Monthly Archives: December 2023

PR Newswire

Leading Australian Fire Safety Engineering and Testing Consultancy Warringtonfire Australia Joins Jensen Hughes

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The acquisition expands the company’s growing presence in Australia and helps position it
exceptionally well for future expansion across the region.  

BALTIMORE, Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today Jensen Hughes, the global leader in engineering, consulting and technology that make the world safe, secure and resilient, announced it has acquired Warringtonfire Australia, a leading fire testing and fire safety engineering consulting firm in Australia, from Element Materials Technology. Following the previous acquisitions of BCA Logic and MGAC, this strategic acquisition expands the rapidly growing global enterprise’s presence in Australia and helps position the company exceptionally well for future expansion across Australia and New Zealand, as well as regionally.

This carve out from the international operations of Element is specific to the Australian business, which was established following the purchase of the Fire Testing Laboratory business from Exova and the acquisition of Defire’s Fire Safety Engineering operation in 2017. Jason Jeffress is the Divisional Director and leads a strong management team. They bring a group of 85 employees with five consulting locations and a Fire Testing Laboratory in Victoria into the Jensen Hughes global organization.

“This new partnership increases opportunities in Australia to provide a range of services through one world-class fire safety engineering-focused organization,” Jason Jeffress says. “Every one of our employees – 100% – are joining the new partnership. It’s an exciting time for our clients as we will be able to leverage Jensen Hughes’s industry-leading fire safety experts as well their offices and people across Australia and New Zealand,” he says, “this will provide us many more opportunities to advance our client service.”

“This is a win-win for Jensen Hughes and for our new colleagues coming from Warringtonfire Australia,” says Raj Arora, CEO of Jensen Hughes. “Fire safety engineering is integral to our core service mix,” he says. “This acquisition significantly enhances our capability in this area and brings a NATA and ISO- accredited Fire Testing Laboratory into our operations. On behalf of our worldwide team, I’m delighted to welcome our new Warringtonfire Australia colleagues to Jensen Hughes and our growing global family!”

For more information, visit jensenhughes.com  

About Jensen Hughes

Jensen Hughes is the global leader in engineering, consulting and technology that make our world safe, secure and resilient. Worldwide, we are recognized most widely for our leadership in fire protection engineering – a legacy of responsibility we have advanced with honor and pride since 1939. Our commitment to safety, security and resilience extends to other critical competencies core to our purpose, strategic capabilities we have been expanding for years. These include accessibility consulting, risk and hazard analysis, process safety, forensic investigations, security risk, and emergency management as well as digital innovation across many of our services. Today, our 1,500+ engineers, consultants, analysts and strategists work from 90+ offices supporting clients in 100+ countries across all markets – from Government, Healthcare, Science, and Technology to Energy, Mission Critical and Transportation. For more information, visit www.jensenhughes.com.

About Gryphon Investors

Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management. The firm has managed over $8.3 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $300 million in portfolio companies with enterprise values ranging from approximately $100 million to $600 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.

Contact: media@jensenhughes.com 

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PR Newswire

INDONESIA MUST ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF DIGITAL STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE GOVERNMENT’S “TOP 10 GLOBAL ECONOMY BY 2030” AMBITIONS, SAYS GSMA REPORT

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The new report from the GSMA, published at its Indonesia Digital Nations Summit in Jakarta, evaluates Indonesia’s progress to becoming a digital nation and recommends action points to accelerate progress

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Indonesian government has made strong steps towards becoming a leading digital nation, according to a report published today at the GSMA’s Indonesia Digital Nations Summit in Jakarta. However, the country needs to adopt a “whole-government” approach and be more joined-up around critical policy requirements, if Indonesia is to achieve its goals of digitally transforming society and becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030.

By doing so, Indonesia stands to unlock circa $18 billion in investment from the mobile industry between 2024 and 2030, mostly on 5G networks. This, in turn, is expected to contribute $41 billion to GDP over the next six years.

