Empresa britânica de IA, Quantexa, se compromete com mais de £ 200 milhões em investimento em pesquisa e desenvolvimento de IA até 2027

CEO da Quantexa descreve a visão para o investimento em apoio ao plano do governo do Reino Unido de tornar o Reino Unido um hub de IA, que inclui:

  • £ 125 milhões em novos investimentos globais com o objetivo de acelerar a capacidade de empresas e agências governamentais para usar soluções confiáveis de Inteligência de Decisão habilitadas por IA
  • £ 85 milhões em investimento dedicado ao Reino Unido criarão mais de 170 novos empregos na equipe do Centro de Inovação de IA de Londres
  • Prévia do assistente de IA Generativa mostra como as instituições líderes mundiais desbloquearão todo o potencial dos dados para investigar riscos e identificar oportunidades

LONDRES e NOVA YORK, July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Quantexa, líder global em soluções de Decision Intelligence (DI) para os setores público e privado, anunciou hoje que investirá mais £ 125 milhões na indústria global de inteligência artificial (IA) nos próximos três anos para ajudar os clientes a promover o uso de IA para proteger, otimizar, e fazer crescer as suas organizações. Até 2027, o investimento global total da Quantexa em IA chegará a mais de £ 200 milhões.

O investimento marca os avanços contínuos da Quantexa em IA com a prévia de sua tecnologia de IA Generativa, a Q Assist. A Quantexa também promoveu seu compromisso de promover a Stack de IA existente da empresa para permitir que seu crescente ecossistema global de clientes e parceiros desbloqueie novos casos de uso específicos do setor para serviços financeiros, seguros, telecomunicações, saúde e no setor público. A plataforma de Decision Intelligence da Quantexa e o conjunto de soluções para gerenciamento de dados, inteligência de clientes, KYC, risco, fraude e crime financeiro foram implementados em mais de 70 países.

A análise da Universidade de Washington sugere que esse investimento impulsionará a indústria global de IA em £ 600 milhões, à medida em que o efeito multiplicador for realizado.

IA em contexto: como a Quantexa aumenta e automatiza a Decision Intelligence com IA

Prévia do assistente de IA Generativa inova
Construído na plataforma de Decision Intelligence da Quantexa, a prévia de tecnologia do Q Assist, um assistente de IA generativo, demonstra o potencial do uso de LLM’s para criar uma interface intuitiva e conversacional, trazendo novas eficiências para analistas que trabalham com dados para identificar riscos como parte das investigações. Para as organizações, o benefício potencial é significativo – já que o assistente de IA permite que toda a equipe de analistas se torne tão eficaz quanto os investigadores mais experientes.

O Q Assist é independente de LLM, e permitirá que os clientes usem seus próprios modelos proprietários, de código aberto ou comercialmente disponíveis, incluindo o ChatGPTTM, um LLM líder da OpenAI. Os recursos de resolução, análise gráfica e pontuação de entidades líderes de mercado da Quantexa são turbinados quando podem ser consultados com perguntas e sugestões em linguagem natural na Plataforma de Decision Intelligence da Quantexa.

Hoje, em um vídeo showcase, a Quantexa demonstrou um dos que podem se tornar muitos casos de uso potenciais para o Q Assist. O cenário de investigação de crimes financeiros foi escolhido para mostrar o potencial do uso de linguagem natural para consultar grandes quantidades de dados estruturados e não estruturados em escala, permitindo que até mesmo analistas juniores entendam os dados complexos por trás de análises gráficas e alertas. A prévia também mostrou a capacidade de automatizar a geração de Relatórios de Atividades Suspeitas (SARs) e resumos investigativos – possíveis em cerca de 100 idiomas – impulsionando ainda mais a eficiência no que normalmente é um processo manual intensivo, e permitindo mais tempo para o redirecionamento para atividades estratégicas.

A IA em toda a plataforma de Decision Intelligence da Quantexa entrega valor de negócios
Empresas e agências governamentais estão usando a Decision Intelligence da Quantexa para se tornarem mais eficazes e eficientes na organização de dados isolados e confusos para obter visões de 360 graus de clientes e fornecedores para identificar fraudes, qualificar a elegibilidade para serviços, parar mercadorias perigosas nas fronteiras ou otimizar cadeias de suprimentos.

