Month: April 2024

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Investing in R&D We are one of the world’s leading wireless technology innovators and have a long history of investing heavily in R&D. We have developed foundational technologies, including CDMA and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDMA), and we are a driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G and 5G Advanced. Our technologies help drive the continued evolution of the wireless industry.

“We are already working on establishing the technical foundation for 6G — the next-generation mobile platform coming in 2030 and beyond.”

The worldwide demand for wireless devices, data services and applications require continuous innovation to support new services, increase network capacity, make use of different frequency bands, allow for dense network deployments and improve user experiences. The wireless communications industry is also characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and, with the use of 5G, the expansion into new industries or applications, such as automotive and IoT.

Staying at the forefront of so much change requires a continuous effort to enhance existing and develop new products and technologies. For decades, our inventors have been solving complex, systems-level problems and conducting pioneering research that is years ahead of the industry and often a decade in advance of commercialization. This approach has been continuously recognized and we have received awards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the White House, the European Patent Office and many more.

We are already working on establishing the technical foundation for 6G — the next-generation mobile platform coming in 2030 and beyond. 6G is expected to allow service providers to continue serving the ever-growing demand for data speed, while also opening new service categories powered by physical-digital convergence and devices powered with ambient energy. While we are still quite a few years away from commercial launches of the 6G platform, we are certain of one thing: 6G will bring technology leaps, new experiences, and use cases that we can barely imagine today.

Our fundamental research and comprehensive approach to AI helps enable us to be a leader in on-device AI solutions. The Qualcomm® AI Engine, featured in our Snapdragon platforms and many of our other products provides high-performance on-device AI solutions at extremely low power to support complex use cases, while enhancing privacy and security. The Qualcomm® AI Stack is a unified AI software portfolio designed to help developers optimize and deploy AI models quickly using our chipset solutions by supporting AI frameworks and runtimes, developer libraries, system software and popular operating systems.

We are also a leading innovator in video, audio and speech compression technologies and system-level solutions enabling featurerich, high-quality experiences in imaging, audio and vision intelligence. We are a primary contributor to the advancement of video compression performance, including contributions to the H.265/HEVC standard (deployed to support Ultra High Definition 4K and beyond video) and the next generation H.266/VVC standard, which are designed to power the creation and consumption of richer, immersive media experiences.

We have developed significant multimedia technologies, including camera and imaging technologies, vision intelligence technologies enabling use cases such as smart image processing, augmented reality (AR)/VR and robotics, visual augmentation and frameworks and audio frameworks. These last two allow for human-machine interfaces, speech compression innovations, spatial audio processing and coding enabling compression and rendering of immersive audio.

To enable the necessary continuous evolution, we have made significant, long-term investments in R&D — with nearly 22 percent of revenues invested since 2006. Our investment already exceeds more than $85B — resulting in more than 160,000 patents and patent applications and more than 35 years of innovation in chipsets, software, services and integrated platform solutions. We have R&D centers in several locations throughout the world but primarily in U.S., India, Europe and China.

The intellectual property (IP) developed and acquired through our R&D efforts has been incorporated into the most widely accepted and deployed cellular wireless communications technology standards, and we have licensed it to several hundred customers and key non-handset suppliers, such as automotive and IoT.

Just as we make long strides in our R&D efforts to drive leading contributions to technologies powering the connected intelligent edge, we make investments to drive growth in countries and industries. We help broader technology ecosystems flourish by being a trusted knowledge advisor in spectrum selection and 5G development, deployment and commercialization, by supporting startups around the world, developing research collaborations and offering technical and IP rights training programs.

Since our founding, we have supported innovative academic research with a range of university programs. We help the academic community to develop new ideas and solutions in a broad range of technological research areas at leading universities around the world. Annually, we engage with more than 100 research faculty, award more than 50 student research fellowships and sponsor more than 70 academic conferences and academia initiatives. In our engagements with academia, we share our expertise and our Qualcomm development platforms and tools across a range of technologies to facilitate research and encourage talent development. Collaborations with academia this past year included developing offline reinforcement learning on devices for vast applications of robotics and autonomous vehicles. The common goal has been to develop improvements for devices to sense, perceive, localize and make real-time decisions in real world environments.

We also support regional innovation through incubation and mentorship programs that cultivate promising startups in vital technology areas. We offer engineering guidance and lab assistance for, business coaching and IP trainings to help startups grow and prosper into successful technology businesses. Our programs — which take no equity in the incubated startups — have a proven record of helping startups commercialize their products and services, receive venture funding, file patent applications and expand their business beyond their home countries. Our incubation and mentorship programs are complemented by other Company programs that support startups at different levels of their lifecycles.