As part of its key recommendations, the GSMA report, entitled “Forging a resilient digital nation: Proposals for Indonesia’s future”, analyses Indonesia’s journey to becoming a digital nation and recommends action points the government and industry must expedite to achieve this transition. Above all, the report outlines opportunities to improve and accelerate progress in each of the five pillars – Infrastructure, Innovation, Data Governance, Security and People – that will help it meet its ambition to becoming one of the world’s top digital nations.

Digital nations incorporate digital technologies and services into all sectors of the economy, with the aim to drive productivity and improve the livelihoods of citizens. 5G is a key component of the infrastructure required to power future digital nations, given its ability to deliver reliable network-based services and enable the emerging technology that will help to reshape the local economy and modernise industries.

Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at the GSMA, said: “While Indonesia has achieved notable success in its journey to become a digital nation, transforming the country’s digital ecosystem won’t be possible without the necessary investment from the private sector. To unlock this, a whole-government approach is needed to ensure the right measures are in place which encourage this, including incentivising infrastructure investment, simplifying sector-specific fees, and cutting red tape.”

Despite the country consisting of over 18,000 islands, Indonesia has achieved an expansive network of digital infrastructure with 96% of the population now covered by 4G networks. However, 5G mobile connectivity will be crucial to achieving new economic targets and investment will require “policy imperatives” to accelerate the rollout of 5G infrastructure, where it is needed the most. These recommendations include:

Ensuring sustainable investments in digital networks

The rollout of 5G is set to drive an increase in smartphone demand and data traffic. In Indonesia, shipments of 5G models grew 54% in Q3 2023 and accounted for 19% of the total. However, operators’ ability to expand network capacity and coverage is often hindered by regulatory constraints, market structures and excessive tax burdens. This has created an investment gap where market conditions for private investment in telecoms networks are not favourable enough to meet ambitious national and regional digital policy targets.

Therefore, the GSMA report calls on all parts of government to work together with industry stakeholders to:

  • Encourage voluntary infrastructure sharing (passive and active) to reduce the cost of network rollout, particularly in difficult terrains.
  • Reduce red tape for obtaining the necessary permits and right-of-way (RoW) for cell-site location and fibre deployment to ease network rollout, particularly 5G densification. For example, the amendment of RoW rules in India in 2022 has been credited for the rapid rollout of 5G and fibre infrastructure in the ensuing months.
  • Reduce and simplify sector-specific taxes and fees (including tower taxes and tower building permission fees, and various fees imposed by municipal authorities) to ease the cost burden of network rollout and operations and ensure the financial sustainability of the mobile industry.
  • Provide policy incentives to encourage investment in infrastructure. In South Korea, government incentives in the form of tax credits and tax reductions for operators announced in 2020 helped unlock investment of around KRW25.7 trillion ($22 billion) in 5G networks.
  • Allow further consolidation in the telecoms sector to drive synergies and the scale required for expansive infrastructure rollout.

Achieving sustainable spectrum pricing

As recently warned by the GSMA, Indonesia also risks a $14 billion (IDR 216 trillion) productivity loss to its economy, unless it focused on ensuring future mobile spectrum prices are sustainable. It therefore recommends that:

  • Reserve prices are set conservatively below estimates of market value to enable price discovery and reduce the risk of unsold spectrum.
  • Government reviews the formula for calculating annual spectrum fees (BHP IPFR) and consider adjustments to the parameters to provide the right long-term incentives and avoid disproportionate increases in costs that are not aligned with evolving market conditions.
  • A clear spectrum roadmap is laid-out that considers not only current bands being planned but also the longer term needs for Indonesia, especially for mid-bands in the 2025–2030 timeframe. Greater certainty around the availability of spectrum and associated conditions is crucial for operators to prepare investment plans, secure financing and develop strategies for network deployment and service delivery.

The Indonesia Digital Nations Summit

The report findings were published as the GSMA hosted its Indonesia Digital Nations Summit at The Westin Jakarta. To download the Indonesia Digital Nations report, please click here.

