd Wright, le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe who were leading the world at the time as hero-architects,” Maron says.

    “Climate had a great deal of influence on me, and it became evident that the concept of shelter was of paramount importance in our environment. My parental home in Batavia (Djakarta) showed an ability to cope with the harshness of the tropical heat and humidity, which was a fortunate influence on me in dealing with the tropical environment where air-conditioning did not exist.

    “This early awakening to the environment was of crucial importance to my realisation of the importance of shelter as a prime determinant of architecture. The concept of functionalism and the acceptance of its importance came naturally to me and was never an issue I took for granted during my studies of architecture.”

    The Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

    Relocating to Adelaide in 1972, Maron became the principal in the firm Cheesman, Doley, Neighbour and Raffen. His career took off in the late 1980s and he completed his most famous building, the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in 1989, which went on to win 10 national awards as well as international design awards, including the BHP Architecture of the Decade Award. He also designed the Mount Lofty Lookout in the Adelaide Hills.

    Maron has said his architecture comes from ‘finding rational solutions to intricate problems’ with the credo ‘more for less’ informing his work, something evident across the photographs, drawings, and writings on display in this exhibition.

    He reflects on the world’s expanding population and need for new buildings to accommodate new arrivals.

    “The world is increasing by a net 200,000 new arrivals every day… meaning that we have a need for 50 million new buildings a year to accommodate our new arrivals. That must be achieved by one million registered architects worldwide. This is not possible,” Maron says.

    “In my opinion we are due for another major engineering invention of some kind that will bring about a revolution. An attitudinal change will be required as well so that people can divorce themselves from accepted forms of design and construction and embrace a new world, a world that will build houses and housing on an endless belt as for motor cars today and build hundreds of houses per day.

    “This engineering invention is overdue by a long time now and is urgent. It will be expected to cause the same revolution as reinforced concrete did.”

    Enduring Rationalism: The Architecture of Guy Maron is showing at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre’s Kerry Packer Civic Gallery at UniSA, located on Level 3 of the Hawke Building, 55 North Terrace, City West Campus, from 30 April to 30 May, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Free entry.

    ……………………………………………………

    Media contacts

    Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA Media M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    Dr Julie Collins, Director & Curator, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, P: +61 8 8302 9235 E: Julie.Collins@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Settlements with Companies Selling Seafood Products in California Regarding Cadmium and Lead in Their Products

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced settlements with Clearwater Fine Foods USA Inc. (Clearwater), Seaquest Seafood Corporation (Seaquest), and Jayone Foods (Jayone), resolving allegations that the companies sold fresh and/or frozen seafood products in California with elevated levels of the toxic heavy metals lead and/or cadmium without the warnings required for exposures to such contaminants, a violation of Proposition 65 and the Unfair Competition Law. The settlement with Clearwater requires it to pay a total of $304,164.98 in civil penalties, attorneys’ fees, and costs. Clearwater must also adhere to injunctive terms that include implementing heavy metal reduction measures.  A separate settlement requires Seaquest and Jayone to provide warnings, and to pay a total of $81,440 in civil penalties, attorneys’ fees, and costs. The Seaquest and Jayone settlement includes opt-in provisions that will allow other sellers of fresh or frozen seafood products to join in the settlement on similar terms.

    No one should have to question whether their food is safe to eat,” said Attorney General Bonta. “That’s why California law requires businesses to warn our residents about potential harm from significant exposures to toxic contaminants. We appreciate the cooperation of these companies in taking steps to minimize heavy metals in their seafood products, in addition to providing warnings if their products cannot be kept below the applicable regulatory threshold. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to hold accountable those who fail to warn consumers that they are being exposed to significant levels of toxic contaminants.”

    Cadmium and lead are both toxic heavy metals that accumulate in the body over time, leading to serious health issues. Long-term exposure to cadmium through ingestion can lead to reproductive harm and kidney toxicity. Exposure to lead by ingesting contaminated foods can lead to reproductive and developmental toxicity, resulting in effects such as reduced male fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage and birth defects.

    The settlement with Clearwater, a seafood harvester, resulted from an investigation the Attorney General’s Office conducted after receiving Proposition 65 sixty-day notices from a private enforcer relating to several of Clearwater’s clam products. The data supporting these notices revealed cadmium concentrations in excess of the regulatory “safe harbor” level at which no Proposition 65 warnings are required.

    After testing the Clearwater products to validate the test results, our office confirmed that the clam products at issue contained cadmium levels that exceeded the regulatory Proposition 65 safe harbor level set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the implementing agency. The products thus required warnings for reproductive toxicity under Proposition 65, which Clearwater had failed to provide, thereby violating both Proposition 65 and the Unfair Competition Law.

    By entering into the settlement with the Attorney General, Clearwater has agreed to terms that go above and beyond the requirements of Proposition 65, and benefit public health by requiring Clearwater to minimize cadmium levels in its clam products. The settlement resolves the People’s allegations and requires the company to pay civil penalties, attorneys’ fees, and costs, as referenced above, as well as to adhere to injunctive terms. These terms include mandating that Clearwater monitor its clam harvesting, minimize the introduction of heavy metals during processing, retain a food quality auditor to assess the origin of any detected cadmium, and conduct compliance testing to ensure that levels of cadmium in these products are minimized. Clearwater would be required to provide warnings if its fresh or frozen clam products expose California consumers to levels of cadmium above the Proposition 65 warning threshold, or if it elects to discontinue these measures.

    The settlement with Seaquest and Jayone, two distributors of seafood supplied by other companies, stems from a similar investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Office.  Our office tested multiple seafood products distributed by the two companies and confirmed that the products at issue exceeded the safe harbor levels for lead and/or cadmium. The products thus required warnings for reproductive toxicity under Proposition 65, which neither company had provided, thereby violating both Proposition 65 and the Unfair Competition Law.

    The Seaquest and Jayone settlement resolves the People’s allegations, requires both companies to provide warnings in accordance with Proposition 65, and requires them to ask their suppliers to implement practices that will minimize the introduction of lead and cadmium during processing. It also requires the payment of civil penalties and attorneys’ fees and costs, as referenced above. The settlement includes opt-in provisions that permit similarly situated companies that may be out of compliance with Proposition 65 to join in the settlement on similar terms.

    A copy of the Clearwater settlement can be found here. 

    A copy of the Seaquest and Jayone settlement can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Georgia’s 11th Congressional District Art Competition Winners Announced – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

    First Place winner Alberto Garcia Melchor (left) and Congressmay Barry Loudermilk (right).

    Washington D.C. (April 28, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement to announce the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District. Alberto Garcia Melchor, who attends Gordon Central High School, won First Place for his entry entitled, Vanishing Stripes.

    “The Congressional Art Competition is something I look forward to each year because I get to see the incredible artistic abilities of the students in our district. Having your artwork displayed in the halls of the U.S. Capitol is a great honor; and I look forward to seeing our winner’s artwork every time I walk through the Cannon tunnel to the House floor for votes. I appreciate all the students, teachers, judges, and parents who had a hand in making this year’s art competition one of the best ever.”

    In the 2025 competition, a total of twenty-four entries were submitted from ten schools across Georgia’s 11th Congressional District.

    2025 Congressional Art Competition Winners

    First Place
    Alberto Garcia Melchor
    Art Piece: Vanishing Stripes
    School: Gordon Central High School
    Teacher: Kaitlyn Wood

    Second Place
    Erick Jaramillo
    Art Piece: Que’ dijo?
    School: Calhoun High School
    Teacher: Kate Johnson

    Honorable Mention
    Luca Camay
    Art Piece: Flathead Catfish
    School: Walton High School
    Teacher: Kathleen Petka

    Honorable Mention
    Liberty Carson
    Art Piece: Lady Liberty
    School: Homeschool Study Program
    Teacher: Jennifer Tinsley

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Sentenced for Firearm and Ammunition Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  

    Ted Therrien, 54, of Newport News, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to time served (356 days) plus two weeks in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In November 2024, Therrien pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to court documents, on or around July 30, 2021, when boarding a commercial fishing vessel in Fairhaven, Mass., Therrien unlawfully possessed a Ruger .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and at least nine rounds of Remington .40 caliber ammunition. While on board the fishing vessel, after an argument with fellow crew members, Therrien discharged the firearm into the air. The U.S. Coast Guard was called and removed him from the fishing vessel. Therrien is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.  

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Steven Firth, Special Agent in Charge of Coast Guard Investigative Service, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Fairhaven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 
     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Bahrain formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

    Source: World Trade Organization

    DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “I thank Bahrain for adding its support to WTO members’ efforts to preserve global fish stocks and the livelihoods that depend on them. The submission of Bahrain’s acceptance brings us a step closer to the entry into force of this historic Agreement that will benefit people, oceans and the planet. I encourage other governments to ratify the Agreement swiftly – only 14 more acceptances are needed for it to become part of the WTO framework!”

    Ambassador Abdulla said: “The Kingdom of Bahrain is pleased to deposit its instrument of acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This step reaffirms Bahrain’s support for the multilateral trading system and its continued engagement in international efforts to promote the sustainable use of marine resources.

    As a country with a long-standing maritime heritage, Bahrain attaches particular importance to the preservation of ocean ecosystems and the fair governance of global fisheries. The ratification of this agreement is also aligned with the Kingdom’s broader commitment to sustainable development and economic diversification, as set out in Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

    We commend the collective efforts of WTO members in concluding this agreement and look forward to continued cooperation toward its entry into force and effective implementation.”

    For the Agreement to enter into force, formal acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members are required – representing a total of 111 members. The full list of WTO members which have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here.

    At the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted by consensus the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies,  setting new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful fisheries subsidies. The Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, for fishing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas. Ministers also recognized the needs of developing economies and least-developed countries by establishing a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help  them implement the new obligations if they have formally accepted the Agreement.

    WTO members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiating on outstanding fisheries subsidies issues with a view to further strengthening the Agreement’s disciplines.

    Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment can be found here.

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    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Security: Smiths Settlement — RCMP arrests man for assaulting fishery officer

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment has arrested a man for assaulting a fishery officer in the lawful execution of their duties in Smiths Settlement.

    On April 26, at approximately 5 a.m., RCMP officers responded to a report of an assault near Hwy 7. RCMP officers learned that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was attempting to conduct an inspection at Eel Pond when a man driving an Acura TL collided with a uniformed fishery officer who was on foot and instructing the driver to stop.

    The fishery officer was not injured.

    The 36-year-old driver from Sipekne’katik was safely arrested at the scene by RCMP officers. During a search of the vehicle, an extendable baton and drug paraphernalia were seized.

    The man was later released. He’s scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on August 20, at 9:30 a.m., to face a charge of Assault with a Weapon.

    A second man who was present at the time of the incident was arrested by DFO in relation to a Fisheries Act investigation and later released.

    File #: 25-57781

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Secret Benefits Review [2025] Is SecretBenefits.com the Best Sugar Daddy Site?

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Secret Benefits is a popular sugar daddy website that connects wealthy benefactors with attractive, goal-driven partners. Known for its user-friendly design, privacy features, and verified profiles, SecretBenefits.com makes sugar dating simple and secure in 2025.

    SecretBenefits continues to offer a safe and respectful environment for everyone who is navigating the sugar dating landscape. The platform has mutual benefits for both the sugar babies and sugar daddies. With upgraded features and security measures that promote the authenticity and trust of its users, Secret Benefits has shattered all the doubts about whether it is a sugar dating website or just a scam. 

    Why Wait? Join The Best Sugar Dating Site for Free!

    SecretBenefits.com is praised for its transparent and flexible credit system, real people verified profiles, and a login process that’s easy, fast, and reliable, and with the Secret Benefits app coming soon, mobile convenience is also going to become an integral part of this sugar dating website.

    These announcements follow months of monitoring and analyzing the causes of common sugar dating scams and frauds, followed by proactive safety measures that help the users of Secret Benefits avoid sugar daddy scams. As this method of modern dating gains traction, Secret Benefits offers real users, real profiles, and real boundaries, making it the only platform you can trust for your sugar dating experience. 

      Sign Up on Secret Benefits – Discreet & Secure

    Why SecretBenefits.com Is a Secure and Trustworthy Sugar Dating Site in 2025

    Secret Benefits creates a trusted network between individuals who want to build meaningful and mutually beneficial sugar-dating relationships. 

    However, since the sugar dating landscape is heavily dependent on online platforms, it is often plagued by scams, fake profiles, and unclear intentions, and one of the reasons behind them is scam websites. SecretBenefits.com stands out as a 100% reliable and transparent platform for those individuals who want to engage in sugar dating.

    This 2025 report marks a turning point for the sugar dating niche.

    With SecretBenefits, users can now benefit from its safe and secure features, such as enhanced identity verification protocols, search filters, and a modern user dashboard that makes this website very easy to use.

      Join Secret Benefits Today and Start Connecting

    Let’s break down what makes Secret Benefits the top most reliable sugar dating site in 2025.

    1. Transparent and Flexible Credit System

    A flexible credit system allows users of Secret Benefits to have complete freedom in tailoring their sugar dating course in a way they wish. It is very different from traditional subscription-based models that charge recurring fees. SecretBenefits.com accommodates the wants and needs of sugar daddies and sugar babies by offering a credit-based system. This allows users to pay only for the features they use, providing more freedom and control.

    The Key Benefits of the Flexible Credit System Are:

    • No monthly subscriptions – alter your profile as you progress in time
    • No hidden costs – spend only when you initiate a conversation
    • Transparent usage – the credit activity will be tracked very clearly in your account

    The flexible credit system is an attractive feature for users who are tired of overpriced dating websites and their memberships.