A Quantexa está utilizando três princípios fundamentais para construir de forma responsável sua Stack de IA:

  • Aprendizagem baseada no contexto: Assim como os seres humanos precisam de contexto completo para tomar decisões informadas, a IA também precisa. Sem contexto, até mesmo os algoritmos de aprendizado de máquina ou de deep learning mais inteligentes carecem de precisão para serem implementados de forma confiável. Por exemplo, é impossível para uma pessoa ou modelo de IA saber se uma única transação bancária isoladamente poderia ser lavagem de dinheiro. A Quantexa cria um contexto verdadeiro utilizando dados para criar visões únicas de pessoas, organizações, lugares e outras entidades e os monta visualmente para mostrar interações complexas entre entidades. Esse contexto é o que permite que uma pessoa ou IA tome uma decisão precisa.
  • IA composta: O stack de IA composto da Quantexa agrega os resultados de muitas técnicas diferentes, incluindo aprendizado de máquina, processamento de linguagem natural e deep learning. Combinando-os com a contribuição de especialistas no assunto, as organizações podem usar análises de modo contínuo para melhorar a tomada de decisões para proteger, otimizar e crescer. A Quantexa usa acesso exclusivo a grandes volumes de dados estruturados e não estruturados do setor para treinar sua IA e fornece modelos abertos out-of-the-box, dando aos clientes a capacidade de modificar ou criar os seus próprios.
  • Explicável e de confiança:Nos ambientes altamente regulamentados em que as organizações trabalham, é crucial que as decisões sejam transparentes e explicáveis, sem sugestões parciais. A tecnologia e a governança da Quantexa usam técnicas baseadas em contexto e IA composta para impulsionar a adoção de resultados explicáveis sem preocupações com a privacidade. A Quantexa mantém publicamente suas diretrizes de ética e segurança de IA aqui.

Rishi Sunak, Primeiro-Ministro do Reino Unido, disse:
“Queremos garantir que o Reino Unido continue sendo o melhor lugar do mundo para construir, testar e usar tecnologia de IA segura. O novo Centro de Inovação em IA de £ 85 milhões da Quantexa, em Londres, ajudará a cimentar essa realidade. Ele gerará mais de 170 empregos, aproveitará o potencial extraordinário da IA à medida que crescemos nossa economia e liderará o caminho no desenvolvimento responsável de IA em todo o mundo.”

Chloe Smith, Secretária de Tecnologia, disse:
“O governo leva a sério a IA, e é por isso que investimos £ 2,5 bilhões em infraestrutura e habilidades de IA desde 2014, e, este ano, estabelecemos nosso plano de regulamentação de IA para impulsionar a inovação e construir confiança. O investimento da Quantexa é um enorme voto de confiança nestes planos, e desbloqueará novas oportunidades de crescimento e criação de empregos, nos permitindo continuar a pavimentar o caminho como líder global no desenvolvimento de IA.”

Vishal Marria, CEO e fundador da Quantexa, disse:
“Embora muitas empresas estejam falando sobre IA e aprendizado de máquina, temos investido nela desde a nossa criação. Estamos investindo nosso tempo, dinheiro e recursos no maior avanço tecnológico das gerações, pois isso transformará a forma como as organizações tomam decisões. Estamos orgulhosos de investir em inovação com sede em Londres, mas o impacto será sentido pela economia global, e iniciará um efeito cascata que desbloqueará recursos de inteligência de decisão para nossos clientes e suas respectivas indústrias.”

O Dr. Oren Etzioni, professor de Ciência da Computação da Universidade de Washington e CEO fundador do Allen Institute for AI, disse: “Um investimento de 100 empregos em IA impulsionará o crescimento econômico não apenas em Londres, mas em todo o mundo. Os lugares mais propensos a se beneficiar são hubs de inovação em IA, como a cidade de Nova York, Seattle e São Francisco. Com base na minha investigação sobre o impacto da IA no emprego e no crescimento económico, os benefícios monetários a longo prazo deste anúncio aumentarão significativamente devido ao efeito multiplicador da criação de emprego e da inovação. Um investimento inicial de £ 200 milhões provavelmente beneficiará a indústria de IA mais ampla globalmente, em £ 600 milhões dentro de três anos.”

Para saber mais sobre como sua organização pode se beneficiar do investimento, inovação e práticas éticas de IA da Quantexa, visite aqui.