These Company-supported programs have incubated or mentored over 226 startups since 2016 in emerging regions, particularly those with an intensifying design talent pool, growing supply chain and local manufacturing expertise. These include India, Taiwan and Vietnam, or regions witnessing rapid adoption of digital technologies such as Africa. Harnessing advanced cellular communication (4G and 5G) and advanced computing technology (including hybrid AI), these startups have developed end-to-end IoT applications for regionally relevant products and services in healthcare, smart cities, agricultural technology, smart homes, automotive, advanced computing, semiconductor design, mixed reality (XR), wearables, robotics and drones.

In addition to tech mentorship, we provide the startups training on the importance of securing IP rights. Cumulatively, the startups we have supported have filed more than 710 patent applications in regional and international patent offices, including 412 patents filings from Indian organizations, 269 from Taiwan and 29 from Vietnam.

We also work with partners across the mobile ecosystem through our Qualcomm Academy, an industry-leading virtual education platform. In 2023, the academy supported more than 25,000 training courses – such as teaching handset original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) concepts that underpin 5G or explaining the technical benefits of millimeter wave technology. The courses are offered to university students, industry professionals and Qualcomm employees.

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Investing in R&D We are one of the world’s leading wireless technology innovators and have a long history of investing heavily in R&D. We have developed foundational technologies, including CDMA and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDMA), and we are a driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G and 5G Advanced. Our technologies help drive the continued evolution of the wireless industry.

“We are already working on establishing the technical foundation for 6G — the next-generation mobile platform coming in 2030 and beyond.”

The worldwide demand for wireless devices, data services and applications require continuous innovation to support new services, increase network capacity, make use of different frequency bands, allow for dense network deployments and improve user experiences. The wireless communications industry is also characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and, with the use of 5G, the expansion into new industries or applications, such as automotive and IoT.

Staying at the forefront of so much change requires a continuous effort to enhance existing and develop new products and technologies. For decades, our inventors have been solving complex, systems-level problems and conducting pioneering research that is years ahead of the industry and often a decade in advance of commercialization. This approach has been continuously recognized and we have received awards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the White House, the European Patent Office and many more.

We are already working on establishing the technical foundation for 6G — the next-generation mobile platform coming in 2030 and beyond. 6G is expected to allow service providers to continue serving the ever-growing demand for data speed, while also opening new service categories powered by physical-digital convergence and devices powered with ambient energy. While we are still quite a few years away from commercial launches of the 6G platform, we are certain of one thing: 6G will bring technology leaps, new experiences, and use cases that we can barely imagine today.

Our fundamental research and comprehensive approach to AI helps enable us to be a leader in on-device AI solutions. The Qualcomm® AI Engine, featured in our Snapdragon platforms and many of our other products provides high-performance on-device AI solutions at extremely low power to support complex use cases, while enhancing privacy and security. The Qualcomm® AI Stack is a unified AI software portfolio designed to help developers optimize and deploy AI models quickly using our chipset solutions by supporting AI frameworks and runtimes, developer libraries, system software and popular operating systems.

We are also a leading innovator in video, audio and speech compression technologies and system-level solutions enabling featurerich, high-quality experiences in imaging, audio and vision intelligence. We are a primary contributor to the advancement of video compression performance, including contributions to the H.265/HEVC standard (deployed to support Ultra High Definition 4K and beyond video) and the next generation H.266/VVC standard, which are designed to power the creation and consumption of richer, immersive media experiences.

We have developed significant multimedia technologies, including camera and imaging technologies, vision intelligence technologies enabling use cases such as smart image processing, augmented reality (AR)/VR and robotics, visual augmentation and frameworks and audio frameworks. These last two allow for human-machine interfaces, speech compression innovations, spatial audio processing and coding enabling compression and rendering of immersive audio.

To enable the necessary continuous evolution, we have made significant, long-term investments in R&D — with nearly 22 percent of revenues invested since 2006. Our investment already exceeds more than $85B — resulting in more than 160,000 patents and patent applications and more than 35 years of innovation in chipsets, software, services and integrated platform solutions. We have R&D centers in several locations throughout the world but primarily in U.S., India, Europe and China.

The intellectual property (IP) developed and acquired through our R&D efforts has been incorporated into the most widely accepted and deployed cellular wireless communications technology standards, and we have licensed it to several hundred customers and key non-handset suppliers, such as automotive and IoT.

Just as we make long strides in our R&D efforts to drive leading contributions to technologies powering the connected intelligent edge, we make investments to drive growth in countries and industries. We help broader technology ecosystems flourish by being a trusted knowledge advisor in spectrum selection and 5G development, deployment and commercialization, by supporting startups around the world, developing research collaborations and offering technical and IP rights training programs.