    2. Real People, Verified Profiles

    One of the best features of SecretBenefits.com that makes it a legit and secure sugar dating website, as emphasized in its 2025 report, is that it has 100% verified profiles. Secret Benefits has implemented multiple layers of security and is moving towards a multi-step verification process for users, merging simple verification methods like email checks and phones with photo validation and biometric matching. All of these measures solidify the authenticity of Secret Benefits and ensure that users are real people seeking genuine sugar relationships and arrangements.

    The Secret Benefits verification tools include:

    • Photo validation processes
    • Manually approved profiles
    • In-house monitoring team to review reported users

    By verifying both the identities of sugar daddies and sugar babies, Secret Benefits ensures that only real and verified users are allowed to join.

    Users feel safe knowing that Secret Benefits will keep fraudsters off the app, creating a trustworthy platform for the sugar dating community.

    Start Your Sugar Dating Journey on Secret Benefits

    3. SecretBenefits Login: Easy, Fast, and Secure

    Logging into SecretBenefits.com is as simple as it is secure. 

    The login credentials used by Secret Benefits identifies each profile separately, such as by username and password. These enable users to verify their identity if they want to log in to their online accounts.

    New users can sign up within minutes, and returning members enjoy the security of their accounts and passwords from multi-device compatibility and smart authentication layers. Secret Benefits is an online platform that includes the personal data of the sugar dating community, which is why there is a dire need for secure login credentials.

    Digital profiles exist for sugar babies as well as sugar daddies, and they hold sensitive information like their names, date of birth, mailing addresses, email addresses, and banking details.

    Secret Benefits offers an easy, fast, and secure login experience via:

    • Two-factor authentication
    • Password reset protocols
    • Secure browsing with HTTPS encryption

    SecretBenefits.com protects all of its accounts with a streamlined interface so that logging in, exploring profiles, and communicating is as enjoyable as it is secure.

    4. Design and User Interface: Sleek and User-Centric 

    SecretBenefits.com’s new design update in 2025 has made the site even more modern. User-centric design is very important as it directly influences the credibility and reliability of the sugar dating website. Websites that prioritize user needs create a platform that is not just intuitive but also functional.

    So, whether you’re accessing SecretBenefits.com from a desktop or mobile, the interface will always appear to be responsive and clean. SecretBenefits places its users at the center of its website design and development. By combining strategic processes, Secret Benefits ensures that the users never feel overwhelmed and that every design element, from the dashboard to the profile grid and messaging features, is optimized for their ease of use.

      Find a Mutually Beneficial Relationship with Secret Benefits

    5. Secret Benefits App: Coming Soon

    While Secret Benefits is fully accessible via a mobile browser and offers a better reach with its website, it is also a versatile platform. Those members of the sugar dating community who want personalized experiences will benefit from the mobile app that will help them customize their experience as per their needs. 

    However, it has been confirmed in the 2025 report that a Secret Benefits App is in the development phase and expected to launch later this year.

    The features that you can expect from the SecretBenefits.com app are:

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    User Reviews: What SecretBenefits Members Are Saying in 2025

    Secret Benefits reviews have continuously shown a strong satisfaction rate from sugar babies and sugar daddies. Here are some testimonials received by SecretsBenefits in 2025:

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    Some users noted that the regional availability was limited and that there were delays in customer support. However, SecretBenefits has promptly addressed all of these issues in its new report, and hence, all the users of the sugar community are now promised more efficient responses and a better and more modern user experience. SecretBenefits.com is also expanding its reach into new markets to add versatility and more features to the website for the sugar dating community.

    Explore Verified Sugar Daddy Matches on Secret Benefits

    Is SecretBenefits.com a Trustworthy Sugar Dating Website or a Scam? 

    After reading about the countless sugar daddy scams that revolve around Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms on the internet, it’s natural to wonder if you can ever actually find a real sugar daddy online, and if so, where?

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    SecretBenefits.com has eradicated all the possibilities of sketchy DMs from strangers on social media, thus bypassing fake sugar daddies and protecting its users from their scams. SecretBenefits.com is a legitimate and dedicated sugar dating platform that builds genuine connections between consenting adults. The reason why SecretBenefits.com is such an authentic and reliable website in the sugar dating world is that it clearly outlines terms of use, ensures profile verification, and reinforces messaging systems built into the platform to provide a safer, much more reliable, and structured environment, which is very much professional and different as compared to random apps or messaging platforms.

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    Yes. SecretBenefits.com is a 100% trustworthy sugar dating website.

    If you’re serious about sugar dating, SecretBenefits.com is one of the safest places to start. 

    It is true that no platform can eliminate scams and risk 100%. However, SecretBenefits.com has taken multiple steps to eliminate the risks of fraud or scams and to build a reputable community.

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    SecretBenefits.com Demographics and User Insights

    Secret Benefits has achieved significant growth in both user base and engagement rates. According to internal analytics released in the report, 70% of users created profiles as sugar babies, 30% created profiles as sugar daddies, and every month, there are 17 000 000 visits per month, and over 2 million messages are exchanged monthly.

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    Secret Benefits Login, Support, and Help Desk

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    How SecretBenefits.com Works

    Secret Benefits connects sugar daddies and sugar babies via a safe, secure, user-friendly platform. Both sugar daddies and sugar babies can explore each other’s profiles. The platform operates as a credit-based platform and is available throughout the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Here is how to get started;

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    Media Contact

    Company: Secret Benefits

    Email: support@secretbenefits.com

    Address: 3711 Taylor Street, New York, NY 10011

    URL: https:/secretbenefits.com

    Phone: +1 9146236465

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    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Fisheries – a priority at the EU-UK summit on 19 May 2025 – P-001609/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-001609/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Wouter Beke (PPE)

    Fisheries is a fundamental theme of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The agreement establishes a detailed framework for reciprocal access to maritime resources. There is a transitional period from 2021 to 2026, during which both parties have full access to each other’s exclusive economic zone and, for specific fish stocks, partial access to the six to twelve nautical miles zone. As part of Brexit arrangements, the EU had to accept a transfer of 25% of EU quotas for that period. As from 2026, access to UK waters is to be determined through annual negotiations on a renewed level and under new conditions. This is creating considerable uncertainty for the fishing industry in Belgium, among other countries, which is highly dependent on access to UK waters – over 50% for all fish species and up to 70% for sole, which, last year, accounted for 44% of value creation by the fleet.

    Does the Commission regard fisheries as a priority on the negotiating agenda for the EU-UK summit on 19 May 2025?

    Submitted: 23.4.2025

    Last updated: 28 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Calls for Infrastructure Boost, Sustainable Practices in the Fisheries Sector at Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025 in Mumbai

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 28 APR 2025 6:38PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 28 April 2025

     

    While inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for key fisheries projects worth Rs. 255 crores at the Coastal States Fisheries Meet in Mumbai today, Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh highlighted the creation of the Regional Fisheries Council, progress under schemes like the Blue Revolution, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund and emphasized on tapping India’s vast marine resources. The coastal States Fisheries Meet saw extensive participation from across all coastal states and UTs across the country. The event was graced by Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian. Dignitaries attending the event also included Shri Nitesh Neelam Narayan Rane, Minister of Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra, Raghavjibhai Patel, Minister of Fisheries, Government of Gujarat, Shri. Nilkanth Halarnkar, Minister of Fisheries, Government of Goa, Shri Mankala S Vaidya, Minister of Fisheries, Government of Karnataka, along with officials from the Department of Fisheries, State Fisheries Departments, ICAR Institutes and Bay of Bengal Programme (BoBP).

    In his address, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, emphasized on developing infrastructure in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, enhancing value addition in exports, promoting conservation measures in the fisheries sector while discouraging harmful fishing practices. Key initiatives including deploying artificial reefs, creating climate-resilient villages, providing safety transponders, sanctioning Kisan Credit Cards, and supporting women’s empowerment through mariculture and seaweed farming, underlining the importance of Centre-State cooperation for the sector’s growth were also outlined by the Union Minister.

    Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, said that the significant progress made under the Blue Revolution and PMMSY, as lead to India becoming the second-largest fish producer globally. The substantial investments made in infrastructure and livelihoods through schemes like PMMSY and PMMKSY, which have led to a doubling of fish production and a rise in exports were also highlighted by him. Prof. Baghel spoke about the role of innovative farming methods, development of digital platforms, and empowerment of women in the sector. He stressed the need for continued cooperation between the Centre and states to promote sustainable practices, enhance marine culture, and position the fisheries sector as a key contributor to the national economy.

    Shri George Kurian, laid emphasis on the need for  strong collaboration between the Centre and States in advancing the fisheries sector. Highlighting the Blue Revolution and Prime Minister  Narendra Modi’s vision of the “blue chakra” symbolizing the ocean economy’s vast potential, the Minister of State noted that various departmental initiatives have strengthened the sector, improved nutrition and is driving economic growth for nearly 3 crore people in the country. He also highlighted that in future fisheries resources within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone will be harnessed and seaweed farming will be further promoted. expanding artificial reef deployment, distributing 1 lakh safety transponders to fishermen, and developing 100 climate-resilient coastal villages was also outlined.

    Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, MoFAH&D, stated that the Indian fisheries sector has grown significantly with a 9.8% growth since 2014-15. He said that the underutilized potential of India’s 11,000 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone, particularly the untapped tuna resources in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep need to be harnessed. Dr. Likhi stressed the need for enhanced infrastructure, including the development of smart harbours and the amendment of the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act to address the modern infrastructural challenges. Issues of expanding mariculture activities like seaweed farming and cage culture, enhancing security measures through biometric IDs and transponders, and state governments to utilize the extended PMMSY funding for further sectoral growth  were also highlighted by him.

    The Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025 featured key technical sessions including Strengthening Marine Fisheries Governance: Integrating Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts (MFRAs), Monitoring, Control & Surveillance (MCS), and Sea-Safety; Model Mariculture SOPs; Standard Operating Procedure of the Vessel Communication and Support System (VCSS); Export Promotion – Processing, Value Chain & Quality Improvements; and Promotion of Traceability and Certification in Marine Capture Fisheries.

    This meeting provided a crucial platform for the  Fisheries Ministers of all coastal states and Union Territories, along with government officials and key fisheries stakeholders, to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue. It served as an important opportunity for the participants to share insights on the successes and advancements made by various coastal states in the fisheries sector, highlighting best practices and innovative solutions that have been implemented so far. The discussions focused not only on the achievements but also on the persistent challenges faced by the sector, such as infrastructure gaps, resource management issues, and the need for modernized fishing techniques. The focus was on strengthening fisheries governance, enhancing infrastructure, fostering innovation, and improving market linkages, all of which contributed to increased productivity, enhanced livelihoods, and sustained economic growth in coastal regions.

     

    * * *

    PIB Mumbai | AA/ NJ/ DR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Launches Projects Worth Rs.255 Crores in Mumbai; Awards First Ever Aqua Insurance to Fisherfolk

    Source: Government of India

    Coastal States Fisheries Meet 2025: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Launches Projects Worth Rs.255 Crores in Mumbai; Awards First Ever Aqua Insurance to Fisherfolk

    5th Marine Fisheries Census Goes Digital: VyAS-NAV App Enabled Tablets Distributed; Guidelines on Turtle Excluder Device & SOP for Vessel Communication and Support System Issued

    Posted On: 28 APR 2025 4:33PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 28 April 2025

     

    A “Coastal States Fisheries Meet: 2025” was organized today on 28th April 2025 in  Mumbai under the chairmanship of Union Minister, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. The event also saw the gracious presence of Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Shri George Kurian, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Minority Affairs along with Governors and  Fisheries Ministers of several coastal states and UTs. On this occasion, Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, inaugurated and laid the foundation for key projects for 7 coastal states and UTs with a total outlay of Rs.255 crores under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Key initiatives like the 5th Marine Fisheries Census Operations, PMMSY Guidelines on Turtle Excluder Device and release of Standard Operating Procedure for Vessel Communication and Support System were also launched at the Coastal States Fisheries Meet. The Union Minister also distributed tablets enabled with Digital Application VyAS-NAV  and awarded the first ever aqua insurance (One Time Incentive Sanction-cum-Release Order) to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) on this occasion. Today marks the beginning of the 5th Marine Census operations which involves training of the supervisors, recruitment and training the village wise data enumerators, followed by the actual census activity spread across 3 months. The entire operation will be completed by December 2025.

     

    5th Marine Fisheries Census Goes Digital: VyAS-NAV App

    In a major preparatory step for India’s 5th Marine Fisheries Census (MFC 2025), a mobile application VyAS-NAV has been launched for the digital based data collection with an aim to boost transparency and efficiency. Marking a shift from traditional method to a geo-referenced, app-based digital system, the MFC 2025 will cover a 1.2 million fisher households nationwide bringing in real-time validation. This mammoth exercise is coordinated by the Department of Fisheries (DoF) of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). VyAS-NAV was developed by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) which is the nodal agency for implementing the marine fisheries census in nine coastal states. VyAS-NAV app will be used by supervisors for field verification of fishing villages, fish landing centres and fishing harbours. This is a foundational step towards ensuring comprehensive coverage and accuracy of the census frame.  This app has features to record summary picture of villages based on primary and secondary sources. The supervisors are staff of CMFRI, Fishery Survey of India and the Fisheries Departments across the coastal states.