Sobre a Quantexa
A Quantexa é uma empresa global de software de dados e análise pioneira em Decision Intelligence que capacita as organizações a tomar decisões operacionais confiáveis, tornando os dados significativos. Usando os mais recentes avanços em big data e IA, a plataforma Decision Intelligence da Quantexa descobre riscos ocultos e novas oportunidades, fornecendo uma visão contextual e conectada de dados internos e externos em um único lugar. Ela soluciona os principais desafios em gestão de dados, KYC, inteligência do cliente, crime financeiro, risco, fraude e segurança, durante todo o ciclo de vida do cliente.

A Plataforma de Decision Intelligence da Quantexa melhora o desempenho operacional, proporcionando um aumento de mais de 90% na precisão e uma resolução do modelo analítico 60 vezes mais rápida do que as abordagens tradicionais. Fundada em 2016, a Quantexa agora tem mais de 650 funcionários e milhares de usuários trabalhando com bilhões de transações e pontos de dados em todo o mundo. A empresa tem escritórios em Londres, Nova York, Boston, Toronto, Málaga, Bruxelas, Amsterdã, Irlanda, Luxemburgo, Cingapura, Melbourne, Sydney e Emirados Árabes Unidos. Para mais informações, visite www.quantexa.com ou siga-nos no LinkedIn.

Informações de mídia
C: Stephanie Crisp, Diretora Associada e Estrategista de Mídia, Fight or Flight
E: Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk

C: Adam Jaffe, Vice-Presidente Sênior de Marketing Corporativo
T: +1 609 502 6889
E: adamjaffe@quantexa.com
– ou –
RapidResponse@quantexa.com

Uma foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afbbd220-e3ee-4c36-b53e-3f10d3634414

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Quantexa, une société britannique spécialisée dans l’IA, s’engage à investir plus de 200 millions de livres sterling dans la recherche et le développement de l’IA d’ici à 2027

Le PDG de Quantexa expose sa vision de l’investissement pour soutenir le plan du gouvernement britannique visant à faire du Royaume-Uni une plaque tournante de l’IA :

  • 125 millions de livres sterling investis à l’échelle mondiale dans le but d’accélérer la capacité des entreprises et des organisations gouvernementales à utiliser des solutions d’intelligence décisionnelle basées sur l’IA
  • un investissement britannique de 85 millions de livres sterling permettra de créer plus de 170 nouveaux emplois au sein de l’équipe du Centre d’innovation en IA de Londres
  • L’assistant Generative AI montre en avant-première comment des institutions de premier plan vont exploiter tout le potentiel des données pour étudier les risques et identifier les opportunités

LONDRES et NEW YORK, 11 juill. 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantexa, leader mondial des solutions d’intelligence décisionnelle (ID) destinées aux secteurs public et privé, a annoncé aujourd’hui qu’elle investira 125 millions de livres sterling supplémentaires dans le secteur mondial de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) au cours des trois prochaines années afin d’aider ses clients à faire progresser l’utilisation de l’IA pour protéger, optimiser et développer leurs organisations. D’ici 2027, l’investissement total de Quantexa au niveau mondial dans l’IA atteindra plus de 200 millions de livres sterling.

Cet investissement marque les progrès continus de Quantexa dans le domaine de l’IA avec la présentation en avant-première de sa technologie d’IA générative, Q Assist. Quantexa a également renforcé son engagement à faire progresser sa plateforme d’IA existante pour permettre à son écosystème mondial croissant de clients et de partenaires de débloquer de nouveaux modèles d’utilisation spécifiques à l’industrie pour les services financiers, les assurances, les télécommunications, les soins de santé et le secteur public. La plateforme de décision intelligente de Quantexa et sa suite de solutions de gestion des données, d’intelligence client, de KYC, de risque, de fraude et de criminalité financière ont été déployées dans plus de 70 pays.

Une analyse de l’université de Washington suggère que cet investissement stimulera l’industrie mondiale de l’IA à hauteur de 600 millions de livres sterling lorsque l’effet multiplicateur se concrétisera.

L’IA en contexte : Comment Quantexa améliore et automatise l’intelligence décisionnelle grâce à l’IA

L’aperçu d’un assistant d’IA génératif ouvre de nouvelles perspectives
Réalisé sur la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa, l’aperçu technologique de Q Assist, un assistant d’IA génératif, démontre le potentiel de l’utilisation des LLM pour créer une interface intuitive et conversationnelle apportant une efficacité accrue aux analystes travaillant avec des données visant à identifier les risques dans le cadre d’enquêtes. Pour les organisations, les avantages potentiels sont considérables, car l’assistant IA permet à l’ensemble des analystes d’être aussi efficaces que les enquêteurs les plus expérimentés.