Since our founding, we have supported innovative academic research with a range of university programs. We help the academic community to develop new ideas and solutions in a broad range of technological research areas at leading universities around the world. Annually, we engage with more than 100 research faculty, award more than 50 student research fellowships and sponsor more than 70 academic conferences and academia initiatives. In our engagements with academia, we share our expertise and our Qualcomm development platforms and tools across a range of technologies to facilitate research and encourage talent development. Collaborations with academia this past year included developing offline reinforcement learning on devices for vast applications of robotics and autonomous vehicles. The common goal has been to develop improvements for devices to sense, perceive, localize and make real-time decisions in real world environments.

We also support regional innovation through incubation and mentorship programs that cultivate promising startups in vital technology areas. We offer engineering guidance and lab assistance for, business coaching and IP trainings to help startups grow and prosper into successful technology businesses. Our programs — which take no equity in the incubated startups — have a proven record of helping startups commercialize their products and services, receive venture funding, file patent applications and expand their business beyond their home countries. Our incubation and mentorship programs are complemented by other Company programs that support startups at different levels of their lifecycles.

These Company-supported programs have incubated or mentored over 226 startups since 2016 in emerging regions, particularly those with an intensifying design talent pool, growing supply chain and local manufacturing expertise. These include India, Taiwan and Vietnam, or regions witnessing rapid adoption of digital technologies such as Africa. Harnessing advanced cellular communication (4G and 5G) and advanced computing technology (including hybrid AI), these startups have developed end-to-end IoT applications for regionally relevant products and services in healthcare, smart cities, agricultural technology, smart homes, automotive, advanced computing, semiconductor design, mixed reality (XR), wearables, robotics and drones.

In addition to tech mentorship, we provide the startups training on the importance of securing IP rights. Cumulatively, the startups we have supported have filed more than 710 patent applications in regional and international patent offices, including 412 patents filings from Indian organizations, 269 from Taiwan and 29 from Vietnam.

We also work with partners across the mobile ecosystem through our Qualcomm Academy, an industry-leading virtual education platform. In 2023, the academy supported more than 25,000 training courses – such as teaching handset original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) concepts that underpin 5G or explaining the technical benefits of millimeter wave technology. The courses are offered to university students, industry professionals and Qualcomm employees.

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Henkel’s two business units, Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands, are united by the pioneering spirit to reimagine and improve everyday life – today and for generations to come. Building on a strong legacy of more than 145 years, our brands and products play an important role in the lives of millions of people and help to transform entire industries. In this new series, Beyond the Brand, you will learn about how Henkel’s top brands are contributing to organizational goals and innovating constantly to serve and succeed on behalf of customers, consumers, and partners.

The first featured brand is all® detergent, which has been delighting consumers for 65 years. Read on for more about the history, innovations, sustainability, and pioneering spirit that goes far beyond the brand.

The History of all®

The all® brand was introduced and established in the U.S. market in 1959, offering American families an effective clean for their laundry. Since its introduction, the brand has evolved to meet the needs of its consumers, with all® free clear growing to become a category leader in laundry care for sensitive skin.

all® free clear is proud to have the history of being a science-led brand that has become the #1 recommended detergent brand by dermatologists, allergists and pediatricians for sensitive skin.

Innovations from all® free clear 

Letting science lead the way, the all® free clear formula was created from the ground up to be gentle on skin. It is hypoallergenic and 100% free of dyes and perfumes. The brand was also the first laundry detergent to receive the seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association.

In addition to the all® free clear Original liquid detergent the brand’s portfolio has expanded to include convenient, single-use MIGHTY PACS® Laundry Detergent, Liquid Fabric Softener, Dryer Sheets, and more to satisfy consumers’ needs across their entire laundry routine.

In 2022, the brand re-launched, introducing a refreshed and modernized look with an updated logo, new packaging design and a new purpose: to champion cleaner, simpler living for all. The brand and its product portfolio do this by using carefully selected ingredients and by helping to simplify laundry care choices without compromising a family’s laundry care needs.

Sustainability from all® free clear

In recent years, the laundry industry has seen a surge toward eco-friendliness and biodegradability. The all® brand drives the evolution of product ranges and manufacturing processes to offer consumers a climate-conscious choice that doesn’t sacrifice high-quality performance.

In 2023, Henkel and Shell Chemical LP launched a collaboration to source renewable raw materials in the manufacturing of surfactants used in many of Henkel’s laundry product brands, including all®. This initiative has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 120,000 tonnes of CO2 over the length of the five-year agreement. Using the mass balance approach, an independent accounting process is applied enabling Shell to attribute the total tonnes of renewable feedstocks used in the process solely to Henkel.

all® free clear Original liquid detergent is also Safer Choice certified, which means that its formula meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stringent criteria for human health, the environment, and performance.