     

    About Marine Fisheries Census-2025

    The Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) -2025 focuses on the exhaustive, precise, and timely documentation of every marine fisher family, fishing village, fishing craft and gear, as well as infrastructure facilities associated with fishing harbours and fish landing centres across the country. Unlike in the past, customized mobile and tablet-based applications created by CMFRI will be used for data collection in a bid to reduce manual errors and accelerate data compilation for policy-level use. This MFC is a process that starts with the signaling of field operations and ends with the reporting. The reference period where the household enumeration takes place is the core activity. In this case it is November – December 2025. Various constituents of this process are referred to as census operations. As of now, many such activities are planned in the pre core census phase. The first of it is, validation of Marine Fisheries villages is inaugurated today. This will be followed by a round of workshops followed two rounds of training. These all, form part of the Marine Fisheries Census. Roughly 3500 villages and 1.2 million households will be covered in this exercise at various points in time. The village enumeration will be finalized by May- June, while family level data and other facilities will be covered during Nov-Dec, which will be done by enumerators from the village and probably fishing community. In nutshell the operations span from April to December. The village list finalization and landing centres data will be covered by staff of CMFRI, FSI and DoF and the same has started from today. The core activity, scheduled for November–December 2025, involves trained enumerators preferably from the local community, visiting each marine fisher household with smart devices. This is preceded by a robust preparatory phase. Emphasis will be given to record finer details of fishers like their demographic and socio-economic status, alternative livelihood options, and how and where government schemes can influence their status, all collected through a robust online digital platform. Officials will train enumerators in digital data collection and will validate village and infrastructure details using VyAS-NAV.

     

    Summary of Activities and Timeline:

    Timeline

    Activity

    Nov 21, 2024

    Official announcement and approval during World Fisheries Day celebrations

    Nov 2024 – April 2025

    Preparatory work: schedule finalization, development of VyAS-NAV application and preliminary groundwork

    April 2025 – Nov 2025

    Pre-census marine fishing village list validation, enumerator identification, staff recruitment, training of supervisors/enumerators, App development and testing, craft & gear census (across harbours and landing centres)

    Nov – Dec 2025

    45-day full-scale Marine Fisheries Census field exercise – Enumerators will visit each marine fisher household in the identified marine fishing villages under supervision at district, state, regional, and national levels

     

    No. of marine fishing villages, Census 2016

    State

    Fishing
    villages

    West Bengal

    171*

    Odisha

    739

    Andhra Pradesh

    533

    Tamil Nadu

    575

    Puducherry

    39

    Kerala

    220

    Karnataka

    162

    Goa

    41

    Maharashtra

    526

    Gujarat

    280

    Daman & Diu

    12

    Lakshadweep

    10

    Andaman & Nicobar

    169

    Total

    3477

    * Subsequent reference to villages actually means Gram Panchayat in West Bengal

    About Aquaculture Insurance

    The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a sub-scheme launched under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana offers a comprehensive aquaculture insurance. The aquaculture insurance focuses on mitigating risks and extending financial incentive particularly to small and marginalized farmers. Through the National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP), the Sub-scheme offers seamless digital access to insurance, helping safeguard the incomes of fishers and fish farmers against unexpected losses while also promoting better tracking and formalization within the fisheries sector. Eligible beneficiaries include registered aquafarmers, firms, companies, societies, cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), and other entities involved in the fisheries value chain as identified by the Department of Fisheries. For intensive aquaculture systems such as recirculatory aquaculture systems, the premium is capped at ₹1 lakh per farmer for 1800 m³. Farmers can choose between Basic Insurance, which covers losses from natural calamities and other parametric risks, and the Comprehensive Insurance, which includes Basic Insurance and disease coverage. Additionally, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and women beneficiaries are eligible for an extra 10% incentive, further promoting inclusivity. The insurance covers one crop cycle only thereby stabilizing income and encouraging investment in aquaculture.

    Notably, the government has introduced Aqua Insurance for the first time, offering dedicated financial protection to aquafarmers. This landmark initiative ensures targeted insurance coverage, digital accessibility, and focused support for marginalized communities in the fisheries sector. The beneficiaries awarded today were Shri D.R.Ravikumar, Tamil Nadu, Shri Mohan Sathiyamoorthy, Tamil Nadu, Shri Sivaramakrishnan, Tamil Nadu, Shri Gandhi Palanivelu, Tamil Nadu, Shri Patnala Subrahmanyam, Andhra Pradesh, Shri Penki Ravi Kumar, Andhra Pradesh, Shri Chiluvuri Ravi Teja, Andhra Pradesh and Shri Korapati Venkata Subba Lakshmi, Andhra Pradesh.

     

    For PMMSY Guidelines on Turtle Excluder Device: Click Here

     

    * * *

    PIB Mumbai |  AA/ NJ/ DR

    Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai   pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com  /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on April 24, 2025 2025-04-29 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China, answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2

    By Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND)

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Zhang Xiaogang: Friends from the media, welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

    Today, I have one piece of information to announce on the top.

    The inaugural Navigator Meeting of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum will be held in Beijing from April 28 to 30. The theme of the meeting will be “Opportunities and Challenges Facing Global Security”. Over 200 defense officials, experts, scholars and media representatives from more than 30 countries and international organizations will attend the event. Through multilateral seminars and dialogues, the meeting aims to enhance the effectiveness of international participation and contribute insights to global security governance. Bilateral and multilateral meetings as well as cultural and technological visits will also be arranged on the margins of the event.

    Journalist: It’s reported that President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Malaysia. With a focus on building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, he underlined the importance of deepening exchanges and cooperation on national security, defense and law enforcement. Please share with us what measures will the Chinese side take to bolster China-Malaysia military-to-military relationship.

    Zhang Xiaogang: President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Malaysia upon invitation from April 15 to 17, which ushered in the next “golden 50 years” for bilateral relations. China and Malaysia are neighbors across the sea with a millennium-old friendship. Under the strategic guidance of leaders of our two countries, the Chinese and Malaysian militaries have had productive cooperation in different areas. A 2+2 diplomatic and defense dialogue mechanism will be established to deepen exchanges and cooperation on national security, defense and law enforcement. Exercise Aman Youyi, initiated by China and Malaysia, has become a brand of military cooperation with significant influence in the region.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

    The Chinese and Malaysian people both believe that solidarity brings strength. We are ready to work with the Malaysian side to deliver on the important consensus between leaders of our two countries, strengthen high-level engagements, and deepen strategic trust. Our two sides will have more cooperation in areas such as joint exercises, maritime security, and multilateral coordination, and promote greater quality-oriented growth of our military-to-military relationship.

    Journalist: It’s reported that the US, the Philippines and other countries are conducting Exercise Balikatan. As part of drills, the US military has, for the first time, deployed anti-ship missile system to the Luzon Strait north of the Philippines. Some analysts believe that this is to simulate the blockade of the Bashi Channel during a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippines and the US also organized Exercise Cope Thunder previously. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: We always hold that military cooperation between countries should not target or hurt the interests of any third party, nor should it jeopardize regional peace and stability. The South China Sea should be a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship. However, the Philippines holds a candle to the devil by currying favor and colluding with the US and other outside countries to make provocations. It frequently conducts the so-called joint patrols and exercises, and invites and deploys strategic and tactical weapons, which seriously undermines the common interests of regional countries. We firmly oppose any country strengthening military deployment in the region and provoking tensions and confrontation under the excuse of the Taiwan question. Regardless of external challenges and turbulence, the Chinese side will resolutely safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly maintain peace and stability in the region.

    Journalist: The Chinese and Egyptian air forces are conducting their first joint training. Could you please brief us what are the strategic and tactical achievements of this training?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Thanks for your attention. Eagles of Civilization 2025 joint air force training is the first joint training between the Chinese and Egyptian armed forces. The two sides deployed fighter jets, AEW&Cs, tankers and helicopters to the activity. Drills on air combat and air refueling began on April 19, and subjects of air support and battlefield search and rescue will also be covered. The training will run until early May. The participating PLAAF aircraft will train in collaboration with assets of the Egyptian Air Force. This will help enhance capabilities of the two air forces and deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, the US Secretary of Defense reportedly claimed that China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the US. He said that China’s hypersonic missiles can destroy all US aircraft carriers in 20 minutes. In every war game played by the Pentagon, the US loses to China. In addition, the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command stated that China is producing warplanes and warships much faster than the US, and is capable of denying US air superiority along the first island chain. Do you have any comment on that? My second question is about the on-going vessel open-day events held by the PLA Navy in 10 cities. Some netizens asked when will the Chinese aircraft carrier also open to the public? What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, some individuals in the US see the Chinese military through colored lens and keep hyping up the so-called “China military threat”. I think this is an obstacle hindering engagements between the Chinese and US militaries. Non-conflict, non-confrontation and peaceful coexistence is in the most fundamental interests of both China and the US, and meets the common expectation of people across the world. We have a sober understanding of the state of our development. We hope the US side will break away from “persecution mania” and stop using others as excuses.

    On your second question, I fully understand the public’s interest in China’s aircraft carriers, and I believe their wish will come true sometime in the future.

    Journalist: It’s reported that President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Cambodia. At his talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, President Xi pointed out the importance of ensuring greater security. Please share with us the Chinese side’s consideration in advancing China-Cambodia military-to-military relationship.

    Zhang Xiaogang: President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Cambodia upon invitation from April 17 to 18. During his visit, he met with leaders of Cambodia to chart the way forward for jointly building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era. China and Cambodia are friends with ironclad bonds. No matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Cambodia always stand by each other in good faith, support each other, and pursue shared success. Under the strategic guidance of leaders of our two countries, the Chinese and Cambodian armed forces have had close high-level engagements and productive cooperation in different areas. The China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream has been put into operation. The two sides have held Exercise Golden Dragon and Exercise Peace Angel. Exchanges in areas including demining, medical care and publicity continue to deepen. Our military relationship is rock-solid and unbreakable.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Sun Yue)

    Standing at a new starting point, we are ready to work with the Cambodian side to implement the important consensus between leaders of our two countries and make good use of the newly-established 2+2 strategic dialogue mechanism. The two sides will further enrich and expand substantive cooperation in areas such as education and training, joint exercises, medical service, and equipment and technology, and will elevate our military-to-military relationship to a new level.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, as revealed by Taiwan media outlets, there is a wave of resignation inside the troops of Taiwan. Many military officers on the ground chose early decommissioning or resignation to avoid fighting in war. Some analysts think that it’s because they don’t want to be cannon fodder for “Taiwan independence” separatists. What’s your comment on this? Secondly, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Diplomatic Bluebook 2025. In the document, the Japanese side labeled China as an “unprecedented strategic security challenge” and hyped up situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea as well as military cooperation between China and Russia. In addition, the Japanese Defense Minister said that Japan will invest nearly 2 trillion yen in 2 Aegis system equipped vessels. Each of them will have a displacement of over 10,000 tons and firepower far beyond the need required for defense. The Japanese side keeps violating its “exclusively defense-oriented policy” and accelerates the building of offensive capabilities. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, this is another evidence that “Taiwan independence” separatists have no support from the people of Taiwan and will collapse like a house of cards.

    On your second question, we firmly oppose the Japanese side playing up the so-called “China military threat”, hyping up tensions in the region, and deliberately provoking confrontation. China follows a path of peaceful development and pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Our military development is aimed at safeguarding our national sovereignty, security and development interests. We have no intention to challenge or threaten any country. Engagements and cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries feature non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting any third party.

    In recent years, the Japanese side has drastically increased defense budget, and sought breakthroughs in military build-up. Its behaviors have led to serious concerns among its Asian neighbors and the international community. We urge the Japanese side to recalibrate its strategic perception of China, stop provoking bloc confrontation, be prudent with its words and actions in the military and security domain, and contribute more to regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: The Japanese Defense Minister reportedly claimed that Chinese military drones operate frequently near Japan’s airspace and are expanding their flying zone, which concerns the Japanese side and the international community. He also said that the Japanese side will take comprehensive measures for vigilance and reconnaissance. The Japanese Defense Ministry said that the number of emergency scrambles conducted in response to Chinese military drones in 2024 more than doubled year-on-year. May I have your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Chinese military’s operations in relevant waters and airspace are in line with international law and practices, and do not target any specific entity. They are aimed at enhancing our capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. There is absolutely no need for the Japanese side to be paranoid. We require the Japanese side to stop its hype and stop monitoring and disrupting operations of the Chinese side. This will help avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, prevent accidents at sea and in the air, and avert negative impacts on the relationship between the two countries.

    Journalist: This year marks the 35th year of the Chinese military’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs). Since the Chinese military dispatched military observers for the first time to UNPKOs in April 1990, it has now become a major troop contributor. Could you provide an overview of the Chinese military’s participation in UNPKOs?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Since our first deployment 35 years ago, the Chinese military has participated in 25 peacekeeping missions, and dispatched over 50,000 personnel to more than 20 countries and regions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and South Sudan. Chinese peacekeepers completed tasks such as mine clearance and explosive ordinance disposal, medical treatment, security escorts, and protection of civilians. China’s Blue Helmets have stepped forward for world peace with courage and persistence in despite of difficulties and dangers. 17 Chinese service members, including Liu Mingfang, Du Zhaoyu and Shen Liangliang, have made the ultimate sacrifice for the UN peacekeeping cause.