Q Assist est agnostique en matière de LLM et permettra à ses clients d’utiliser leurs propres modèles propriétaires, open source ou disponibles sur le marché, y compris ChatGPTTM, un LLM de premier plan d’OpenAI. Les capacités de résolution d’entités, d’analyse de graphes et de notation de Quantexa, leaders sur le marché, sont dynamisées lorsqu’elles peuvent être interrogées à l’aide de questions et d’invites en langage naturel sur la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa.

Aujourd’hui, dans une présentation vidéo, Quantexa a présenté l’un des nombreux cas d’utilisation potentiels de Q Assist. Le scénario de l’enquête sur la criminalité financière a été choisi pour illustrer le potentiel de l’utilisation du langage naturel pour interroger de vastes quantités de données structurées et non structurées à grande échelle, permettant même aux analystes débutants de comprendre les données complexes qui se cachent derrière les analyses graphiques et les alertes. Cette présentation a également montré la possibilité d’automatiser la génération de rapports d’activité suspecte (SAR) et de résumés d’enquête – possible dans près de 100 langues – permettant ainsi d’améliorer l’efficacité d’un processus généralement manuel et de consacrer plus de temps à des activités stratégiques.

L’IA au travers de la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa apporte de la valeur aux entreprises
Les entreprises et les organisations gouvernementales utilisent l’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa pour devenir plus efficaces dans leur structuration de données disparates et désordonnées afin d’obtenir une vision panoramique des clients et des fournisseurs pour identifier les fraudes, qualifier l’éligibilité aux services, arrêter les marchandises dangereuses aux frontières, ou optimiser les chaînes d’approvisionnement.

Quantexa s’appuie sur trois principes fondamentaux pour développer de manière responsable sa plateforme IA :

  • Apprentissage basé sur le contexte : tout comme les humains, l’IA a besoin d’un contexte exhaustif pour prendre des décisions éclairées. En l’absence de contexte, même les algorithmes d’apprentissage automatique ou d’apprentissage poussé les plus intelligents manquent de précision pour être déployés de manière fiable. Par exemple, il est impossible pour une personne ou un modèle d’IA de savoir si une transaction bancaire isolée constitue un cas de blanchiment d’argent. Quantexa crée un contexte réel en utilisant des données pour constituer des représentations uniques de personnes, d’organisations, de lieux et d’autres entités, et les assemble visuellement pour montrer les interactions complexes entre les entités. C’est ce contexte qui permet à une personne ou à l’IA de prendre une décision juste.
  • Composite IA: la plateforme Composite IA de Quantexa regroupe les résultats de nombreuses techniques distinctes, notamment l’apprentissage automatique, le traitement du langage naturel et l’apprentissage en profondeur. En associant ces données à celles des experts en la matière, les organisations peuvent continuellement utiliser l’analyse pour améliorer la prise de décision afin de protéger, d’optimiser et de développer leurs activités. Quantexa utilise un accès exclusif à d’énormes volumes de données industrielles structurées et non structurées pour entraîner son IA et fournit des modèles ouverts prêts à l’emploi, donnant aux clients la possibilité de modifier ou de créer leurs propres modèles.
  • Explicabilité et confiance : compte tenu des environnements hautement réglementés dans lesquels les organisations évoluent, il est crucial que les décisions soient transparentes et explicites et qu’il n’y ait pas de parti pris. La technologie et la gouvernance de Quantexa utilisent des techniques basées sur le contexte et l’intelligence artificielle composite pour favoriser l’adoption de résultats explicables, indépendamment des considérations liées à la protection de la vie privée. Quantexa publie ses lignes directrices en matière d’éthique et de sécurité de l’IA ici.

Rishi Sunak, Premier ministre du Royaume-Uni, a affirmé
vouloir s’assurer que son pays reste au premier rang mondial en matière de construction, d’essai et de mise en œuvre de technologies d’intelligence artificielle sécurisées. Le nouveau centre d’innovation en IA de Quantexa à Londres, estimé à 85 millions de livres sterling, contribuera à consolider cette réalité. Il créera plus de 170 emplois, exploitera l’extraordinaire potentiel de l’IA dans le cadre de la croissance de l’économie du pays et ouvrira la voie à un développement responsable de l’IA dans le monde entier.

