Month: March 2023

HANOI, Vietnam, March 10, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, today announced the shortlisted companies for the Qualcomm® Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2023 (QVIC) program. Ten startup teams in technology areas such as smart cities, robotics, automotive, Internet of Things (IoT), AgriTech, and more, will each receive a grant of US$10,000 in cash prizes to further develop their proposals during the 8-month incubation period, including technical support, business coaching and intellectual property training. Each startup team may be eligible to receive patent filing financial incentives and may be eligible to compete for cash prizes of US$100,000, US$75,000, and US$50,000 in the finale.

The shortlisted companies were selected based on a variety of qualifications including technical capabilities, innovative products, and patentable technologies, as well as relevancy to Vietnam’s digital transformation and Industry 4.0.

The shortlisted companies and their technology solutions are (sorted by alphabetical order):

Alpha Asimov Robotics Company Limited – autonomous delivery robotAlternō Vietnam Company Limited – low-cost zero emission thermal energy storageBach Khoa HCMC Science Technology JSC. – smart water meterBenkon Corp.– energy saving solution for air conditionersEyeQ Tech – smart key panel for hotel check-in/check-outNext Robotics JSC. –autonomous mobile robotNextVision JSC. –open platform smart farming ecosystemRYNAN Technologies JSC. – smart insect monitoring systemWiibike Viet Nam Technology Joint Stock Company – electric micro-mobility as a serviceXB Technology Company Limited – drone delivery based on cellular connectivity

Launched in December 2019, the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge is designed to identify and nurture innovative startups in promising new technology areas in Vietnam. This Challenge, which involves the support of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), is designed to enable the development of Vietnam’s rising technology ecosystem by identifying and nurturing innovative small- and medium-sized companies who are designing products in 5G, IoT, machine learning, smart cities, wearable devices, and multimedia utilizing mobile platforms and technologies from Qualcomm Technologies, and can benefit from Qualcomm Technologies’ expertise.

The shortlisted companies will be offered incubation support including business and technical guidance, access to Qualcomm Vietnam’s R&D lab in Hanoi, as well as problem-solving support from our local teams. Lab capabilities include ML/AI enablement, camera lab, audio lab, RF chamber, thermal, and modem troubleshooting.

“I’m so excited to welcome these shortlisted companies to the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2023,” said Dr. An Chen (TS Trần Mỹ An) Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated. “I am delighted that this is the first year we have received several applications from central Vietnam. Two companies from the area were selected to join our 2023 cohort. We also received the largest number of applications this year compared to previous years. This clearly demonstrates the increasing strength of Vietnam’s startup ecosystem and the success of our program in supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation initiative.”

“We are pleased to see the continued efforts of Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge so that more of our local startups can take advantage of Qualcomm Technologies’ expertise and support to bring innovative technology solutions across Vietnam and beyond,” said Mr. Pham Hong Quat, Head of Vietnam’s National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (NATEC), MoST, “Congratulations to the shortlisted companies of QVIC 2023 for all their hard work and we encourage them in developing and deploying their technologies.”

In addition to the US$10,000 cash grant awarded to each startup team, Qualcomm Technologies will offer each company business coaching, technical support, IP training, and financial incentives for filing patents as part of the challenge. The finale of the challenge will be held August 2023, where the top three finalists will be selected by a jury of industry leaders and will receive a share of the total cash prizes of US$225,000.

About Qualcomm 
Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.

Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 10, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Michael Williams, Black & Veatch’s chief financial officer (CFO), has been named to the board of directors of the global leader in sustainable infrastructure solutions, the entirely employee-owned company announced today.

Williams, who joined Black & Veatch in 2011, was appointed CFO in 2022 – a year in which the company delivered historic growth and financial performance.

As CFO, Williams leads more than 350 global finance professionals and provides key leadership in the company’s financial, operational, commercial and risk management strategies.

“As a true steward of our company’s employee-owner culture, Michael consistently has delivered trusted performance and perspectives that merit his selection to our board,” said Mario Azar, Black & Veatch’s Chairman and CEO. “We celebrate our remarkable financial performance last year as a reflection of our solid strategy and leadership in providing innovative and sustainable solutions for our clients. We will continue to lean on Michael complementing our talented leadership team and board to deliver long-term performance and profitable growth to our employee owners.”

Before becoming CFO, Williams served as Black & Veatch’s senior vice president of finance and treasurer. He was instrumental in the company’s recent organizational transformation, which better positioned Black & Veatch to meet the global megatrends reshaping the world of infrastructure and the rapidly expanding need for innovative solutions.

“Over my dozen years at Black & Veatch, I’m reminded every day of the global influence we have in improving people’s lives through reliable, leading-edge critical infrastructure,” Williams said. “My passion for this company and what we do is driven by the fact that we’re entirely employee-owned – and we all share in the success we create together. It’s an incredible honor and privilege to serve our employee owners and help shape our future with our board of directors moving forward.”