    It’s our objective to preserve peace and protect the people. China is the largest troop contributor to UNPKOs among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments. We maintain an 8,000-strong peacekeeping standby force, which consists of 28 units in 10 categories, such as infantry, medical and rapid response units. The Chinese military has conducted exchanges and cooperation on peacekeeping with over 90 countries and 10 international and regional organizations. We have built “Shared”series, an international brand of peacekeeping operations. As we speak, approximately 1800 Chinese peacekeepers are executing tasks in the UN headquarters and seven mission areas. The Chinese military will continue to deepen and expand our participation in UNPKOs, and contribute more to the implementation of the Global Security Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Journalist: According to reports, the US Chief of Naval Operations announced that a large-scale inter-service joint-operation exercise will be conducted in the Pacific Ocean as a “stress test” to evaluate the combat capabilities of the US military. The US side claimed that the exercise aims to prepare the military for potential conflicts with China in the Pacific. In addition, a US B-1B bomber task force has arrived at the Misawa Air Base in Japan, and US MQ-4C long-endurance drones will be deployed to Okinawa. Do you have any comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Asia-Pacific is a promising land for peace and development, not a “hunting ground” for geopolitical games. Show of force and provocation are “stress tests” that no regional country wants to see or take. We hope the US side will do more to promote peace and stability in the region, rather than the opposite. China remains a force for peace, stability and progress in the Asia-Pacific, and will never be swayed by fallacies, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pressure. We will resolutely safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests.

    Journalist: It’s reported that the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a recent Senate hearing that “China’s increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, but rehearsals for attacking Taiwan”. He suggested that the US should significantly advance autonomous systems and deploy them in the Taiwan Strait, so as to build a “hellscape” to deter China. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. How to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese, which brooks no foreign interference. Some individuals of the US side point fingers at and make groundless speculations on the legitimate and necessary measures taken by the Chinese side to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also attempt to bluff us with a fancy slogan. This exposes their true motive of clinging to US hegemony and selfish interests at the cost of destroying others’ homeland. Threats and intimidation will never work on China or the Chinese military.

    Journalist: I have two questions. The first one is that the Philippine corvette BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) invaded into China’s territorial waters of Huangyan Dao on April 20. The naval force of the Southern Theater Command carried out tracking, monitoring, warning and repelling in accordance with law. Analysts believe that by changing the subject of its harassing activities from fishing boats, PCG vessels to warships, the Philippine side is attempting to escalate the South China Sea issue from law enforcement by coast guard to military conflict, leaving space for following diplomatic and public opinion manipulations. What’s your comment on this? Secondly, according to Japanese media outlets, the Japanese and Philippine governments will make legal arrangements to facilitate military intelligence exchanges. The Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit the Philippines at the end of April to reach an agreement on starting discussions as soon as possible for signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement. The Philippines signed with the US a military intelligence-sharing agreement last year. If it signs another with Japan, the three countries will be able to share intelligence regarding the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Analysts believe that this is aimed at monitoring and deterring military presence of the PLA in this region. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the PLA Southern Theater Command has issued a statement in response. We urge the Philippine side to stop right-infringing provocations. If it keeps barreling down the wrong path and acting recklessly, it will do itself more harm than good and taste the bitter fruit of its own doing.

    On your second question, the Philippine side soliciting foreign support to stir up troubles in the South China Sea will not work. External countries meddling in the South China Sea issue will bring about chaos and is not welcomed.

    Journalist: I have two questions. Firstly, it’s reported that the troops in Taiwan started the computer-assisted command post drill (computer-simulated war games) under  Exercise Han Kuang 41 on April 5. The drill will last for 14 days and 13 nights. The scenarios include the so-called potential operations by the Chinese mainland, such as “gray-zone harassment” and “transition from exercise to war”. Koo Li-hsiung, Head of Taiwan’s military authorities, said that as it takes the PLA shorter time to shift from training to war, the troops in Taiwan needs to test and enhance its ability to respond to potential situations at any time. What’s your comment on this?

    The second one is that it is reported that the DPP authorities is considering using over 13,000 convenience stores as “wartime hubs” in the event of “a cross-Strait war”. This is one of the plans under discussion for the ”Whole of Society Defence Resilience Committee”, a unit set up by the Lai Ching-te authorities. May I have your comments on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the military elements of “Taiwan independence” separatist forces put on a flashy show by conducting exercises. This does nothing more than embolden and comfort themselves. No matter how many drills they carry out, they will not be able to escape from their destined failure.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of April 24, 2025. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Sun Yue)

    On your second question, for its selfish gains, the DPP authorities hysterically hype up the so-called “mainland’s threat”, stir up social panic, and double down on their “combat readiness for Taiwan independence”. If left unchecked, their behaviors will surely plunge Taiwan into war. The DPP authorities’ so-called “whole-of-society defence” actually harms the whole society, as they take the Taiwan island as a battlefield and coerce the local people into cannon fodders for “Taiwan independence”. Their actions are shameful. The PLA is committed to fighting against “Taiwan independence” separatists, promoting national reunification, and safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope our Taiwan compatriots recognize the true nature of the DPP authorities as a source of chaos and disasters, take active actions to oppose “Taiwan independence”, and protect their own well-being and livelihood. We hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will join hands to promote national reunification and rejuvenation.

    Journalist: According to reports from Taiwan media, the US side sent a retired four-star army general, who was also a former commander of US Forces Korea, to serve as the senior observer for the war games of this year’s Han Kuang Exercise. In addition, the war games revealed five potential patterns of joint operations between Taiwan and the US in wartime. May I have your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: We firmly oppose any form of military collusion between the US and Taiwan. To embolden and support “Taiwan independence” separatists is to ruin peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Those who do that will get burned for playing with fire, and taste the bitter fruit of their own doing. We urge the US side to stop stirring up troubles on the Taiwan question, earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, and deliver on its promise of not supporting “Taiwan independence”. We solemnly warn the DPP authorities that those who solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” will be stabbed in the back, and be abandoned as a useless pawn.

    Zhang Xiaogang: If no other questions, this concludes today’s press conference. Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis began the process for Antoni Gaudí’s sainthood – an architect explains why

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Javi Buron Garcia, Associate Professor, School of Architecture & Product Design, University of Limerick

    Wiki Commons/Shutterstock/Canva

    In one of his final announcements before his death, Pope Francis granted Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudí the title of “venerable”, due to his dedication to the design and build of the Sagrada Família church in Barcelona. This recognition is the second of four steps towards sainthood, a process that started more than three decades ago by a secular association founded in Barcelona in 1992 and led by local architects. If this happens, Gaudí would be the first secular architect in history to be declared a saint.

    The Sagrada Família was originally devised by the religious book printer and seller José María Bocabella, who bought the site and founded an association to promote the construction. It was started in 1882, but in just one year the original architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano resigned due to creative differences with the association’s architectural adviser Joan Martorell.

    After declining the job himself, Martorell fervently recommended his protégée Antoni Gaudí who at that time was only 31 years old. He took over and redesigned it entirely, transforming Villar’s predictable neo-gothic design into what the American architectural historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock described as “the greatest ecclesiastical monument of the last hundred years”.


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    From the moment of his appointment, Gaudí worked obsessively on the project. In 1915, once he finished the crypt of the Church of Colònia Güell, his other lifelong project, he devoted himself entirely to the Sagrada Família. He suddenly died in 1926, when he was hit by a tram just a few blocks from the church.

    Gaudí was fully aware that he would never see the construction completed. Since its inception the construction was solely financed by donations, and its progress frequently slowed due to lack of funds.

    The Sagrada Família is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, and it has become a living piece of architectural history, showcasing design methodologies, materials and tools spanning the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

    Visionary techniques

    Though Gaudí was a gifted draftsman, he rarely drew detailed plans as his design methods. Instead, he relied on close working relationships with builders and crafts people. He preferred scaled models and developed all sort of unique techniques to develop and communicate his designs to others.

    Probably one of the most famous are his upside-down catenary curve models which he used to form-find the main structure of some of his buildings.

    In this process, he traced the outline plan of the Sagrada Família on a wooden board at a tenth of the scale and placed it on the ceiling. Then, he tied cords from the points of the plan where the columns were located. Later, he hung small sachets filled with lead to represent the weight that the arches would have to support. Finally, he carefully measured and photographed the resulting model from many angles and turned the photos upside down so the strings hanging in pure tension would represent stone and concrete arches in pure compression.

    The expertise required to construct these models was remarkable. In 1986, it was described in painstaking detail by professor of architecture Jos Tomlow at the Institute for Lightweight Structures under the supervision of the renowned architect and structural engineer Frei Otto.

    Tomlow and Otto analysed the hanging design model for Gaudí’s unfinished church of the Colònia Güell, which took him nearly ten years to complete. The research team made a scaled replica of the model which was instrumental for understanding Gaudí’s empirical design methods and bringing a renewed interest to his unfinished masterpiece.

    Completing the Sagrada Familia

    By the end of the 1980s, the construction of the Sagrada Familia was suffering an impasse. The architects continuing the work, now in their nineties, had completed much of the work started together with Gaudí. But they did not have further models or plans to guide their development, as many of the original models, drawings and photographs were destroyed during the 1936 Civil War.

    Fortunately, a younger generation of architects were able to analyse the existing design vocabulary and extend it to fill out the gaps using groundbreaking parametric design tools. Using parametric design, instead of simply reproducing digitally Gaudí’s existing geometries, endless new variations could be automatically generated by changing predefined variables.

    The Sagrada Familia in 1905.
    Jaume Morera Art Museum

    During the 1990s, the same team introduced newer digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing and robotic stone carving. These were instrumental to keep the construction of Gaudí’s impossible shapes under a reasonable budget and time-frame.

    After several decades of long delays, the temple has experienced a substantial increase in visitors, which has boosted the construction efforts. The latest plans have set the completion for 2033 when it will become the tallest church building in the world. Just seven years after the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, and probably in perfect timing for his canonisation.

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

    ref. Pope Francis began the process for Antoni Gaudí’s sainthood – an architect explains why – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-began-the-process-for-antoni-gaudis-sainthood-an-architect-explains-why-255147

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why whale urine is so important to life in the sea

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kirsten Freja Young, Senior Lecturer, Ecology, University of Exeter

    Humpback whales can carry large amounts of nutrients on their long migrations Earth theater/Shutterstock

    Even biologists only capture a glimpse of the lives of whales. There are still many species whose lives are largely a mystery, particularly the deep diving whales.

    But scientists are learning more about the role that whales play in marine ecosystems and the services that they provide. Recent research is showing that even whale urine is important for the planet.

    Previous work suggested that whale faeces was important to ecosystems.
    These giant mammals bring nutrients from the depths where they feed to shallow waters.

    This effect is called the “whale pump” and it can enhance the photosynthetic rate of plankton, which is the basis of the food web. Nutrients are not distributed evenly across the ocean and in some areas, phytoplankton populations are limited because there aren’t enough of specific elements, such as iron.

    Some whale species perform long migrations across the ocean. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) perform the longest migration of any mammal at around 10,000 km, moving nutrients across ocean basins as they travel. To some extent the whale pump influences carbon cycling and storage too.

    Whales can also help cycle nutrients in the ocean when they disturb the seabed as they feed. Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), for example, are known to forage for invertebrates on the seafloor and stir up sediments which release nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and iron.

    Another key area of research describes the oasis ecosystems that whale carcasses provide to deep sea species, from hagfish (Eptatretus deani) and sleeper sharks (Somniosis pacificus) to crustacea, molluscs, nematodes and bacteria. The great whales have large bodies with high amounts of lipids in their bones. These lipids are food for lots of organisms and whale carcasses create mini ecosystems in the deep.

    But until now, another benefit that whales provided to ecosystems had not been quantified – that of urine.

    A recent study published in Nature Communications indicates that baleen whales’ urine could also have a crucial function in oceans. Some whale species can produce up to 950 liters of urine per day, and this means they can relocate nutrients to tropical grounds low in nutrients. Many baleen whales, such as humpback and gray whales, feed in polar and subpolar regions during summer, then migrate to equatorial breeding areas en masse into relatively small areas during the winter.

    During migration, the whales carry detritus like placenta, urine, faeces and if they die, carcasses. For example, the paper describes how gray whales tend to winter in several feeding grounds across the north Pacific ocean and aggregate in summer in a few small bays on the coast of California.

    The researchers describe how gray, humpback and right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) transport carbon and nitrogen to the tropics, in what they call the “great whale conveyor belt”. Globally, for these species, this process results in more than 46,000 tons of biomass (whales’ total mass and the nutrients they contain) and almost 4,000 tons of nitrogen per year, transferred to poor nutrient grounds.

    Gray whales transport nitrogen to the tropics.
    Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

    Most of this nitrogen transport comes from whale urine, which stimulates phytoplankton growth and photosynthesis. This increase in the rate of photosynthesis could lead to 18,180 tons of carbon being drawn down from the atmosphere. Other large baleen whales probably also contribute to this effect but there is less data on their distributions and ecology.

    Sadly, the study estimates that historical whaling has reduced whale related nutrient transportation to almost one third of its previous potential.

    Other animals that play a crucial role in nutrient flows have also been suffering from the effect of human-related activities. Seabirds and fish that migrate from the sea into freshwater bodies have a significant effect on phosphorus transfer from sea to land, which is also an important nutrient for photosynthesis.

    Bears, otters, eagles and other predators that eat fish which migrate up rivers from the sea, participate in the transport of ocean nutrients to land through their faeces. Moose are also important carriers of nutrients and are known to transfer large amounts from aquatic to land ecosystems as they feed on plants.