Chloe Smith, secrétaire d’État aux technologies, a déclaré
que le gouvernement prenait la question de l’IA au sérieux, raison pour laquelle il a investi 2,5 milliards de livres sterling dans l’infrastructure et les compétences en matière d’IA depuis 2014 et a présenté cette année son plan de réglementation de l’IA afin de stimuler l’innovation et d’instaurer un climat de confiance. L’investissement de Quantexa est un énorme vote de confiance en faveur de ces projets et ouvrira de nouvelles opportunités de croissance et de création d’emplois, lui permettant de continuer à ouvrir la voie en tant que leader mondial dans le développement de l’IA.

Vishal Marria, PDG et fondateur de Quantexa, a déclaré
que tandis que de nombreuses entreprises parlent de l’IA et de l’apprentissage automatique, Quantexa investit dans ces secteurs depuis sa création. L’entreprise investit son temps, son argent et ses ressources dans la plus grande avancée technologique depuis des générations, qui transformera la manière dont les organisations prennent leurs décisions. Quantexa est fière d’investir dans l’innovation londonienne, mais l’impact sera ressenti par l’économie mondiale et déclenchera un effet d’entraînement qui débloquera des capacités d’intelligence décisionnelle pour ses clients et leurs secteurs d’activité respectifs.

Le Dr Oren Etzioni, professeur d’informatique à l’université de Washington et PDG fondateur de l’Allen Institute for AI, a expliqué qu’un investissement de 100 emplois dans l’IA stimulera la croissance économique, non seulement à Londres, mais aussi dans le monde entier. Les zones les plus susceptibles d’en bénéficier sont les centres d’innovation en matière d’IA tels que New York, Seattle et San Francisco. D’après ses recherches relatives à l’impact de l’IA sur l’emploi et la croissance économique, les bénéfices monétaires à long terme de cette annonce augmenteront de manière significative en raison de l’effet multiplicateur de la création d’emplois et de l’innovation. Un investissement initial de 200 millions de livres sterling devrait rapporter 600 millions de livres sterling à l’ensemble du secteur de l’IA dans les trois ans à venir.

Pour en savoir plus sur la façon dont votre organisation peut bénéficier des investissements, de l’innovation et des pratiques éthiques de Quantexa en matière d’IA, veuillez cliquer ici.

A propos de Quantexa
Quantexa est une société internationale spécialisée dans les logiciels de données et d’analyse, pionnière dans le domaine de l’intelligence décisionnelle, permettant aux organisations de prendre des décisions opérationnelles fiables en donnant un sens à leurs données. En utilisant les dernières avancées en matière de Big Data et d’IA, la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa révèle les risques cachés et les nouvelles opportunités en fournissant une vision contextuelle et connectée des données internes et externes en un seul endroit. Elle résout des défis majeurs dans les domaines de la gestion des données, de la connaissance du client, de l’intelligence client, de la criminalité financière, des risques, de la fraude et de la sécurité, tout au long du cycle de vie client.

La plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa améliore la performance opérationnelle avec plus de 90 % de précision et une résolution du modèle analytique 60 fois plus rapide que les approches traditionnelles. Fondée en 2016, Quantexa compte aujourd’hui plus de 650 employés et des milliers d’utilisateurs travaillant avec des milliards de transactions et de points de données à travers le monde. L’entreprise est implantée à Londres, New York, Boston, Toronto, Malaga, Bruxelles, Amsterdam, en Irlande, au Luxembourg, à Singapour, Melbourne, Sydney et dans les Émirats arabes unis. Pour tout complément d’information, rendez-vous sur www.quantexa.com ou suivez-nous sur LinkedIn.

Contacts médias
C : Stephanie Crisp, directrice associée et responsable des stratégies médiatiques, Fight or Flight
E : Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk

C : Adam Jaffe, Vice-président du marketing d’entreprise
T : +1 609 502 6889
E : adamjaffe@quantexa.com
– ou –
RapidResponse@quantexa.com

Une photo accompagnant cette annonce est disponible à l’adresse suivante : https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afbbd220-e3ee-4c36-b53e-3f10d3634414

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Conagen develops debondable adhesive for textiles and soft materials from natural bioingredients

Sustainable hot melt adhesives pave the way for textile reworking and recycling.

Bedford, Mass., July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — When more than 92 million tons of textile waste are landfilled annually, new solutions are needed to enable fabric reworking in manufacturing and recycling on a mass scale. Conagen, the biotechnology innovator, announced the development of a groundbreaking debondable textile adhesive made from high-performance materials sourced from sustainable and natural biomolecules.