Editor’s Notes: 

Williams received bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting from Baylor University.In December 2022, Black & Veatch was No. 164 in Forbes’ rankings of the largest U.S.-based private companies, based on 2021 revenues. Black & Veatch ranked second in Kansas.For a high-resolution image of Michael Williams, click here.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information: 
JIM SUHR | +1 913-458-6995 P | SuhrJ@BV.com 
24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

 

Originally posted on bloomberg.com

Partnership will work to ensure first-ever global delegation of mayors at the World Leaders Summit and include local climate priorities and contributions in the COP28 program

NEW YORK, March 10, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, joined COP28 UAE President-Designate Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber to announce a new partnership to bolster meaningful climate action from cities, businesses, financial institutions, and civil society at and ahead of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).

COP28 will be a milestone moment as the world comes together to deliver the Global Stocktake – the first-ever comprehensive assessment of national contributions and progress against the goals of the Paris Agreement, including keeping global temperatures below 1.5 degrees.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President- Designate said, “What the world needs at COP28 is not just a Conference of the Parties, but a Conference of all Parties. Governments alone cannot act at anywhere near the scale we need. We need everyone to join forces now – from our universities and cities to civil society organizations and nature groups, as well as every single sector of industry. The COP28 Presidency’s partnership with Michael R. Bloomberg will help mobilize all parts of global society to make COP28 the turning point we need for global climate progress.”

“Not long ago, national governments were the only ones at the table in global climate talks – but cities and local communities, states and regions, and businesses and investors have increasingly led the way in cutting emissions,” said Michael R. Bloomberg. “The more we do to support and empower them, the more we can quicken the pace of progress, and that’s exactly what Bloomberg Philanthropies has been working to do. Thanks to the leadership they’ve shown, these groups will have a formal role in this year’s COP for the first time, which can mark a historic turning point in the global fight against climate change. Bloomberg Philanthropies is glad to be joining Dr Al Jaber and the UAE to seize the moment, help all of these groups take bold action in the months ahead, and set the stage for a successful conference.”

Building on an unmatched global track record of supporting city climate action, mobilizing climate finance from the private sector, and tackling the world’s toughest emissions challenges, Bloomberg’s commitment will focus on galvanizing climate action across three main tracks at COP28, both in the lead up to and on the ground in Dubai:

Catalyzing cities, states, and subnational action: In partnership with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, America Is All In, and the Under2 Coalition, Bloomberg will support local leaders – including mayors, governors, and CEOs – to take ambitious climate action and demonstrate climate leadership; mobilize financing for urban climate projects; showcase scalable climate solutions; and strengthen collaboration at the local, national, and regional levels to accelerate climate action implementation around the world.Supporting the COP28 Energy Transition action agenda: Further to the recent announcement by Dr. Al Jaber, the partnership will aim to drive transformation within the energy sector, advancing stronger climate actions from carbon-intensive industries that help put them on net-zero pathways.Increasing clean energy development and capital mobilization: Through its partnerships with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ); the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Bloomberg will promote favorable policy environments through data, research, and advocacy; strengthen project preparation facilities; and create blended finance vehicles to unlock private-sector funding.

Earlier, Dr. Sultan and Michael R Bloomberg convened mayors and city leaders from around the world to highlight the critical importance of cities in the fight against climate change and to discuss pathways for subnational climate leadership at COP28 in the UAE.

This new commitment deepens Mike Bloomberg’s longstanding dedication to the UN’s climate agenda and aims to help deliver on UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for transformative and decisive action ahead of this year’s COP in Dubai. As part of the partnership, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. will host events and foster cross-sector dialogues to bolster global contributions from subnational actors – including cities, financial institutions, businesses and civil society – and ensure they are better integrated within global climate discussions. Bloomberg will also provide a series of tools, data and resources to subnational actors to support the global, whole-economy transition and the scaling up of clean energy investment.

Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies will also collaborate with organizations and programs in the UAE on cultural and community-focused engagements that will inspire local climate action, engage young people, and create a lasting legacy for COP28 in the Middle East.

Bloomberg and COP

Globally recognized for his work to fight climate change and accelerate the energy transition, Mike Bloomberg has long been dedicated to strengthening climate capacity across the UN and promoting climate ambition and solutions at previous COPs. To date, Mike’s commitment to strengthen and support the UN’s climate agenda has included filling the funding gap created when the Trump Administration revoked federal financial support, publishing annual assessments of U.S. subnational action to reduce emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement, and bringing together influential change-makers and leaders from across government, business, finance, technology, media, and the arts to help accelerate the clean energy transition, inspire local climate action, mobilize climate finance, and protect the ocean. To date, Mike has invested over $1.5 billion on climate and environmental issues.