    Grazing hippopotamus also transfer nutrients in reverse from land to aquatic systems. But these large animals generally don’t match whales in quantity, or by geographical scale.

    Whales face many threats to their survival today, such as ship strikes, pollution, poorly managed fisheries and climate change. This recent study shows how important it is to protect whales and the ocean they live in.

    The contribution that these animals will make to solving our climate crisis through stimulating photosythesis is under debate and their ability to balance the global carbon budget in the face of human-related emissions may be negligible. However, the more we learn about these ocean giants, the more we understand the ways in which whales are vital to marine ecosystems.

    Kirsten Freja Young is a Senior Lecturer in Ecology at the University of Exeter and also works as an independent consultant to Greenpeace Research Laboratories.

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

    ref. Why whale urine is so important to life in the sea – https://theconversation.com/why-whale-urine-is-so-important-to-life-in-the-sea-254748

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Joins Schatz, Murray, Colleagues in Condemning Labor Department’s Cancellation of Funding to Address Child Labor, Human Trafficking Worldwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 23, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA) and 10 Senate Democratic colleagues in condemning the Trump Administration’s cuts to federal funding that for decades helped address child labor, forced labor and human trafficking globally.
    “These cuts are inconsistent with bipartisan laws passed by Congress providing federal funds to combat child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and enforce labor standards in over 40 countries,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Labor Secretary Lori M. Chavez-DeRemer. “Cancelling all existing cooperative agreements will only harm American workers, lower international labor standards, and hurt children.”
    The Senators continued, “ILAB grants level the playing field for American workers and ensure businesses cannot profit from labor abuses by stopping the problems at their source. Offshoring work will only drive down wages, incentivize abusive labor practices abroad, and take jobs away from hard working Americans. For example, the President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has said that the cancellation of ILAB contracts will harm both their consumers and 3.5 million American workers. The only winners here will be the multinational corporations who want cheap labor, and our adversaries that benefit from these practices.”
    “We ask that you live up to your comments and urge you to take immediate steps to protect children, American workers, and other vulnerable populations by using funds Congress appropriated for ILAB for that purpose,” the Senators concluded.
    Along with Duckworth, Schatz and Murray, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
    The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below.
    Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer:
    We write to express our serious concerns about the Department of Labor (DOL)’s decision to terminate all existing cooperative agreements at the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). DOL and the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service have announced the cancellation of $577 million in cooperative agreements. These cuts are inconsistent with bipartisan laws passed by Congress providing federal funds to combat child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and enforce labor standards in over 40 countries. We note that the Trump Administration identifies labor practices, including failures by foreign governments to protect internationally recognized worker rights, as a foreign trade barrier in the recently issued National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. Cancelling all existing cooperative agreements will only harm American workers, lower international labor standards, and hurt children.
    ILAB was created by President Truman after World War II. Since its creation, it has served at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate child labor. Under international standards, child labor applies to work below the minimum age established under national legislation—usually 14 or 15 years old— and includes slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, illicit activities, and hazardous work that is likely to harm health or safety. Global estimates from the International Labor Organization (ILO) indicate that there are 160 million children between 5-17 years old in child labor, roughly half of them in hazardous conditions.
    ILAB also works to combat forced labor and human trafficking – serious violations of human rights. According to the most recent figures available, there are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world, with women and girls disproportionately affected. Additionally, the ILO estimated that 24.9 million people around the globe were in forced labor as of 2016. Victims are rarely able to seek help for various reasons, due to language barriers, poverty, or unstable immigration status. Furthermore, ILAB plays a key role in addressing China’s use of slave labor as a member of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
    Critically, the findings from ILAB and ILAB funds provided by Congress have led to improved adherence to international labor standards that support American workers. Since 2019, ILAB has invested in eliminating the roughly 1.56 million instances of child labor violations in the production of cocoa in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire—countries that produce cocoa for chocolate bought by American consumers, as well as nearly 60 percent of the world’s cocoa each year. Recently, DOL’s November 2024 framework of action included improving access to quality education, as well as technical and vocational training, strengthening social services and social protection, and empowering women, youth and workers in cocoa-growing communities. Uzbekistan was pushed to address forced labor and child labor in the cotton sector, which unfairly competes with American cotton growers and exporters. Argentina’s government and private sector built technical assistance programs developed by DOL in the blueberry sector, ensuring that children and teenagers had access to child care and enrichment programs. In Honduras, one DOL cooperative agreement disbursed more than $13 million to fight child labor and other exploitation, resulting in more than 6,000 children enrolling in educational programs, aiding more than 1,800 families, and helping train around 500 inspectors on child labor exploitation and other labor laws.
    Unfortunately, your actions will prevent this work from continuing. A few of the contracts that have been eliminated by you and DOGE include the “Global Better Work Program (I)” and “Better Work Global (II)” in Haiti, Jordan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam to establish strong labor enforcement and transparency; “Supporting Safe and Inclusive Work Environments in Lesotho” to stop violence against women; “Research, Innovation and Strategic Engagement Project (RISE-global)” in Brazil, Colombia, Cote D’Ivoire, Indonesia, and Guatemala to educate workers on their rights and how to protect them; and “Promoting Safe and Healthy Workplaces in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador” to improve worker safety and discourage migration to the United States. The cancellation of these contracts is neither efficient nor puts America’s interests first. Instead, we believe it will cause devastating, widespread harm to our most vulnerable populations, and put American workers at a disadvantage.
    Additionally, we are concerned about the economic impacts of this decision. One of the major missions of ILAB is to enforce the labor provisions in U.S. trade agreements. ILAB grants level the playing field for American workers and ensure businesses cannot profit from labor abuses by stopping the problems at their source. Offshoring work will only drive down wages, incentivize abusive labor practices abroad, and take jobs away from hard working Americans. For example, the President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has said that the cancellation of ILAB contracts will harm both their consumers and 3.5 million American workers. The only winners here will be the multinational corporations who want cheap labor, and our adversaries that benefit from these practices.
    In your confirmation hearing on February 19th, you testified to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that we must protect children from labor exploitation. You said this in response to questions from members on both sides of the aisle. We ask that you live up to your comments and urge you to take immediate steps to protect children, American workers, and other vulnerable populations by using funds Congress appropriated for ILAB for that purpose.
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norcross, Sánchez Introduce Bill to Establish Workers’ Memorial Day as a Federal Holiday

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

    WASHINGTON, DC?– Today, Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA) introduced legislation to establish Workers’ Memorial Day as a federal holiday, honoring and remembering America’s workers who have been injured, become ill, or were killed on the job. Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Johnny Olszewski joined the lawmakers in introducing the bill. 

    “As an electrician, I have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing hard-working Americans lose their lives on the job. I introduced the Workers’ Memorial Day Act to remember our brothers and sisters who passed away on the job and bring more attention to the need for safe working conditions,” said Congressman Donald Norcross, Co-Chair of the Labor Caucus. “We have made great strides in making workplaces safer, but dangerous working conditions kill and injure thousands of workers every year. Our work is far from over and as a co-chair of the Labor Caucus and lifelong IBEW union member, I will continue to fight for safer workplaces and stronger health and safety standards.” 

    “Every day, hardworking people across California and the rest of the United States put their lives at risk. Tragically, more than 5,000 Americans die each year from workplace injuries and millions more suffer job-related illnesses,” said Congresswoman Linda Sánchez. “Workers’ Memorial Day honors those who have been killed or injured on the job and reminds us to continue fighting to ensure safer working conditions for all.” 

    The?Workers’ Memorial Day Act?establishes April 28 as Workers’ Memorial Day and designates the day as a federal holiday. For more than 50 years—since the enactment of the Occupation Safety and Health Act—the labor movement has observed Workers’ Memorial Day. 

    For bill text, click here.  

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    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Secretary Chris Wright Delivers Keynote Remarks at the Three Seas Business Forum in Warsaw, Poland

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WARSAW, POLAND— U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered keynote remarks today at the Inaugural Session of the Three Seas Business Forum. 

    Secretary Wright’s full remarks from the Three Seas Business Forum are below:

    It is a great honor to stand here before you all at the 2025 Three Seas. A truly visionary idea from 10 years ago to unite the proud Central European nations in building infrastructure and investment in pursuit of opportunity and prosperity.

    Eight years ago, President Trump addressed the Three Seas right here in Poland and I will quote his words: “We support your drive for greater prosperity and security. We applaud your initiative to expand infrastructure. And we welcome this historic opportunity to deepen our economic partnership with your region.” 

    I can’t top those words, but I can reiterate them today. The United States stands here in partnership with all of you. We seek to work with you all for much betterment via energy, economic and strategic cooperation. 

    President Trump’s agenda is simple: Prosperity at home and peace abroad. He was elected by the American people to bring back commonsense to Washington and focus on bettering the lives of our citizens and our allies. I am in a room full of allies. Thank you all for that. 

    I thank Poland for hosting this fabulous conference and for inviting me to attend. I thank Poland and its people for its steadfast alliance with the United States that began with our Revolutionary War and continues today, as evidenced by our growing cooperation in LNG and our large-scale partnership in nuclear energy that was highlighted earlier today with a signing ceremony and press conference. 

    This nuclear partnership is strategic and long-lasting. It will grow and scale as we jointly pursue expansions of nuclear deployment in Poland and other countries. I am here to celebrate this emerging nuclear partnership between the United States and Poland, made possible through the tireless efforts of President Duda and Prime Minister Tusk.

    Partnership in energy, if chosen wisely, tends to be very long lasting. The U.S. nuclear relationship with Poland will tightly bind our nations through the next century. I will come back to natural gas and nuclear at the end of my words. 

    This visit is personal to me. I love the Three Seas nations. You have faced grave geopolitical challenges throughout history and have always faced them with courageous resolve. 

    I traveled on my own to Czechoslovakia — yes, that was a country then — and Hungary in 1987. I saw a people struggling under an external yoke and stymied in their pursuit of freedom and prosperity. Yet, I also saw unbowed commitment to our universal values and a yearning for freedom. I engaged in hushed conversations with those that I met. I left with the conclusion that surely this externally imposed suppression cannot last forever. 

    Little did I realize then that it would all come crashing down only two and half years later. Amen. A fork in the road arrived and Central Europe chose freedom and prosperity. 

    As a lifelong energy entrepreneur, please allow me to be blunt regarding another fork in the road. This is a “time for choosing”, to quote the late, great President Ronald Reagan. 

    After the Global Financial Crisis 15 years ago, the major nations of Western Europe — not Central Europe — choose one side of a fork in the road and the U.S. chose the other side. On one side is energy for the sake of human flourishing. Energy that is abundant, secure, affordable and reliable. Energy that comes from innovation and choice. 

    This is the road to economic growth, advancing the interests of our citizens and securing the economic and national security of our nations. A simple realization that energy’s true purpose is to better human lives. Full stop. 

    I testified in the British House of Lords more than a decade ago, urging the U.K. to choose our side of the fork. I failed. 

    The other side of the fork deprives citizens, consumers of choice. It is top-down imposition of mandates for the energy system. This top-down imposition of enforced “climate policies” is justified as necessary to save the world from climate change. 

    Might the causation actually run in the opposite direction? Could it be instead that a desire to grow centralization and re-establish top-down control is best served by climate alarmism? Is it the chicken or the egg? I don’t know.

    But I can say that climate alarmism has clearly reduced energy freedom, and, hence, prosperity and national security across Western Europe. Let me say that again. Climate alarmism has reduced freedom, prosperity, and national security. 

    On the other hand, top-down diktats have not been successful in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. They have indeed reduced local Western European greenhouse gas emissions. Europe, however, represents only 8% of global emissions and this impoverishing energy model is unlikely to spread globally because the emissions reductions are mainly due to two highly undesirable factors: 

    First, as Germany and the U.K. have both illustrated, an expensive and unreliable energy system drives industry and economic activity out of national borders and towards other nations with more rational energy policies. Moving industry from your nation and to another nation. Is that success? I suggest it is not. 

    Second, we have seen that more expensive energy imposes on citizens an economic necessity to reduce energy consumption and shrink families spending power, which limits a nation’s citizens’ pursuit of hopes and dreams. 

    Germany has more than doubled its electricity generation capacity over the last 15 years, yet German electricity production today is 20% below where it was 15 years ago. And each unit of electricity has tripled in cost. Is that success?

    Let me illustrate my point via a macroeconomic comparison of the EU and the U.S. over the last 15 years since the fork in the road. 

    In 2010, the U.S. and the EU each represented roughly 25% of global consumption. Today, U.S. consumption has risen to 28% of global consumption and EU consumption has declined to only 18% in dollar terms. This data is from 2023, but I have not seen any recent reversal of this trend. 

    Surely many things are responsible for this dramatic divergence. It is my belief that diverging energy pathways has been the largest driver of economic outcomes. Affordable, reliable, secure energy is essential to economic prosperity and national security.

    The previous U.S. administration worked hard to move the United States onto that same fork. The fork with mandated, top-down, expensive, unreliable energy that would drive de-industrialization of America. The American people rejected this pathway after seeing the ruinous toll that lay down that road. Instead, they re-elected President Trump to bring back freedom and prosperity. 

    Before I conclude let me say a few more words about climate change. I have been engaged in the climate discussion for over 20 years, mostly in the areas of physical science and economics.

    Unfortunately, most of the climate action we hear today in the media has been in the politics and social science areas of climate change. I urge a little more focus on the science and economics. I believe that might help drive a more balanced and beneficial approach. 