Conagen’s debondable adhesive offers a major application in the realm of reworkability during clothing production. Traditionally, when mistakes occur during manufacturing, it can lead to material wastage and additional production costs.

The reworkability aspect of Conagen’s adhesive presents a game-changing solution for the clothing industry. It allows for quick and efficient correction of errors without the need to discard and waste valuable materials. Adjustments can be made by simply debonding the adhesive and the fabric components can be seamlessly reworked, resulting in improved production efficiency, reduced material waste, and significant cost savings for manufacturers.

Moreover, debonding textile fabric plays a vital role in textile recycling by enabling efficient material separation, preserving material quality, expanding recycling opportunities, and advancing the goals of a circular economy.

Traditional adhesives used in garment manufacturing often create a permanent bond, making it challenging to separate fabric components during recycling. Conagen’s debondable adhesive not only drives sustainability through fabric recycling but also offers a practical and economical solution for optimizing production processes in the clothing industry. The ability to debond and rework materials bring newfound flexibility and efficiency, benefiting manufacturers and the environment.
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“Conagen’s pioneering adhesive has unlocked new possibilities and opportunities. This groundbreaking development enables efficient material separation during reworking and recycling processes and preserves the integrity of textile fibers, ensuring their quality for future utilization,” stated Sara Johnson, senior materials scientist. “With the introduction of Conagen’s adhesive, we are taking a significant stride towards achieving a more sustainable and environmentally responsible textile industry.”

Having previously created debondable adhesives for other sectors, such as appliances, smartphones, cars, and more, Conagen identified the significant benefits such an adhesive could bring to the textile and clothing industry and tailored a new product specifically to its needs.

Adhesives and tapes are commonly used today in garment manufacturing, either alone or in combination with stitching. This is particularly evident in the manufacturing of women’s underwear, where up to six layers of material are often glued together to achieve the desired fit and comfort. It is essential to bring attention to these modern manufacturing methods as they reflect the evolution of textile production.

Conagen’s new adhesive offering provides strength comparable to existing fabric adhesives but with the added feature of controlled debondability at end-of-life. Inspired by self-healing materials, Conagen utilizes sustainable and natural ingredients to create high-strength debondable hot melt adhesives. Unlike traditional offerings, this new adhesive is designed with reversibility, exhibiting the strength of conventionally cured adhesives, with the added benefit of transitioning to a flowable material after heating.

Conagen’s high-strength debondable textile adhesive can be used for garments, but also extends to accessories and other soft goods applications. Furthermore, the technology is compatible with both natural and synthetic fibers and materials.

To develop sustainable debondable textile adhesives, Conagen leverages its precision fermentation technology, independent of plant source materials, to create more efficient and sustainable bio-based ingredients compared to chemically-synthesized versions.

Conagen’s fermentation technology is forging a path towards a more sustainable future, where the utilization of sustainable biocompounds and biomaterials takes center stage in propelling high-performance solutions that prioritize environmental consciousness,” said J. McNamara, vice president of chemical applications.

The seam tapes market stood at $128 million in 2020. It was projected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.9% between 2020 and 2025, making Conagen’s adhesive formulation lucrative for a supplier to distribute to clothing manufacturers.

Debondable adhesives have the potential to significantly impact the market by offering a more sustainable and efficient solution for fabric bonding. The ability to easily debond materials could lead to increased adoption of adhesive-based manufacturing techniques and open up new opportunities for textile reworking and recycling, thereby potentially expanding the market for debondable adhesive products.

Conagen’s hallmark in biotech specialty and industrial space lies in discovering applications from the platform of natural biocompounds and biomaterials, ushering in a new era of high-performing and sustainable materials.

“By harnessing the power of fermentation, Conagen is leading the charge in promoting greener alternatives and revolutionizing industries with its commitment to sustainability and innovation,” said McNamara.

Conagen’s commitment to green chemicals and sustainability has been greatly reinforced by its strategic partnership with Sumitomo Chemical. The collaboration represents a major step forward in their shared vision of developing biosolutions for a more sustainable future.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product-focused, synthetic biology R&D company with large-scale manufacturing capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high-quality, sustainable, nature-based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries. www.conagen.com

Attachments

Ana Capretz, Head of Public Relations and Communications
Conagen
+1-781-271-1588
ana.capretz@conagen.com

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Bridge International Academies highlights the importance of educating girls this World Population Day

Bridge Nigeria pupil in class

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Bridge Nigeria pupil in class

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bridge International Academies is drawing attention to the urgency of educating African girls this World Population Day (11th July) – the first time Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest population of children on the planet.