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About Bloomberg on Climate

Led by Michael R. Bloomberg, a global climate champion and Special Envoy to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Ambition and Solutions, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. are tackling the climate crisis from every angle. Bloomberg Philanthropies is at the forefront of U.S. and global efforts to fight climate change and protect the environment, bringing together mayors and other government and business leaders, grassroots partners, and environmental advocates across a key array of issues. These philanthropic efforts are accelerating the transition from coal to clean energy, improving air quality and public health, advancing city and local climate action, protecting and preserving ocean ecosystems, and helping unlock billions of dollars in sustainable finance. At the same time, Bloomberg L.P. is providing the global financial community with data-driven insights, news, and analysis to help integrate an ESG lens across the investment process. As a company, Bloomberg L.P. is also leading by example, including committing to 100% renewable energy by 2025 and taking action in the communities where its employees live and work. And through Bloomberg’s stewardship of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, Bloomberg is using the power of the capital markets to address climate change and support the transition to a net-zero economy.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Media contact: daphne@bloomberg.org

About Bloomberg LP

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration.

For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media contact: oomalley2@bloomberg.net

COP28 UAE

COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

For all media enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact comms@climateenvoy.gov.ae

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To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, AEG hosted two events in Los Angeles, CA that were designed to celebrate women’s achievement and take action to drive gender equity.

In partnership with the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Telemundo, and the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Committee, AEG hosted the YMCA’s 2nd Annual Girls Empowerment Day. The event, which was held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, brought together 2,000 middle school girls from across the Los Angeles Unified School District to celebrate women’s achievements and encourage the students to dream big and accomplish their dreams.

The Girls Empowerment Day featured a discussion moderated by Telemundo’s Alejandra Ortiz where the panelists shared their personal career journeys, life lessons and tips for building self-esteem. The panelists included: Kara Lynn Joyce, three-time USA Olympic swimmer; Magali Ramirez, Finance and Operations Leader at Zoom Info; Linda Nguyen, Community Engagement Lead, Los Angeles at Microsoft Philanthropies Digital Inclusion and Community Engagement; and AEG’s Tamala Lewis, Senior Director of Community Relations and Foundation for Dignity Health Sports Park.

Following the panel, the girls participated in a variety of sports clinics hosted by the LA Kings, LA Sparks, LA Clippers, and LA 2028 to promote participation in physical activities. Other LA-based organizations that participated in the event include LA Sports Council, Los Angeles Dodgers Training Academy, Serving Up Hope, United States Tennis Association-Southern California, Nike and the Velo Sports Center.

“We know that sports can positively affect girls and with today’s event we’re aiming to cultivate a growth mindset among these students, and build their self-confidence and self-awareness,” said Tamala Lewis, Senior Director of Community Relations, and Foundation at Dignity Health Sports Park. “Sports also can help level the playing field for girls to reaching social and economic equality, and having these accomplished women tell their stories and be available to these girls encourages them to follow their dreams.”

Separately at Crypto.com Arena, AEG hosted a FUTURE’s Career Exploration event for 20 female students from Los Angeles Trade Technical College where senior-level women executives from across AEG’s business divisions discussed career opportunities in the sports and live music industry. Following the discussion, students were paired with an AEG mentor for one-on-one conversations focused on career paths available in the industry. After the event, the girls were invited to watch the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Toronto Raptors from a suite at the arena. To learn more about the AEG Futures Career Exploration program, click here.

In the latest blog post, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) features, guest author Gemma Verhoeven, Impact Investment Team Lead at the Good Fashion Fund (GFF), who shares how GFF utilizes the Higg FEM as a key part of their environmental due diligence process and the benefits GFF has seen through the use of the Higg FEM as part of their SAC membership.

Read more in the blog post, titled Using the Higg Index to trace environmental impact results as we drive towards more sustainable textile production.

To learn more about the Good Fashion Fund, visit their website.

Trees are all around us, from obvious uses like lumber and paper, to more surprising uses like touch screens and medicines. In our #ItStartsWithTrees series, we look at the science that explains why thousands of products require trees. Today, we’re looking at products relating to health, hygiene and medicine.

Did you know almost everything you own connects to the forest products industry in one way or another?

While most people recognize that the wood and paper products in their homes are made from trees, the everyday products we use that depend on the forest go way beyond the obvious: touch screens, medicines, bath products, paints, fabrics and even many foods depend on products derived from trees.

“People don’t realize how many everyday products contain some portion of wood or wood fiber,”  says John Considine, a Materials Research Engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. “Our forests are one of our greatest natural resources. They’re like oil wells above the ground, but they’re renewable.”

Today we’re looking at the science that explains why trees are essential to so many critical supply chains in health, hygiene and medicine:

Why are trees in medicines?