Indonesia has emerged as a key player in the global community, and the full-day event provided a platform to explore the country’s digital landscape in the context of its digital ambitions and cultivate engagement aimed at harnessing the potential of its digital ecosystem.

The GSMA welcomed a distinguished roster of speakers to the stage for several keynotes, fireside chats, and panel sessions on topics such as the vision for digital Indonesia, the role of telecoms networks in supporting its digital future, and the potential for 5G in the country.

About GSMA

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.

We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

PR Newswire

New Challenger in the Entertainment Smartphone Market: Start24 Launched

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SINGAPORE, Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Playground, leading various IT projects from its bases in Singapore, Korea, and Vietnam, has unveiled a new smartphone, START24. Despite being in the mid-low price range, START24 throws down the gauntlet to the market with a unique concept as an ‘entertainment phone’, equipped with a large 6.81-inch screen and flamboyant LED lighting.

Let START24 Spark Up Your Music Experience Like Never Before!
Let START24 Spark Up Your Music Experience Like Never Before!

The hallmark of START24 is that it offers an experience that goes beyond a mere communication tool. It adds joy to users’ daily lives through its various smartphone platform features. Notably, it comes standard with a digital wallet and the AI chatbot ‘ChatGPT’, allowing users to experience a level of convenience and fun that is different from conventional smartphones.

Furthermore, START24 has introduced a membership system for purchasers, offering up to a 30% discount on each new model released. This aspect strengthens START24’s competitiveness and is expected to be particularly appealing to young consumers who seek high value for the price.

Playground plans to aggressively target emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa with START24. These regions are still relatively less influenced by major smartphone manufacturers, presenting a significant opportunity for an innovative product like Start24 to carve out a market.

In the era of Web3.0, Playground is attempting a new way of app store operation by introducing a decentralized app store, which will provide more value to both developers and consumers. This strategy represents a differentiated approach from the traditional centralized app stores, expected to offer users a broader freedom of choice and new experiences.

The launch of START24 is seen as more than just a product release; it heralds a shift in the tech industry’s paradigm. The industry is closely watching the innovative and transformative moves of START24.

About Playground

Playground operates in various fields, including the development of artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, online game development, O2O platforms, and smartphone operating system development, providing an optimal experience for users.

PR Newswire

EV Group Brings Revolutionary Layer Transfer Technology to High-Volume Manufacturing with EVG®850 NanoCleave™ System

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Infrared laser cleave technology enables ultra-thin-layer transfer from silicon substrates with nanometer precision, revolutionizing 3D integration for advanced packaging and transistor scaling

ST. FLORIAN, Austria, Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — EV Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today introduced the EVG®850 NanoCleave™ layer release system—the first product platform to feature EVG’s revolutionary NanoCleave technology. The EVG850 NanoCleave system enables nanometer-precision release of bonded, deposited or grown layers from silicon carrier substrates using an infrared (IR) laser coupled with specially formulated inorganic release materials in a proven, high-volume-manufacturing (HVM) capable platform. As a result, the EVG850 NanoCleave eliminates the need for glass carriers—enabling ultra-thin chiplet stacking for advanced packaging, as well as ultra-thin 3D layer stacking for front-end processing, including advanced logic, memory and power device formation, to support future 3D integration roadmaps. 

View inside the EVG®850 NanoCleave™ layer release system, with the pre-processing module bay and the mechanical release module in the background. Source: EV Group.
View inside the EVG®850 NanoCleave™ layer release system, with the pre-processing module bay and the mechanical release module in the background. Source: EV Group.

The first EVG850 NanoCleave systems have already been installed at customer facilities, and nearly two dozen product demonstrations are underway with customers and partners at customer sites and EVG’s headquarters.

Silicon Carriers Benefit 3D Stacking and Back-end Processing 
In 3D integration, glass substrates have become an established method for building up device layers through temporary bonding with organic adhesives, using an ultraviolet (UV) wavelength laser to dissolve the adhesives and release the device layers, which are subsequently permanently bonded onto the final product wafer. However, glass substrates are difficult to process with semiconductor fab equipment that have been designed primarily around silicon, and that require costly upgrades to enable glass substrate processing. In addition, organic adhesives are generally limited to processing temperatures below 300 °C,  limiting their use to back-end processing.