The schools network, which includes Bridge Kenya, Bridge Nigeria and Bridge Uganda, supports children and parents in underserved communities by providing an excellent education.

This World Population Day focuses on the theme of ‘gender equality and women’s empowerment as a key factor in reducing poverty.’

Reuben Wambugu, Bridge Group Managing Director, said, “By 2050 Africa and Asia will be home to 85% of the world’s young people, with the larger proportion in Africa. Currently, only 10% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are able to read a simple sentence by the age of 10. If these young people aren’t provided with an adequate education, there will be a global shortage of scientists, doctors and engineers. This could lead to a range of possible global catastrophes. Educating women and girls has proved particularly effective in reducing poverty on a local level in the short term. And with the children of educated women shown to be healthier and better educated, this leads to faster and sustained poverty reduction through generations.

He continued, “While Bridge has seen fantastic improvements in learning outcomes for all those attending our schools, it is particularly heartening that Bridge’s methodology has succeeded in achieving gender parity in the classroom. A new study by Nobel Prize winning economist Professor Michael Kremer in our Bridge Kenya schools confirms this, finding girls make the same leaps in learning as boys.”

Speaking on the success of Bridge’s methods, Bridge Nigeria Managing Director Foyinsola Akinjayeju said, “Bridge’s model focuses on arming teachers with scientifically proven techniques to elevate the learning of girls. Through approaches, such as gender sensitive instruction in lesson and textbook materials, expecting equal participation through ‘cold calling’ of boys and girls in the classroom and the use of female school leaders as role models, girls are empowered to succeed. By pushing this approach and the importance of women’s empowerment, Bridge Nigeria alone has provided a life-changing education to tens of thousands of girls in underserved communities, helping them complete primary school, do well in secondary school and open up opportunities offering prosperity and success.”

To learn more about the Bridge methodology – visit their website here.

You can reach out to Bridge International Academies at info@bridgeinternationalacademies.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db9775c7-c35b-483b-b919-d894909f989d

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Ibihe: One of the few Burundian news outlets raising climate crisis awareness

Burundian news outlet, Ibihe.org, is one of the country’s few local outlets to report the climate crisis challenges impacting Africa and other regions the world over.

With a surface area of 27,834 square kilometers and a moderate climate, Burundi has two major mountains: Mount Heha, which is 2,684 meters high, and Mount Kikizi, which is 2,145 meters high. The country also has three rivers: Ruzizi River, Malagarasi River and Ruvubu River. Burundi shares Lake Tanganyika (the region’s largest lake) with various other East African countries, including Rwanda and Tanzania. Owing to its predominantly rural population, agriculture (agricultural exports and farming) still accounts for a large proportion of the country’s economy.

Just like Vert-togo in Togo and lecologiste in Côte d’Ivoire, Ibihe.org is an environment and science news outlet in Burundi, where Évariste Ndayishimiy has been president since June 2020. Based in the country’s economic capital, Bujumbura, Ibihe undertakes to raise awareness amongst Burundian and African citizens on the environmental risks posed by non-compliance with climate commitments in this continent. Ferdinand Mbonihankuye, environmental advocate and co-founder of Ibihe, is one of several young Burundian journalists hoping for societal changes. Global Voices interviewed Mbonihankuye via WhatsApp to highlight the work this news outlet has accomplished since its creation.

Jean Sovon (JS): How did you become an environmental journalist? What challenges have you faced?

Translation Original Quote

Ferdinand Mbonihankuye (FM): I’m Ferdinand Mbonihankuye, co-founder of the online newspaper, Ibihe. I’m an investigative, scientific, and environmental journalist. I’m also a correspondent for the French edition of the online science magazine, scidev.net. I became an environmental journalist out of passion for reporting environmental and ecological stories in Burundi and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The lack of environmental newspapers and journalists in Burundi was another compelling reason for my involvement.

As for my challenges, I was arrested on grounds of political conspiracy in 2017 while working and was subsequently detained for a week. In June 2022, I was also arrested while reporting on the construction of the Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Station in Rwanda. Being Burundian, I had no authorization to write this report on Rwandan soil. However, after lengthy negotiations, I was released.

JS: Why did you start Ibihe? Who is the target audience of your publications?