Chances are, if you’ve ever swallowed a pill, there was an element that originated in a forest. 

Manufacturers use cellulose ether, made from wood, to serve several purposes in the making of medicines. It can be used to bind the contents of a pill, to make the hard outside coating of tablets or even to serve as the slow-dissolving shell in slow-release tablets. Cellulose is also used as a thickening agent in liquid medicines. Of course, the processing of this kind of cellulose is done very carefully to keep it clean and pure. That’s why it’s called a “high purity” cellulose.

Why does it work? 

1. Maintains strength even in tiny sizes

The same cellulose that builds strong cell walls in trees can be used to make products strong. A natural polymer, cellulose ether has layers of cellulose chains held together by strong hydrogen bonds. That helps it maintain its strength and stability when mixed with other substances. Because of that, it compresses well, which means it holds together, even under pressure. Think how tiny a pill is, and yet you can squeeze it between your fingers without crushing it or changing its shape.

2. Binds well with medicine, ensuring accurate dose

Cellulose is a great binder, meaning particles of it “grab” medicine particles and ensure they’re equally mixed in their container. This quality ensures the right dose of medicine gets into every pill in the manufacturing process. 

3. Natural ingredient

Cellulose is the same material we find in plants and vegetables: It’s nontoxic and biodegradable, making it safe for humans to ingest. While the actual medicine component of a pill will be absorbed into your body, the cellulose component is a harmless fiber that will pass through your body.

Many other uses for forest products in the medical world

Beyond the use of cellulose in medications, we need forest products for countless items used in the medical world:

Wood in hand sanitizers, soaps and bath products

The same binding ability that makes cellulose useful in medicine is also important in the making of soaps. First, it can bind with the other ingredients in liquid soaps, shampoos and body washes, making them thicker or even gel-like. Cellulose also gives products the ability to bind with water, which is ideal for moisturizing soaps and lotions. It’s a good “slip agent” because of its ability to bind with skin and hair. That helps products like deodorants and creams stay on the skin of the person using them rather than slipping away as soon as they are applied.

Wood in Toothpaste

A form of cellulose known as cellulose gum, or Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), plays several roles in toothpaste: thanks to its binding abilities, it acts as a thickener, attaching to the other ingredients in toothpaste and making it smooth and creamy. This quality also keeps ingredients from separating and helps extend the toothpaste’s shelf life. CMC also gives toothpaste its strength so it keeps its shape, even on your toothbrush. Incidentally, toothbrushes are often made of a hard, “plastic-like” material that’s made with the help of cellulose, which strengthens the material.

Wood in Swabs and Tongue Depressors

Wood is used in the manufacture of tongue depressors. It’s strong and rigid, so it can stand up to the moist conditions of our mouths. It’s also affordable, hypoallergenic and biodegradable: the ideal conditions for a one-time use medical item. For the same reasons, wood pulp fibers are often used to make the “handle” on cotton swabs.

Wood in Diapers and Feminine Hygiene Products

Wood can be broken down into a strong, absorbent material called “fluff pulp.” Softwoods like slash pines have strong, thick-walled fibers that are tightly compacted together. That makes them more absorbent, which is why they are preferred in fluff pulp manufacturing. This same type of pulp is used to make all kinds of absorbent pads, from those used in hospitals to the pads placed under meats in the grocery store.

Wood in Disposable Masks and Gowns

While many gowns and masks are made from polyester, there are forest products in some personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. This article explains how one producer, Harmac, has a specially-designed “recipe” for western red cedar pulp that is used for gowns, masks, caps and other medical PPE.

Why don’t we run out of trees?

Are you shocked at the number of products that come from wood? Keep in mind we’ve barely scratched the surface. Wood is also in many foods, high performance tires, air filters, and of course countless forms of lumber and paper products. There are several thousand more examples, and the list continues to grow as researchers uncover more uses.

With so many uses for trees, how do we keep up? Forests are a renewable resource. Sustainable forestry companies like Rayonier plant more trees than we harvest and ensure we have a diverse array of ages of trees across our ownership. That ensures our company will have a “sustainable yield” in perpetuity, which means we could continue to cut the same amount of trees every year and never run out.

To Considine, we shouldn’t be asking how we can use trees less, but rather how we can use them even more.

“Our forests make our country very wealthy and give us a tremendous advantage. Just look at the countries that don’t have trees and see what that does to their economies,” he says. 

“Wood is the densest cellulose resource in the world. All other sources would require a tremendous expense in transport costs. But wood is something we can use economically in so many different ways, and we have a lot of it.”

Further Reading

Want to learn even more about how forest products are used? Here are some other articles:

“It Comes from Trees” by the North American Forest Foundation“Trees… They’re in Everything” by North Carolina State University“Cellulose” by the Polymer Science Learning Center