    While climate change is a real physical phenomenon, nothing in the data indicates that climate change is even close to the world’s most urgent problem. In fact, the clarion conclusion from economic studies of climate change is that Net Zero 2050 is absolutely the wrong goal. Not only is it unachievable, but the blind pursuit of it will cause, is causing, far more human damage than climate change itself. 

    Over two billion people today still lack access to basic energy services like clean cooking fuels. Millions annually die from indoor air pollution from burning wood and dung indoors. More than half of humanity is still living their lives in hand washed cloths still not utilizing the enormous time-saving and women-liberating benefits of washing machines.

    Today, folks struggling to pay their bills while aspiring to live highly energized lifestyles like you and I is a far bigger global challenge than climate change. Energy access is far too important to get wrong. 

    Only a billion people live the highly energized lifestyles of the people in this room traveling to conferences, having custom controls on our temperatures, turning off our cooking stoves when we want, driving around in motorized transport or riding in motorized transport. Seven billion people only aspire to what we have. Fulfilling their energy aspirations is the energy challenge of our time. 

    For my friends tightly focused on climate change, no nation has reduced greenhouse gas emissions more than the United States. While the U.S. gets a little more than 80% of our energy from hydrocarbons, Germany still gets 74%. A little difference. Not a lot. Although the difference in human opportunity through energy cost and availability is a lot. 

    It turns out to be very hard to transform energy systems. Decarbonization will likely take generations. Only time and innovation will deliver the low-carbon affordable, reliable secure energy that will gain widespread adoption.

    The two biggest “climate solutions” in the coming decades are the same as they were in the last two decades, natural gas and nuclear, for the simple reason that they work. They supply affordable, reliable, secure energy. 

    Central Europe faces a time for choosing. You all have a long history of choosing freedom and sovereignty for your citizens. 

    We warmly welcome you to join us on Team Energy Freedom and prosperity for citizens. President Trump’s agenda of prosperity at home and peace abroad is a team sport! God bless you all.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Huffman, Pallone, and Castor Introduce Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    April 22, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – On Earth Day, Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), announced a package of legislation to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. This package includes Rep. Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act, Rep. Pallone’s Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, and Rep. Castor’s Florida Coast Protection Act

    This legislation comes days after the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, 134 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf over 87 days, the demise of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and billions of dollars in economic losses from the fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries.  

    “It’s clear that in the 15 years since the most catastrophic oil spill disaster in history, Republicans in the pocket of Big Oil have learned nothing. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. The science is clear, and so is the public sentiment: we need to speed up our transition to a clean energy future, not lock ourselves into another generation of fossil fuel fealty,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “We cannot let history repeat itself. My Democratic colleagues aren’t standing idly by as the Trump administration tries to reverse all of our progress so they can give handouts to Big Oil. Our legislation will cut pollution and ramp up clean energy, ensuring our coasts remain safe, clean, and open to all Americans— not turned into open season for fossil fuel billionaires looking to drill, spill, and cash in.”

    “We must end offshore oil drilling in coastal waters once and for all,” said Senator Padilla. “Over 50 years ago, after a catastrophic oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Californians rose up and demanded environmental protections, spurring the modern environmental movement and creating the very first Earth Day. As the Trump Administration threatens to recklessly open our coasts to new drilling, California and the West Coast need permanent safeguards to protect our communities from the devastation of fossil fuels and disastrous oil spills. We must act now to fulfill the promises we made to our children and our constituents to meet the urgency of this environmental crisis with bold action.” 

    “This week marks both Earth Day and the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster,” said Senator Booker. “I’m standing alongside my colleagues in the House and Senate to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our communities and our environment. Offshore drilling endangers our coastal communities – both their lives and their livelihoods – and threatens marine species and ecosystems. The COAST Act, along with this critical package of legislation, will ensure that marine seascapes along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and the wildlife, industries, and communities that rely on them, are protected from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. 

    “Offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean would open up the eastern seaboard to considerable risk, and we have seen the destruction that an accident can cause. This legislation is about more than simply protecting the environment, it’s also about protecting the tourism and fishing industries that create jobs and help power Rhode Island’s economy,” said Senator Reed.

    “For decades, I’ve fought to protect our coasts from the dangers of oil and gas development, and this legislative package reaffirms that commitment. Offshore drilling risks devastating spills, accelerates climate change, and threatens the livelihoods of coastal communities like those in New Jersey. On Earth Day and every day, we must stand up to Big Oil and prioritize renewable energy that actually protects our planet,” Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

    “Florida is a beautiful but fragile place, and we depend on clean water and healthy beaches,” said Rep. Castor. “I’m proud to lead the Florida Coastal Protection Act as part of this larger package to stop dangerous oil drilling near our coasts for good. The Deepwater Horizon disaster served as a wake-up call, as the blowout hurt people, our environment and our economy. We can’t let that happen again. Our beaches, fishing, and tourism are too important to risk. We must protect our oceans, our way of life and our future.”

    These bills reaffirm vital protections for America’s coastal communities and ecosystems. Under President Biden, more than 625 million acres of U.S. ocean waters—including the entire East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and parts of the Northern Bering Sea—were permanently protected from offshore oil and gas drilling. President Trump wasted no time trying to rollback those protections, attempting to illegally reopen those same areas to drilling on day one of his second term. His record speaks for itself: during his first administration, the Interior Department proposed a sweeping plan to open 47 offshore oil and gas lease areas across nearly every U.S. coastline, from California to New England.

    Congressional Democrats are taking a stand to protect coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems. U.S. coastal counties support 54.6 million jobs, $10 trillion in goods and services, and pay $4 trillion in wages. Offshore drilling poses significant threats to our public health, coastal economies, and marine life. Our oceans are home to diverse marine wildlife, including the California sea lion, North Atlantic right whale, yellowtail flounder, and countless other economically, ecologically, and culturally important species. There is a long history of bipartisan efforts to protect U.S. coasts from offshore drilling to safeguard our oceans’ enormous environmental, economic, and cultural values, safeguard coastal communities, restore ecosystems, and defend against climate change. 

    Rep. Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act prohibits new oil and gas leases off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Companion legislation was introduced today by Sen. Padilla.

    Rep. Pallone’s COAST Anti-Drilling Act permanently prohibits the U.S. Department of Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Companion legislation was introduced by Sen. Booker and Sen. Reed.

    Rep. Castor’s Florida Coast Protection Act places a permanent moratorium on oil and natural gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities off Florida’s coast. 

    Other offshore drilling legislation introduced by House Democrats include: 

    • New England Coastal Protection Act of 2025 (Rep. Magaziner)
    • Defend our Coast Act (Rep. Ross)
    • California Clean Coast Act of 2025 (Rep. Carbajal)
    • Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act (Rep. Levin)
    • Central Coast of California Conservation Act of 2025 (Rep. Panetta)

    Original cosponsors of the West Coast Ocean Protection Act

    House: Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), 

    Senate: Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Original cosponsors of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act 

    House: Representatives Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Robyn McIver (D-N.C.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), David Scott (D-Ga.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

    Senate: Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Original cosponsors of the Florida Coast Protection Act 

    House: Representatives Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).

    Read Statements of Support

    Supporters of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Surfrider Foundation, Earthjustice, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, Food & Water Watch, Waterspirit, Business Alliance to Protect the Atlantic, Clean Ocean Action, Jersey Coast Anglers Association (NJ), American Littoral Society, Save Coastal Wildlife, Environmental Protection Information Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, National Aquarium, American Bird Conservancy, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

    Supporters of the West Coast Protection Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Surfrider Foundation, Seattle Aquarium, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Futureswell, Ocean Conservancy, Environment America, WILDCOAST, Food & Water Watch, Environmental Protection Information Center, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Business Alliance to Protect the Pacific Coast, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Surf Industry Members Association, Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC), Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

    Supporters of the Florida Coastal Protection Act include Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Healthy Gulf, League of Conservation Voters, Environment America, Surfrider Foundation, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, Ocean Conservancy, Food & Water Watch, Ocean Defense Initiative, Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Project, Animal Welfare Institute, Wild Cumberland, Climate Reality Project – North Broward and Palm Beach County Chapter, U.S. Climate Action Network, American Bird Conservancy, Clean Ocean Action, and Hispanic Access Foundation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: François Villeroy de Galhau: Preserving our transatlantic values, beyond present unpredictability

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Ladies and Gentlemen, 

    It is my pleasure to be here in New York City; and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Noel Lateef and the Board of Directors of the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) for organising this event and awarding me the FPA medal. It really strikes a chord with me, as I will explain, and even more today when our transatlantic ties are so unfortunately under stress. 

    I. A very special gratitude to the FPA, and to your country

    I am both honoured and humbled to be included among the distinguished recipients of the FPA medal. These include prominent central bankers, such as Paul Volcker of the Federal Reserve or Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Banque de France. This medal also has a personal resonance. I discovered in depth your beautiful country in March 1990, during a month-long trip of 15 so called “Young European leaders” invited by the German Marshall Fund. The United States welcomed us with open arms, taking us from New York City to Seattle, and from Detroit to Raleigh (NC). This was a time of hope, four months after the fall of the Berlin Wall; this was a time of mutual trust across the Atlantic built on the victory of freedom and democracy. This trip left me with a lasting friendship and admiration for the American people. 

    In a more collective dimension, I like to think that this medal is a testament to the common values and principles that this Association and the central banking community both strive to uphold. Your Association was founded at the end of the First World War by Americans committed [with President Woodrow Wilson] to creating closer ties between nations. It has since worked tirelessly to foster meaningful dialogue on the most pressing international issues, notably through its famous World Leadership Forum. This is especially important at a time when multilateralism is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. 

    Another common value, beside dialogue, is the importance of public engagement. For more than a century, the FPA and its Great Decisions programme have successfully promoted a more effective participation by American citizens in international affairs. Greater knowledge is indeed the key to informed opinion, and thus to a stronger democracy. At both the Banque de France and the ECB, fostering engagement with the wider public is also a priority. We regularly organise events directly involving the public such as the “Rencontres de la politique monétaire” [Monetary Policy Forums] similar to the “US Fed listens”. Greater clarity and transparency for our fellow citizens also helps to better anchor inflation expectations and thus to better ensure our price stability mandate.

    II. How to restore trust?

    Hence, let me please speak here not only as the French Governor, but as a committed friend of your country and a dedicated European. It is more crucial than ever, across the Atlantic, (1) to tell the truth, (2) to fully assess the damage of a trade war, and (3) to open the way for a possible positive dialogue.

    1) Telling the truth

    We, Europeans, heard with surprise some weeks ago that “the EU was created to screw the US”. With due respect, let me recall history. The European Union was constructed after WWII to lastingly establish peace, democracy and the market economy in Europe. These are three key American values, and this Union was legitimately founded with American support, as was the Franco-German reconciliation – so difficult, yet so decisive. 

    Furthermore, it is important to set the record straight on economics. No, international trade is not a zero-sum game, where one country’s gain is necessarily another country’s loss. On the contrary, it is the most effective way to prosper together by exchanging goods and services, ideas, talent, and innovation. And yes, our transatlantic bond is deep, balanced and mutually beneficial. The United States and the EU are the world’s two largest economies, maintaining one of the largest bilateral economic relationships, which amounted to around USD 900 billion in goods and USD 800 billion in services in 2023i. While the EU runs a trade in goods surplus with the United States (USD 234 billion in 2023), the services deficit has widened substantially in the last years (USD 125 billion in 2023)ii. Net primary income flows in favor of US firms – mostly composed of investment income such as profits and asset returns – also offset the trade in goods surplus, ultimately leading to a balanced current account (USD 19 billion in 2023). The effective applied tariffs between the EU and the United States were close before recent developments, with the EU imposing a 3.95% tariff on US products, while the United States applied a 3.5% tariff on EU productsiii. And let me remind here the obvious: value-added tax (VAT) is not a customs duty; it is levied on the final value of imported and domestically produced goods equally, like the sales tax in the US. EU and US firms have long established a robust investment presence in each other’s markets. European majority-owned affiliates directly employed an estimated 5.3 million US workers in 2023iv. European-based investors play a crucial role in the strength of the US economy, representing close to 50% of all foreign holdings of US securities in 2023v

    2) The possible damage of a trade war is huge

    The new measures announced as well as the increasing unpredictability, constitute a major negative shock to the global economy, but first and foremost to the US economy. 

    According to convergent analyses by several US and international banks and today by the IMF, the United States could suffer in 2025 from an average estimated loss of around one percentage point in annual growth and a similar-sized rise in underlying inflation. But bad news for the US is bad news for all, and for Europe. According to preliminary assessments, there could be a direct negative impact of at least a quarter of a percentage point to euro area GDP growth in 2025. Nevertheless, this depends on the outcome of the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. The impact on inflation remains more uncertain but could be as a whole negative. Our baseline scenario for France and the euro area remains however that of an exit from inflation – returning to our 2% target this year – without a recession.

    Financial markets reacted very negatively to these trade announcements with the unusual combination of a sharp drop in US equity indexes, a rise in US long term bond yields, and a broad-based decline in the US dollar value. The economic uncertainty may possibly threaten financial stability. Such deeply negative financial effects would also result from attacks on the independence and credibility of central banks, as we saw very recently. 

    I don’t mean that the latest globalisation wave was a fairy tale: it had its problems and its imbalances, both social and financial. But the current lose-lose game will obviously increase them, and in no way solve them.

    3) Is there a way for a possible positive dialogue?