Enabling silicon carriers with inorganic release layers avoids these temperature and glass carrier compatibility issues. In addition, the nanometer precision of IR laser-initiated cleaving allows for processing extremely thin device wafers without changing processes of record. Subsequent stacking of such thin device layers enables higher-bandwidth interconnects and new opportunities to design and segment dies for next-generation, high-performance devices.

Next-generation Transistor Nodes Require Thin-layer Transfer Processes
At the same time, transistor roadmaps for the sub-3-nm node call for new architectures and design innovations such as buried power rails, backside power delivery networks, complementary field-effect transistors (CFETs) and 2D atomic channels, all of which require layer transfer of extremely thin materials. Silicon carriers and inorganic release layers support process cleanliness, material compatibility and high processing temperature requirements for front-end manufacturing flows. However, until now, silicon carriers had to be completely removed using grinding, polishing and etching processes, which results in micron-range variations across the surface of the working device layer, making this method unsuitable for thin-layer stacking at advanced nodes.

“Releasable” Fusion Bonding
The EVG850 NanoCleave utilizes an IR laser and inorganic release materials to enable laser cleaving from silicon carriers with nanometer precision in production environments. The innovative process eliminates the need for glass substrates and organic adhesives, enabling front-end process compatibility for ultra-thin-layer transfer and downstream processes. The most demanding front-end processing is supported by the EVG850 NanoCleave’s high-temperature compatibility (up to 1000 °C) while the room-temperature IR cleaving step ensures device layer and carrier substrate integrity. The layer transfer process also eliminates the need for expensive solvents associated with carrier wafer grinding, polishing and etching.

The EVG850 NanoCleave is based on the same platform as EVG’s industry-leading EVG850 series of automated temporary bonding/debonding and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) bonding systems, with a compact design and HVM-proven wafer handling system.

According to Dr. Bernd Thallner, corporate R&D project manager at EV Group, “Since EVG’s founding more than 40 years ago, our vision has been steadfast in being the first in exploring new techniques and serving next-generation applications of micro- and nanofabrication technologies. Recently, 3D and heterogeneous integration have stepped into the spotlight as key drivers of performance improvements on new semiconductor device generations. This in turn has brought wafer bonding front and center as a critical process for continuing PPACt (power, performance, area, cost and time-to-market) scaling. With our new EVG850 NanoCleave system, EVG has merged the benefits of temporary bonding and fusion bonding into one versatile platform supporting our customers’ ability to extend their future roadmaps in both advanced packaging and next-generation scaled transistor design and manufacturing.”

For more information on the EVG850 NanoCleave layer release system, visit https://www.evgroup.com/products/bonding/temporary-bonding-and-debonding-systems/evg850-nanocleave.  

About EV Group (EVG)
EV Group (EVG) is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for the manufacture of semiconductors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), compound semiconductors, power devices and nanotechnology devices. Key products include wafer bonding, thin-wafer processing, lithography/nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and metrology equipment, as well as photoresist coaters, cleaners and inspection systems. Founded in 1980, EV Group services and supports an elaborate network of global customers and partners all over the world. More information about EVG is available at www.EVGroup.com.

Contacts:   

Clemens Schütte

David Moreno

Director, Marketing and Communications

Principal

EV Group

Open Sky Communications

Tel: +43 7712 5311 0

Tel: +1.415.519.3915

E-mail: Marketing@EVGroup.com

E-mail: dmoreno@openskypr.com  

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Lifestyle, Promos

December Holiday Gift Guide – Jabra

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2. Jabra Christmas GIF

Window shoppers and generous gifters alike – rejoice! We’re back with another gift guide for this December 2023. For those looking to jazz up the holiday season with some festive tunes, Jabra has a few jolly gift ideas.