Beyond the all® free clear Brand

With a strong team made up of cross-functional professionals, all® free clear has gained market leadership in the sensitive skin segment of the laundry category. The brand utilizes expert input to create products and strategies that identify and meet consumer needs and fill the pipeline with continued innovation.

all® free clear’s dermatologist partners help educate audiences on the brand’s mission of delivering gentle yet effective laundry solutions for individuals with sensitive skin. Their partnership underscores the brand’s dedication to providing scientifically validated products that prioritize skin health. Continuing this tradition of collaboration with healthcare professionals, the brand’s partnerships with leading dermatologists can be seen within advertising and brand activation campaigns. Through multimedia channels and in stores, all® free clear continues to tell a compelling and relatable story to consumers everywhere.

As both the category and the brand evolve to meet unique consumer needs, these efforts aim to not only improve lives today, but lay a strong foundation for generations to come. To keep up with all® free clear, follow the brand on Instagram or visit all-laundry.com.

Henkel’s two business units, Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands, are united by the pioneering spirit to reimagine and improve everyday life – today and for generations to come. Building on a strong legacy of more than 145 years, our brands and products play an important role in the lives of millions of people and help to transform entire industries. In this new series, Beyond the Brand, you will learn about how Henkel’s top brands are contributing to organizational goals and innovating constantly to serve and succeed on behalf of customers, consumers, and partners.

The first featured brand is all® detergent, which has been delighting consumers for 65 years. Read on for more about the history, innovations, sustainability, and pioneering spirit that goes far beyond the brand.

The History of all®

The all® brand was introduced and established in the U.S. market in 1959, offering American families an effective clean for their laundry. Since its introduction, the brand has evolved to meet the needs of its consumers, with all® free clear growing to become a category leader in laundry care for sensitive skin.

all® free clear is proud to have the history of being a science-led brand that has become the #1 recommended detergent brand by dermatologists, allergists and pediatricians for sensitive skin.

Innovations from all® free clear 

Letting science lead the way, the all® free clear formula was created from the ground up to be gentle on skin. It is hypoallergenic and 100% free of dyes and perfumes. The brand was also the first laundry detergent to receive the seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association.

In addition to the all® free clear Original liquid detergent the brand’s portfolio has expanded to include convenient, single-use MIGHTY PACS® Laundry Detergent, Liquid Fabric Softener, Dryer Sheets, and more to satisfy consumers’ needs across their entire laundry routine.

In 2022, the brand re-launched, introducing a refreshed and modernized look with an updated logo, new packaging design and a new purpose: to champion cleaner, simpler living for all. The brand and its product portfolio do this by using carefully selected ingredients and by helping to simplify laundry care choices without compromising a family’s laundry care needs.

Sustainability from all® free clear

In recent years, the laundry industry has seen a surge toward eco-friendliness and biodegradability. The all® brand drives the evolution of product ranges and manufacturing processes to offer consumers a climate-conscious choice that doesn’t sacrifice high-quality performance.

In 2023, Henkel and Shell Chemical LP launched a collaboration to source renewable raw materials in the manufacturing of surfactants used in many of Henkel’s laundry product brands, including all®. This initiative has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 120,000 tonnes of CO2 over the length of the five-year agreement. Using the mass balance approach, an independent accounting process is applied enabling Shell to attribute the total tonnes of renewable feedstocks used in the process solely to Henkel.

all® free clear Original liquid detergent is also Safer Choice certified, which means that its formula meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stringent criteria for human health, the environment, and performance.

Beyond the all® free clear Brand

With a strong team made up of cross-functional professionals, all® free clear has gained market leadership in the sensitive skin segment of the laundry category. The brand utilizes expert input to create products and strategies that identify and meet consumer needs and fill the pipeline with continued innovation.

all® free clear’s dermatologist partners help educate audiences on the brand’s mission of delivering gentle yet effective laundry solutions for individuals with sensitive skin. Their partnership underscores the brand’s dedication to providing scientifically validated products that prioritize skin health. Continuing this tradition of collaboration with healthcare professionals, the brand’s partnerships with leading dermatologists can be seen within advertising and brand activation campaigns. Through multimedia channels and in stores, all® free clear continues to tell a compelling and relatable story to consumers everywhere.

As both the category and the brand evolve to meet unique consumer needs, these efforts aim to not only improve lives today, but lay a strong foundation for generations to come. To keep up with all® free clear, follow the brand on Instagram or visit all-laundry.com.

KFC Foundation

Looking back on 2023 fills us with immense joy with all of the incredible milestones we were able to achieve together.

Because of your support, we accomplished some remarkable feats:

Launched a tuition-free college programAwarded $2.5 million in scholarshipsFunded $1 million in community projectsLaunched a personal development program

Thanks to YOU, these accomplishments were made possible. Your dedication fuels our mission to create lasting differences in the lives of KFC restaurant employees and our communities.

Explore our 2023 Annual Report to see the full scope of our impact https://kfcfoundation.org/annual-report-2023/

Together, we’re changing lives.