    I still hope there is, and let me share three more positive reflections to conclude with:

    a) Let us use the 90-day pause to seriously talk. The least economically harmful option would be indeed to negotiate – a bold European proposal, zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods, is already on the table – and then de-escalate the situation rather than setting off a transatlantic spiral of tariff hikes. So far, Europeans have reacted in a remarkably united and calm manner. The European Commission has prepared a series of retaliatory measures – in case it would be unfortunately needed – but deferred its application. It is also in Europe’s interest to maintain open trade ties with a maximum amount of partners from the Americas to Asia: increasing the number of balanced free trade agreements – including Mercosur – is a strategic priority.

    b) Europe and France also need to become stronger. The only positive I see in this situation, as I said already last November with my German colleague Joachim Nagel , it is a wake-up call for Europe. This is of course the case in terms of defence. But also, in economic matters, where we have the duty and the means to better master our own destiny. We need a “general mobilisation” focusing on three imperatives, 3 ‘i’s taking the best of the impressive economic success of America, or if you prefer, size multiplied by muscle multiplied by speed. First, we need to integrate the single market more. This means playing on its size – as large in GDP terms as the United States – by removing internal barriers in several areas such as services and energy. We also need to invest better, giving priority to the most promising breakthrough innovations, and particularly those related to AI. To succeed, we need to build financial muscle through a genuine Savings and Investments Union (SIU) fostering more our abundant private savings towards equity and venture capital. Finally, we need to innovate faster. Europe needs simplification: less bureaucracy, fewer procedures and shorter deadlines. But simplification is not deregulation, the European approachvii  will remain firm on the objectives, but be more nimble in design. And to successfully implement these three imperatives, we urgently need a binding, visible and not too distant calendar: such a calendar will mobilise all our political and economic forces, as did in the past the 1 January 1993 for the single market and the 1 January 1999 for the single currency.

    c) Europe and the United States can still commit to a “pragmatic multilateralism”, more focused on some practical themes of common interest, to name just a few: financial stability, cross-border payments and crypto-assets, cybersecurity, the fight against financial crime and the prevention of extreme climate events. Let us preserve the multilateral institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, born and hosted in this great country, with more focused ambitions.

    I will conclude by quoting Alexis de Tocqueville, a famous Frenchman – you may recall his influential work “Democracy in America” – who also had the privilege of discovering America during a memorable study trip two hundred years ago. “There is nothing more fruitful in wonders than the art of being free”.viii I mentioned shared transatlantic values: one cardinal value, freedom, is the driving force behind America’s outstanding economic performance. Let us continue as much as possible to cultivate it together, through trade, innovation and robust dialogue! Thank you for your attention. 


    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A on Recent Issues

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Q: What should faculty, staff, or student workers do if they are approached or contacted by federal immigration authorities?

    A: Be polite and professional. Ask for appropriate identification if not easily recognizable. Immediately notify the UConn’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at 860-486-5796 or UConn Police at 860-486-4800. After hours contact OGC by email at Nicole.Gelston@uconn.edu. UConn OGC will ensure a valid search warrant, subpoena, or other enforceable legal document before releasing any documents, computers, records, or reports to government agents or law enforcement official unless otherwise required by law.

    Q: What if authorities contact me seeking student information?

    A: Remember that federal student privacy law, known as FERPA, apply. In light of that, don’t share personal student information including class schedules until you receive confirmation from OGC or the police. OGC will coordinate with departments the provision of any records to government agents or law enforcement officials.

    Q: Which campus locations are accessible to federal authorities?

    A: Federal law enforcement authorities may access any area of campus if they have a judicial warrant, meaning a warrant signed by a judge, authorizing them to do so. Otherwise, they may access areas of campus that are considered public, and parts of campus that are not considered public if they are provided with consent to do so by an authorized campus official or, if a dwelling, the resident. An administrative warrant, which is distinct from a judicial warrant, would not give authorities the ability to access non-public areas of campus without consent.

    Q: What spaces on UConn’s campuses are considered public and what are not considered public?

    A: As a public university, most of our campus spaces are considered public. However, there are exceptions to this, including: residence halls, faculty and staff offices, clinical care spaces, and other spaces that are locked when not in use or can only be accessed using a key card. It is virtually impossible to definitively designate every space on UConn’s campuses as public vs. not public as it would depend on a number of factors. Fortunately, faculty, staff, and students do not have to make this determination themselves, or try to decipher what is a judicial warrant versus an administrative warrant, or decide on the spot whether or not to release information – this is why anyone who may encounter federal authorities, including faculty teaching in a classroom, should contact the General Counsel or UConn Police.

    Q: What protections do I have if I am sued as a result of activities undertaken in the course of my employment? 

    A: Under state law, state employees sued due to actions taken within the scope of their employment are entitled to be provided a defense by the state through the Office of the Attorney General as long as such actions were not wanton, malicious or reckless or the Attorney General determines such representation would not be appropriate.  Any such employee would also typically be indemnified by the state in the event there was any monetary judgment awarded against them.  These rights are codified in state statute at sections 4-165 and 5-141d of the Connecticut General Statutes.

    Q: What do I do if I am served with a lawsuit or receive a threat of litigation concerning my University role or employment?

    A: Do not respond to any correspondence from the complainant or their attorney without first contacting the Office of the General Counsel and your direct supervisor.

    Q: What do I do if I am served with a subpoena or other legal document?

    A: As an employee at the University, you may encounter a situation in which a state marshal or other process server who is paid to deliver legal documents asks you to accept service of a legal document during the course of your workday. While less common, you may also receive these legal documents by mail or email. Typically, these legal documents consist of:

    • Subpoena: A subpoena is a written order issued by a court, attorney, or administrative agency. A subpoena generally requires a person to provide testimony and/or documents in connection with a legal proceeding, such as a deposition, court hearing or a trial. A subpoena is not a lawsuit against the University or the employee.
    • Summons and Complaint: A summons and complaint are the documents used to initiate a lawsuit.

    If you are asked to accept service of a subpoena or summons and complaint/lawsuit on behalf of the University or another employee, you should decline and inform the process server to contact the Office of the General Counsel.

    Exception: The only exception to the above is if the subpoena or summons specifically names you, as opposed to the University or another employee. In that situation, you can accept service of the subpoena or summons on your own behalf.  If you are unsure, contact the Office of the General Counsel before accepting any documents.

    Q: What do I do if I receive such documents by email or accidently accept service of such documents?

    A: Contact the Office of the General Counsel as soon as possible because these documents are time sensitive and failure to alert our office can result in adverse legal consequences.

    Please also feel free to contact the Office of the General Counsel at any time if you have any questions.

    Office of the General Counsel
    John J. Budds Building
    343 Mansfield Road
    (860) 486-5796

    generalcounsel@uconn.edu

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: 50 years later, Vietnam’s environment still bears the scars of war – and signals a dark future for Gaza and Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Pamela McElwee, Professor of Human Ecology, Rutgers University

    During the Vietnam War, the U.S. bombed and defoliated vast areas of forest and protective mangroves. AP Photo

    When the Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, it left behind a landscape scarred with environmental damage. Vast stretches of coastal mangroves, once housing rich stocks of fish and birds, lay in ruins. Forests that had boasted hundreds of species were reduced to dried-out fragments, overgrown with invasive grasses.

    The term “ecocide” had been coined in the late 1960s to describe the U.S. military’s use of herbicides like Agent Orange and incendiary weapons like napalm to battle guerrilla forces that used jungles and marshes for cover.

    Fifty years later, Vietnam’s degraded ecosystems and dioxin-contaminated soils and waters still reflect the long-term ecological consequences of the war. Efforts to restore these damaged landscapes and even to assess the long-term harm have been limited.

    As an environmental scientist and anthropologist who has worked in Vietnam since the 1990s, I find the neglect and slow recovery efforts deeply troubling. Although the war spurred new international treaties aimed at protecting the environment during wartime, these efforts failed to compel post-war restoration for Vietnam. Current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East show these laws and treaties still aren’t effective.

    Agent Orange and daisy cutters

    The U.S. first sent ground troops to Vietnam in March 1965 to support South Vietnam against revolutionary forces and North Vietnamese troops, but the war had been going on for years before then. To fight an elusive enemy operating clandestinely at night and from hideouts deep in swamps and jungles, the U.S. military turned to environmental modification technologies.

    The most well-known of these was Operation Ranch Hand, which sprayed at least 19 million gallons (75 million liters) of herbicides over approximately 6.4 million acres (2.6 million hectares), of South Vietnam. The chemicals fell on forests, and also on rivers, rice paddies and villages, exposing civilians and troops. More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.

    A U.S. Air Force C-123 flies low along a South Vietnamese highway spraying defoliants on dense jungle growth beside the road to eliminate ambush sites during the Vietnam War.
    AP Photo/Department of Defense

    Herbicides were used to strip the leaf cover from forests, increase visibility along transportation routes and destroy crops suspected of supplying guerrilla forces.

    As news of the damage from these tactics made it back to the U.S., scientists raised concerns about the campaign’s environmental impacts to President Lyndon Johnson, calling for a review of whether the U.S. was intentionally using chemical weapons. American military leaders’ position was that herbicides did not constitute chemical weapons under the Geneva Protocol, which the U.S. had yet to ratify.

    Scientific organizations also initiated studies within Vietnam during the war, finding widespread destruction of mangroves, economic losses of rubber and timber plantations, and harm to lakes and waterways.

    A photo at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, historically known as Saigon, shows the damage at Cần Giờ mangrove forest. The mangrove forest was destroyed by herbicides, bombs and plows.
    Gary Todd/Flickr

    In 1969, evidence linked a chemical in Agent Orange, 2,4,5-T, to birth defects and stillbirths in mice because it contained TCDD, a particularly harmful dioxin. That led to a ban on domestic use and suspension of Agent Orange use by the military in April 1970, with the last mission flown in early 1971.

    Incendiary weapons and the clearing of forests also ravaged rich ecosystems in Vietnam.

    The U.S. Forest Service tested large-scale incineration of jungles by igniting barrels of fuel oil dropped from planes. Particularly feared by civilians was the use of napalm bombs, with more than 400,000 tons of the thickened petroleum used during the war. After these infernos, invasive grasses often took over in hardened, infertile soils.

    Fires from napalm and other incendiary weapons cleared stretches of forest, in some cases scorching the soil so badly that nothing would regrow.
    AP Photo

    “Rome Plows,” massive bulldozers with an armor-fortified cutting blade, could clear 1,000 acres a day. Enormous concussive bombs, known as “daisy cutters”, flattened forests and set off shock waves killing everything within a 3,000-foot (900-meter) radius, down to earthworms in the soil.

    The U.S. also engaged in weather modification through Project Popeye, a secret program from 1967 to 1972 that seeded clouds with silver iodide to prolong the monsoon season in an attempt to cut the flow of fighters and supplies coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam. Congress eventually passed a bipartisan resolution in 1973 urging an international treaty to prohibit the use of weather modification as a weapon of war. That treaty came into effect in 1978.

    The U.S. military contended that all these tactics were operationally successful as a trade of trees for American lives.

    Despite Congress’ concerns, there was little scrutiny of the environmental impacts of U.S. military operations and technologies. Research sites were hard to access, and there was no regular environmental monitoring.

    Recovery efforts have been slow

    After the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese troops on April 30, 1975, the U.S. imposed a trade and economic embargo on all of Vietnam, leaving the country both war-damaged and cash-strapped.

    Vietnamese scientists told me they cobbled together small-scale studies. One found a dramatic drop in bird and mammal diversity in forests. In the A Lưới valley of central Vietnam, 80% of forests subjected to herbicides had not recovered by the early 1980s. Biologists found only 24 bird and five mammal species in those areas, far below normal in unsprayed forests.

    Only a handful of ecosystem restoration projects were attempted, hampered by shoestring budgets. The most notable began in 1978, when foresters began hand-replanting mangroves at the mouth of the Saigon River in Cần Giờ forest, an area that had been completely denuded.

    Mangroves have been replanted in the Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve near Ho Chi Minh City, but their restoration took decades.
    Tho Nau/Flickr, CC BY

    In inland areas, widespread tree-planting programs in the late 1980s and 1990s finally took root, but they focused on planting exotic trees like acacia, which did not restore the original diversity of the natural forests.

    Chemical cleanup is still underway

    For years, the U.S. also denied responsibility for Agent Orange cleanup, despite the recognition of dioxin-associated illnesses among U.S. veterans and testing that revealed continuing dioxin exposure among potentially tens of thousands of Vietnamese.

    The first remediation agreement between the two countries only occurred in 2006, after persistent advocacy by veterans, scientists and nongovernmental organizations led Congress to appropriate US$3 million for the remediation of the Da Nang airport.

    That project, completed in 2018, treated 150,000 cubic meters of dioxin-laden soil at an eventual cost of over $115 million, paid mostly by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The cleanup required lakes to be drained and contaminated soil, which had seeped more than 9 feet (3 meters) deeper than expected, to be piled and heated to break down the dioxin molecules.

    Large amounts of Agent Orange had been stored at the Da Nang airport during the war and contaminated the soil with dioxin. The cleanup project, including heating contaminated soil to high temperatures, was completed in 2018.
    Richard Nyberg/USAID

    Another major hot spot is the heavily contaminated Biên Hoà airbase, where local residents continue to ingest high levels of dioxin through fish, chicken and ducks.