If you or a loved one have been looking for some new wireless earbuds, this gift guide might just be the one for you. Jabra is highlighting their lineup of True Wireless Earbuds for the holiday season:

Jabra Elite 3 – RM249 (Promo Price)

3. Jabra Elite 3

This one’s for the thrifty listeners. From 18 to 31 December, you can get the Jabra Elite 3 for a special holiday price at RM249 (RRP: RM389). These earbuds boast some decent tech with 6mm speakers, 4-microphone call tech, and Qualcomm aptXTM integration. On top of noise isolation features, these buds also have a robust battery life of up to seven hours (28 with the case). It also comes in three colours – Dark Grey, Navy, Lilac, and Light Beige.

Jabra Elite 8 Active – RM1,049

4. Jabra Elite 8 Active

If durability is on your wishlist, the Jabra Elite 8 Active is one of the sturdier options. Jabra claims that these buds have met US Military Standards as ‘The World’s Toughest Earbuds’. On top of its 32-hour battery life, it also comes with an IP68 rating to brave dust, water, and sweat. It’s equipped with Dolby Audio, Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, and Wind Neutralizing HearThrough tech – sounds pretty good. It also comes in three colours – Caramel, Navy, and Dark Grey.

Jabra Elite 10 – RM1,299

5. Jabra Elite 10

If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, these earbuds are made for those with premium tastes. Optimized for Dolby Atmos with Dolby Head Tracking, these buds providing a audio experience that follows your head movements. It also comes with Advanced Active Noise Cancellation which can adapt to your surroundings. The Jabra Elite 10 comes in three colours – Caramel, Navy, and Dark Grey.

To find out more about these earbuds and where to buy them, you can check out Jabra’s official website.

If you’re looking for more goodies, Jabra is also currently running its ‘JOM CUTI! LUCKY DRAW’ holiday giveaway until 31 December 2023. You can win holiday vacations to destinations like Club Med Phuket and Club Med Cherating among other prizes. For more details about the contest, you can visit @jabra_my on Instagram.

Lifestyle, Promos

Snag Discounted Tech at the Huawei 12.12 Super Sale

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From 12 to 14 December 2023, Huawei is rolling out discounts and offers on their lineup of flagship products. If you have a new smartwatch or tablet on your wishlist, this is your chance to pick one up for a good discount.

As part of Huawei’s 12.12, you’ll be able to shop with savings up to RM1,300 and free gifts worth up to RM1,197. Check out the list below for some of the promotion highlights:

Huawei 12.12

These deals will be available across Huawei’s online stores including their official website, Shopee, and Lazada. Be sure to grab these deals before they go away on December 14.

Want to make sure you don’t miss out on the best promos or tech sales? Check out our promos page and stay tuned for more!

News

Google Bard gets an Upgrade with Gemini Pro.

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Gemini


By integrating Gemini, a state-of-the-art AI model, into its Bard chatbot, Google is making its virtual assistant smarter and more adept. According to Google, with its improved reasoning, planning, and comprehending capabilities, Bard is now in a solid position to compete with ChatGPT.

Ultra, Pro, and Nano are the three varieties of Gemini. From cell phones to servers, these variations cover it all. Bard has a two-stage deployment. At first, it will receive an initial performance bump from Gemini Pro, and its abilities will spread next year. They hope to introduce Bard Advance, powered by Gemini Ultra, the most powerful version of Google’s LLM.

Gemini Pro has passed all eight benchmark tests, including six conducted before the big announcement, beating GPT-3.5. Even though GPT-3.5 has been around for over a year, Google maintains that Bard with Gemini Pro is the best free chatbot, according to independent tests. After undergoing a Gemini makeover, Bard can better comprehend and summarise information and reason, generate ideas, and plan to meet the user’s needs. Google claims a vast improvement, the most notable quality boost since Bard’s release.

Although Bard with Gemini Pro initially only supports word-based prompts, Google plans to integrate graphics, text, and more soon to provide multimodal help. When Bard Advanced makes its appearance in 2024, showing off Gemini Ultra, that’s when things heat up. Bard becomes an adaptable AI that can process code, graphics, audio, and video in this version.