Translation Original Quote

FM: In recent years, we’ve witnessed the impact of climate change in Burundi, where it causes flooding and landslides that don’t only affect the farmers’ outputs, but also claim their lives and possessions. Homes, crops, savings, or in other words, years of hard work lost to the impact of flooding. The state doesn’t do enough to address this phenomenon and few news outlets cover this situation that Burundian citizens experience every day. It was for this reason lbihe was created. Its mission is to tell these stories and help raise awareness of these climate challenges. By informing the public and making them aware, it aims to help them protect themselves as best as possible. Our main target audience is therefore Burundian citizens.

JS: What makes Ibihe different from other Burundian news outlets?

Translation Original Quote

FM: The environment and climate change feature on Ibihe’s editorial line. The stories on which our news outlet reports focus on these key issues. Unlike the others, we bring a scientific touch to our stories by focusing on data gathered from primary actors. This includes videos and podcasts.

JS: You decided to publish your articles in French, English and Kiswahili. Why not in Kirundi?

Translation Original Quote

FM: We decided to write and publish our articles in French, English and Kiswahili, but not in Kirundi for now. However, we do plan to write articles in Kirundi, the Bantu national language of Burundi spoken by 97 percent of the population, since all Burundians can easily read and understand it along with French. Our website is therefore available in French, English and Swahili (a Bantu language), which originates from Tanzania. These two other languages are common in the East African Community, which includes our country.

JS: Where did you find your journalists? Did you train them yourselves?

Translation Original Quote

FM: We sometimes hold practical training sessions on environment-based journalism. A lot of young people participate and it’s amongst these participants that we find journalists capable of reporting stories in accordance with Ibihe’s editorial line. Others also ask to do advanced training courses with us.

JS: How is the Burundian media landscape looking?

Translation Original Quote

FM: Until 2015, Burundi’s media landscape was relatively stable. Journalists would sometimes encounter difficulties in their profession, which mainly involved accessing information and data sources to help conduct their investigations. Today’s freedom of speech and press situation is complicated, which doesn’t make the journalists’ work any easier. However, we do try to overcome certain obstacles to provide useful information for Burundian citizens and encourage policymakers to adopt solutions as soon as possible.

According to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2023 Index, Burundi ranked 114 out of 180 countries, with a score of 52.14. This is a fall of seven places in relation to 2022, where it ranked 107 with a score of 55.74. On January 3, 2023, Burundian journalist, Floriane Irangabiye, was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison after being accused of “undermining the integrity of the national territory.” She is accused of hosting radio broadcasts that criticized the Burundian authorities while in Burundi’s neighboring country of Rwanda. She is also accused of failing to provide proof of her profession in a country where the authorities are extremely strict about possessing a press card.

Online posts and tweets have subsequently called for her release. For example, Clément Boursin, head of the Africa Programs at @ACAT_France tweeted:

[Quoted Tweet] Image: 5th Political dialogue session #EU Burundi. Several subjects on the agenda: EU – Burundi partnership, the economic situation and business climate, human rights, regional and international cooperation. Warm and open environment.

Despite these challenges, Ibihe is continuing its climate change awareness-raising work in Burundi on areas like crops, agriculture, fish farming and behavioral changes in particular. Without these, nothing can be done to improve this situation.

Source: Global Voices

Ali Bongo defies doubters, says he will run for third mandate

Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba has defied doubters and dispelled rumours of his demise due to ill health with the announcement that he will run for a third term in office.

The 64-year-old Bongo, who suffered a stroke five years ago, has rarely been seen in public or during live broadcasts further fueling speculations that his health is failing.

Gabon’s President who has been in power for almost 14 years, announced on July 9, 2023 that he will stand for a third term in the presidential elections scheduled for August 26, 2023.

President Ali Bongo told a crowd of supporters in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page at the Nkok Special Economic Zone (ZES), near the capital Libreville that “I am officially announcing today that I am a candidate for the presidential election”.

The 64-year-old head of state was first elected in 2009 following the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the country for over 41 years and was narrowly re-elected in 2016.

Ali Bongo Ondimba Alain Bernard Bongo sometimes known as Ali Bongo, is the son of Omar Bongo, who was President of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009. During his father’s presidency, he was Minister of foreign affairs from 1989 to 1991, represented Bongoville as a member of parliament in the country’s National Assembly from 1991 to 1999, and was Minister of defense from 1999 to 2009. After his father’s death, he won the 2009 Gabonese presidential election although the election was marred by numerous irregularities, arrests, human rights violations and post-election protests and violence.

Source: Cameroon News Agency