    Agent Orange barrels were stored at the base, which leaked large amounts of the toxin into soil and water, where it continues to accumulate in animal tissue as it moves up the food chain. Remediation began in 2019; however, further work is at risk with the Trump administration’s near elimination of USAID, leaving it unclear if there will be any American experts in Vietnam in charge of administering this complex project.

    Laws to prevent future ‘ecocide’ are complicated

    While Agent Orange’s health effects have understandably drawn scrutiny, its long-term ecological consequences have not been well studied.

    Current-day scientists have far more options than those 50 years ago, including satellite imagery, which is being used in Ukraine to identify fires, flooding and pollution. However, these tools cannot replace on-the-ground monitoring, which often is restricted or dangerous during wartime.

    The legal situation is similarly complex.

    In 1977, the Geneva Conventions governing conduct during wartime were revised to prohibit “widespread, long term, and severe damage to the natural environment.” A 1980 protocol restricted incendiary weapons. Yet oil fires set by Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, and recent environmental damage in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Syria indicate the limits of relying on treaties when there are no strong mechanisms to ensure compliance.

    Remediation work to remove dioxin contamination was just getting started at the former Biên Hoà Air Base in Vietnam when USAID’s staff was dismantled in 2025.
    USAID Vietnam, CC BY-NC

    An international campaign currently underway calls for an amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to add ecocide as a fifth prosecutable crime alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

    Some countries have adopted their own ecocide laws. Vietnam was the first to legally state in its penal code that “Ecocide, destroying the natural environment, whether committed in time of peace or war, constitutes a crime against humanity.” Yet the law has resulted in no prosecutions, despite several large pollution cases.

    Both Russia and Ukraine also have ecocide laws, but these have not prevented harm or held anyone accountable for damage during the ongoing conflict.

    Lessons for the future

    The Vietnam War is a reminder that failure to address ecological consequences, both during war and after, will have long-term effects. What remains in short supply is the political will to ensure that these impacts are neither ignored nor repeated.

    Pamela McElwee receives funding from the Carnegie Corporation, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities.

    ref. 50 years later, Vietnam’s environment still bears the scars of war – and signals a dark future for Gaza and Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/50-years-later-vietnams-environment-still-bears-the-scars-of-war-and-signals-a-dark-future-for-gaza-and-ukraine-254971

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michel Anteby, Professor of Management and Organizations & Sociology at Questrom School of Business & College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University

    It’s telling that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration wants to fire bureaucrats. In its view, bureaucrats stand for everything that’s wrong with the United States: overregulation, inefficiency and even the nation’s deficit, since they draw salaries from taxpayers.

    But bureaucrats have historically stood for something else entirely. As the sociologist Max Weber argued in his 1921 classic “Economy and Society,” bureaucrats represent a set of critical ideals: upholding expert knowledge, promoting equal treatment and serving others. While they may not live up to those ideals everywhere and every day, the description does ring largely true in democratic societies.

    I know this firsthand, because as a sociologist of work I’ve studied federal, state and local bureaucrats for more than two decades. I’ve watched them oversee the handling of human remains, screen travelers for security threats as well as promote primary and secondary education. And over and over again, I’ve seen bureaucrats stand for Weber’s ideals while conducting their often-hidden work.

    Bureaucrats as experts and equalizers

    Weber defined bureaucrats as people who work within systems governed by rules and procedures aimed at rational action. He emphasized bureaucrats’ reliance on expert training, noting: “The choice is only that between ‘bureaucratisation’ and ‘dilettantism.’” The choice between a bureaucrat and a dilettante to run an army − in his days, like in ours − seems like an obvious one. Weber saw that bureaucrats’ strength lies in their mastery of specialized knowledge.

    I couldn’t agree more. When I studied the procurement of whole body donations for medical research, for example, the state bureaucrats I spoke with were among the most knowledgeable professionals I encountered. Whether directors of anatomical services or chief medical examiners, they knew precisely how to properly secure, handle and transfer human cadavers so physicians could get trained. I felt greatly reassured that they were overseeing the donated bodies of loved ones.

    Weber also described bureaucrats as people who don’t make decisions based on favors. In other forms of rule, he noted, “the ruler is free to grant or withhold clemency” based on “personal preference,” but in bureaucracies, decisions are reached impersonally. By “impersonal,” Weber meant “without hatred or passion” and without “love and enthusiasm.” Put otherwise, the bureaucrats fulfill their work without regard to the person: “Everyone is treated with formal equality.”

    The federal Transportation Security Administration officers who perform their duties to ensure that we all travel safely epitomize this ideal. While interviewing and observing them, I felt grateful to see them not speculate about loving or hating anyone but treating all travelers as potential threats. The standard operating procedures they followed often proved tedious, but they were applied across the board. Doing any favors here would create immense security risks, as the recent Netflix action film “Carry-On” − about an officer blackmailed into allowing a terrorist to board a plane − illustrates.

    Advancing the public’s interests

    Finally, Weber highlighted bureaucrats’ commitment to serving the public. He stressed their tendency to act “in the interests of the welfare of those subjects over whom they rule.” Bureaucrats’ expertise and adherence to impersonal rules are meant to advance the common interest: for young and old, rural and urban dwellers alike, and many more.

    The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff that I partnered with for years at the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth exemplified this ethic. They always impressed me by the huge sense of responsibility they felt toward all state residents. Even when local resources varied, they worked to ensure that all young people in the state − regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity − could thrive. Based on my personal experience, while they didn’t always get everything right, they were consistently committed to serving others.

    Today, bureaucrats are often framed by the administration and its supporters as the root of all problems. Yet if Weber’s insights and my observations are any guide, bureaucrats are also the safeguards that stand between the public and dilettantism, favoritism and selfishness. The overwhelming majority of bureaucrats whom I have studied and worked with deeply care about upholding expertise, treating everyone equally and ensuring the welfare of all.

    Yes, bureaucrats can slow things down and seem inefficient or costly at times. Sure, they can also be co-opted by totalitarian regimes and end up complicit in unimaginable tragedies. But with the right accountability mechanisms, democratic control and sufficient resources for them to perform their tasks, bureaucrats typically uphold critical ideals.

    In an era of growing hostility, it’s key to remember what bureaucrats have long stood for − and, let’s hope, still do.

    Michel Anteby was during a decade a member of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth and a former Vice-Chair, and then Chair of the Commission.

    ref. Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why – https://theconversation.com/bureaucrats-get-a-bad-rap-but-they-deserve-more-credit-a-sociologist-of-work-explains-why-253317

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI: Microchip Expands Connectivity, Storage and Compute Portfolios to Meet the Growing Demands of AI Data Center Applications

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHANDLER, Ariz., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming data centers, creating an unprecedented demand for high-performance, secure, reliable and innovative solutions. Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) is addressing these evolving market needs by developing advanced technologies for data center connectivity, storage and data retrieval. Microchip’s data center ecosystem includes a comprehensive portfolio of enabling technologies for workload acceleration, power management, device performance, optimization and control. This ecosystem helps data centers meet the scalability, security and performance challenges of today’s dynamic technology requirements.

    Microchip’s portfolio includes high-speed interconnect and storage technologies such as Gen 3, Gen 4 and Gen 5 PCIe® switches—with Gen 6 and Gen 7 technologies in development—Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe®), storage and RAID controllers with hardware-based security for enhanced data protection. For connectivity, Microchip offers retimers and Ethernet PHYs to optimize interconnect functionality. Its power management, system monitoring and precise timing solutions are designed to deliver dependable, adaptable and energy-efficient operations for enterprise and hyperscale data center environments.

    New and recently released data center solutions:

    800G Active Electrical Cable (AEC) Reference Design

    • The reference design features the META-DX2C 800G retimer with 112G SerDes and is a comprehensive solution to reduce development time, cost and complexity for creating 800G AEC solutions for generative AI networks.
    • It includes an integrated software package implementing the CMIS 5.2 specification on a Microchip 32-bit microcontroller to streamline the development of Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) and Octal Small Form-factor Pluggable (OSFP) AEC cable products.

    META-DX2+ Ethernet Physical Layer Transceivers (PHYs) with Lambda Splitting

    • This solution improves Data Center Interconnect (DCI) by maximizing fiber utilization, enabling support for high-speed AI workloads.
    • The Lambda Splitting technique works along with coherent optics to distribute traffic across multiple wavelengths, significantly reducing costs and boosting bandwidth efficiency by up to 50%.

    LAN9646 6-Port Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Switch with SGMII Interface

    • This 6-port GbE switch with four integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T PHYs supports multiple interface options, including SGMII, RGMII, MII and RMII, making it adaptable for a wide range of networking applications.
    • It provides full VLAN and Quality of Service (QoS) support for efficient traffic management and prioritization. It also provides flexible management interface options—such as SPI, I2C and MIIM—and is compatible with Linux® DSA.
    • Capable of operating within industrial temperature ranges (−40°C to +85°C), the LAN9646 is designed for applications such as stand-alone Ethernet networks, broadband gateways, security and surveillance systems, industrial automation and networked test and measurement equipment. 

    High-Performance, High-Density Power Module

    • The MCPF1412 high-density power module delivers up to 12A of current to a load within a voltage range of 0.6V to 1.8V, while operating from a 16V input. Measuring just 5.8 mm × 4.9 mm × 1.6 mm, this module is optimized for space-constrained applications.
    • It is engineered to provide optimal power efficiency while minimizing energy loss, which is critical for modern, power-sensitive applications.
    •  Its I2C and PMBus® interfaces offer significant flexibility for system configuration, real-time monitoring and precise control and adaptability for a wide range of applications.

    Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) for Efficient Power Supply

    • dsPIC33A DSCs offer higher clock speeds and advanced control algorithms to enable faster response times and improved energy efficiency for data centers and AI servers.
    • Their diagnostic capabilities improve reliability and operational integrity, alongside integrated cryptographic algorithms for firmware attestation and device authentication to  help safeguard against tampering and spoofing.
    • Designed to handle fluctuating power demands, dsPIC33A DSCs increase efficiency and stability in critical applications like power factor correction, resonant converters and synchronous rectification, meeting the high-performance needs of modern data centers.

    Microprocessors (MPUs) for OpenBMC

    • These MPUs enable robust Auxiliary Management Control (AMC) in data center subsystems, including power shelves, enterprise storage, JBOD, cooling systems and chassis management.
    • Features include Redfish® protocol (RESTful interface) support, out-of-band management for real-time monitoring, logging and alerting of system health, secure/encrypted data transmission and support for firmware updates and remote reboots.
    • Designed to streamline data center management, Microchip’s OpenBMC solutions provide essential tools for remote management, system power monitoring and secure updates for reliable and efficient infrastructure management.

    “AI is revolutionizing all aspects of the digital landscape and data centers face growing demands for security, AI workload acceleration, system efficiency and reliability,” said Brian McCarson, corporate vice president of Microchip’s data center solutions business unit. “Microchip is committed to delivering the essential building blocks needed to address the technology challenges of modern data centers. From accelerating high-speed connectivity and storage rates to optimizing power and management systems, our innovations are designed to support next-generation AI workloads and deliver scalability for our customers.”

    Microchip’s data center solutions include a comprehensive portfolio of Secure Root of Trust Controllers designed to protect system integrity. These controllers take control at power-up, verifying firmware stored in external Flash before it is executed by the system’s CPUs and GPUs, helping prevent unauthorized code execution. Beyond the boot process, they monitor system activity, authenticate auxiliary components such as network interface cards (NICs), host bus adapters (HBAs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), and key system elements like power supplies and RAID configurations. Additionally, the controllers are designed to enable secure system ownership transfer and support robust lifecycle management.

    Visit the Data Centers web page and explore recent computing and data center blog articles to learn more about the company’s data center offerings.

    Resources
    High-res images available through Flickr or editorial contact (feel free to publish):
    ·Application image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/microchiptechnology/54458748928/sizes/o/

    About Microchip Technology:
    Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control and processing solutions. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. The company’s solutions serve over 100,000 customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

    Note: The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom on new DOGE action to dismantle AmeriCorps: ‘We will serve the federal government with a lawsuit’

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 25, 2025

    What you need to know: DOGE is ramping up its work to dismantle AmeriCorps. California will sue to stop it.

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement after California received notice from the federal government of termination of its AmeriCorps grant programs which support volunteer and service efforts.

    The federal government is giving the middle finger to service. We will serve them with a lawsuit.

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Last week, Governor Newsom announced that as the Trump Administration dismantles the AmeriCorps service program, California will both challenge the illegal action in court and accelerate recruitment for the California Service Corps program — already the largest service corps in the nation, surpassing the size of the Peace Corps.

    When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families. The agency’s shutdown hamstrings these efforts.

    California Service Corps is the largest service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:   

    Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce. The federal government provides more than half of the funding for California Climate Action Corps and about 5% of College Corps, while the state fully funds the Youth Service Corps.

    In the 2023-24 service year, 6,264 AmeriCorps members in California: 

    • Provided 4,397,674 hours of service
    • Tutored/mentored 73,833 students
    • Supported 17,000 foster youth with education and employment  
    • Planted 39,288 trees

    Members helped 26,000 households impacted by the LA fires and packed 21,000 food boxes.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Suzanne Martindale, of Oakland, has been appointed Chief Deputy Commissioner at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Martindale has been the Senior Deputy…

    News What you need to know: More Californians than ever are connecting with earthquake warning services as the MyShake app reaches over 4 million downloads. SACRAMENTO – During Earthquake Preparedness Month, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major milestone: the…

    News What you need to know: California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems.  MARYSVILLE – Governor Gavin Newsom announced a…

    MIL OSI USA News