In the following months, Gemini will power in several Google products and services, including Chrome, Ads, and Duet AI. The business will test out Gemini in Search to streamline and improve your web browsing experience. Besides that, Gemini Ultra and Bard Advanced guarantee a revolutionary AI experience—the capacity of Bard Advanced to comprehend and process various forms of data, including code. Before the wider launch, Google intends to implement a trusted tester programme to guarantee customer safety.

Now accessible in more than 170 countries in English, Bard with Gemini Pro is perfect for anyone looking to plunge headfirst into the upgraded Bard experience. Explore the improved chatbot at your leisure while Europe waits.

PR Newswire

Keith Payne joins Nintex as Vice President, APAC Sales

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MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Nintex, a leader in process intelligence and automation, today announced the appointment of Keith Payne as Vice President of Sales for Asia-Pacific (APAC) to drive growth across the region.

Keith Payne joins Nintex as Vice President, APAC Sales
Keith Payne joins Nintex as Vice President, APAC Sales

With an impressive track record in scaling SaaS organisations across APAC, Keith has led highly-skilled sales and customer success teams dedicated to creating shared value for customers and partners, while maximizing efficiencies and results for the business. He most recently served in executive roles at insightsoftware, SAP Concur, and FUJIFILM Business Innovation Australia.

“We are thrilled to welcome Keith to the Nintex team. His extensive market sector experience and proven leadership will be a significant advantage as we deepen our investments in and service of the APAC region,” said Sean Goldstein, Nintex CRO.

“Businesses across the region are demonstrating an incredible appetite to utilise technology to drive efficiency. Nintex is at the forefront of process management and automation, making this an exciting time to join the team,” said Keith Payne, Vice President, APAC Sales. “The APAC region presents immense opportunities for growth, and I am excited to lead the sales team in delivering innovative solutions that empower organisations to achieve their business goals.”

Former Vice President of Sales for the APAC region, Christian Lucarelli, achieved remarkable success and is now transitioning to assume the role of Vice President of Sales for EMEA.

Consistent with the recent strategic executive announcements of Nintex Chief Executive Officer Amit Mathradas, Nintex Chief Product Officer Niranjan Vijayaragavan, Nintex Chief Marketing Officer Mini Peiris, and Nintex Chief Revenue Officer Sean Goldstein, Nintex is maximizing its positioning for forthcoming opportunities in the automation market.

Media Contact
media@nintex.com

About Nintex
Nintex is the global standard for process intelligence and automation, powered by AI. Today more than 8,000 public and private sector organisations across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimising business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA).

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Source: Nintex USA Inc.

PR Newswire

Merck Collaborates with Acceleration Consortium on Open-Sourcing AI-Driven Experimentation Planner

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  • Bayesian optimization engine that already powers dozens of use cases at Merck now open sourced to foster adoption
  • Close partnership to enable the self-driving labs of tomorrow

DARMSTADT, Germany, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Merck, a leading science and technology company, and the Acceleration Consortium, based at the University of Toronto, Canada, today jointly announced that their AI-driven experimentation planner Bayesian Back End (BayBE) is now available open-source on GitHub, with an unrestricted Apache 2.0 license. The joint open-source initiative combines the Merck portfolio of use cases with the Acceleration Consortium’s world-leading excellence in self-driving labs.

“The release and maintenance of open-source code for scientific discovery is imperative for the advancement of self-driving labs. This collaboration moves the needle of multi-stakeholder work in the area of self-driving labs. I am thrilled about our collaboration with Merck on developing and publishing software for AI-assisted experimental planning. As society faces ever-growing challenges, we have no time for science as usual. With this software, we can revolutionize the way experiments are designed and conducted, accelerating discoveries and driving progress in ways we have never imagined before,” said Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Toronto, and Director of the Acceleration Consortium, which recently launched a seven-year program worth CA$ 200 million, supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

“This development is a great outcome of our focus on ‘innovation powered by data and digital’. Together with our partners at the Acceleration Consortium, we continue to push productivity with digital tools such as BayBE. Merck continues to invest in digital technologies that can disrupt the healthcare, life science and electronics industries,” said Laura Matz, Chief Science and Technology Officer at Merck. “BayBE unites several advanced technologies under one umbrella and focuses on making them useful for industrial purposes. While it already has many internal use cases, we are excited to share it with a wider community through open source. What started out as a cross-sectorial advancement can now become a cross-industrial one,” Matz continued.

BayBE was built jointly across all three business sectors of Merck. It is a general-purpose toolbox for smart iterative experimentation with emphasis on important add-ons for chemistry and materials science. It enables a more systematic approach by providing recommendations for the next best experiment, leading to better results faster. BayBE can also act as the “brain” for automated equipment, enabling entirely closed-loop self-driving laboratories.

The traditional approach for design of experiments is largely based on intuition and experience of the experimentalist. This can lead to considerable variation between different labs and is particularly challenging for complex campaigns that aim to optimize numerous properties simultaneously. Merck faces these challenges on an every-day basis, for instance as part of experimental optimization campaigns in research, product development and operations. Artificial intelligence (AI) enables novel ways of tackling these problems and reducing the time needed and money spent as well as increasing sustainability.

The BayBE software already powers dozens of use-cases at Merck, for instance:

  • VRP ExcipientFinder: Part of the viscosity reduction platform service of the Life Science business sector of Merck; a tool to accelerate selection of viscosity reducing excipients
  • BayChem: Self-service experimental planner available to everyone at Merck, directly enabling our lab users
  • Self-driving autonomous flow chemistry at Merck: closed-loop platform in the R&D of the Life Science business sector that optimizes chemical reactions fully autonomously

All Merck press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 64,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2022, Merck generated sales of € 22.2 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle

December Holiday Gift Guide – Lenovo

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The season of holiday gifting and sales are upon us! If you have been thinking about spending your hard-earned money on your loved ones (including yourself), here’s the first of many gift guides to look forward to this month.

Whether it is a gift for a gamer-on-the-go or a serial multitasker, Lenovo is highlighting a collection of their tech this holiday season:

Lenovo Legion Go (Price TBA – available soon on Lenovo Malaysia’s official stores)

legion go

Legion Go is Lenovo’s answer to a handheld gaming device with the guts of a PC. It’s got detachable controllers for ultimate flexibility. It also comes with a 10-point touchscreen for intuitive controls, and enough juice to last thanks to Super Rapid Charge.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (RM9,499)

yoga book 9i

The Yoga Book 9i is a dual-screen laptop that folds, flips, and flexes. Its Multimode+ feature turns it into everything you need – whether it be a laptop, a tablet, or an e-reader. It’s portable and comes with a whole ecosystem of accessories, allowing you to work creatively wherever you are.

Lenovo Legion 9i (RM16,039.01)

02 Legion 9i Hero RTX Gaming

For serious gamers and content creators, this powerhouse of a laptop comes with a self-contained liquid cooling system. It boasts buttery smooth performance and packed with high-end specs. Of course, this also means that this beast comes with a similarly high-end price tag.

Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen) (RM1,699)

TabP112nd Lifestyle Image 7

The Tab P11 is a versatile tablet for streaming, designing, and even some light gaming. For multitaskers, split-screen mode allows you to easily tackle two tasks at once. The Lenovo Precision Pen 2 is also a perfect accessory for jotting down notes or doodling. Looking to do some emails or want a boost in productivity? Just snap on a keyboard and you have a tablet for both work and play.

Lenovo R27fc-30 27″ Monitor (RM849)

Lenovo R27fc 30

Immersion and low-latency is important to enjoying gaming and viewing content. If you’re looking to do either, consider this 27-inch curved monitor monitor. It comes with 280Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time for smooth video performance. Want to set up multiple screens? No problem. The LTPS stand lets you adjust it to your preferred viewing angle, so you can game, create, and enjoy in comfort.

Like anything you see in the list? You can find out more on Lenovo Malaysia’s official online store, and stay tuned here for more gift guides this month!