Day: November 16, 2021

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Hitachi Energy launches IdentiQTM digital twin for sustainable, flexible and secure power grids

Game-changing solutions built on the unique domain expertise of the technology and market leader in power grids which integrate with Hitachi’s Lumada platform

Zurich, Switzerland, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zurich, Switzerland, 16 November, 2021 – Further to its press release on October 13, 2021, announcing its evolution to Hitachi Energy, the global technology and market leader in power grids today launched IdentiQ™, its digital twin1 solutions for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) and power quality solutions. IdentiQ2 will help to advance the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure, accelerating the transition towards a carbon-neutral future.

IdentiQ is the digital twin of a HVDC converter station, STATCOM or other power quality solution. It provides all the relevant asset information, analytics and operational data in an intuitive and easy-to-navigate dashboard, which users can customize to match their needs. IdentiQ includes 3D interactive visualization of the complete asset, combined with one-click access to all the associated plant and equipment information, including engineering documentation, operational and maintenance procedures, safety training and live operational data for monitoring and analytics.

“IdentiQ is a game-changing digital twin solution built on our unique domain expertise and leadership in power grid technologies and innovation,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. Niklas added, “It is a significant addition to Hitachi Energy’s digital offering and supports our customers’ efforts to continuously enhance the efficiency and reliability of their grid investments.”

IdentiQ will enable customers to improve the management of power grid assets by clustering all information into one digital location for seamless access by all operational functions. This approach stands at the core of Hitachi Energy’s vision for digital twin technology: delivering the right resources and information to the right people at the right time for optimized operations and smarter decision making.

IdentiQ makes HVDC and power quality assets more:

·       Sustainable and eco-efficient – by enabling comprehensive remote analysis and support and by digitalizing paper-based information on older installations;

·       Flexible – by adapting to continuously changing asset performance needs over the entire life cycle;

·       Secure – by complying with industry-leading cybersecurity standards and protecting all asset data and information from being misplaced or destroyed; and safer, by providing virtual training on on-site procedures, required clothing and evacuation routes before visiting a site.

Digitalization is essential to making electricity the backbone of the entire energy system and advancing a sustainable energy future for all. It is key to the integration of bulk and distributed renewables, as well as the electrification and decarbonization of sectors like transportation, industries and data centers; and empowering countries and companies to meet their carbon emission reduction goals.

IdentiQ integrates with a range of enterprise business systems, including Hitachi’s Lumada platform and the Lumada suite of Asset and Work Management software, and together  they provide system-wide visibility – from the site to the boardroom. IdentiQ is part of Hitachi Energy’s ambition to drive the pace of digital and eco-efficient innovation in power grid technologies and accelerate the transition towards carbon-neutral energy systems. The launch builds on a year of powerful innovation from Hitachi Energy, including:

·       Lumada Asset and Work Management – launched in January 2021, to enable asset-intensive industries to be more adaptive, collaborative, insightful and predictive. Lumada features technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics, hybrid cloud management and cybersecurity; and

·       EconiQ™ – launched in April 2021, providing an eco-efficient portfolio of products, services and solutions that deliver an exceptional environmental performance compared to conventional solutions.

Both portfolios are integral to Hitachi Energy’s Sustainability 2030 strategic plan, which draws on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to deliver social, environmental and economic value.

Notes

1.     A digital twin is a virtual representation that is designed to accurately reflect a physical asset or system, providing insight into the systems’ performance or lifecycle.

2.     IdentiQ™ stands for accuracy, intelligence and quality.

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD. 

Rebecca Bleasdale
Hitachi Energy Ltd.
+41 78643 2613
rebecca.bleasdale@hitachienergy.com
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Cawood Scientific Group Joins Ensign-Bickford Industries

DENVER, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. (EBI) today announced it has successfully closed on its acquisition of Cawood Scientific Limited (Cawood), headquartered in Bracknell, UK.

Headquartered in Denver, CO, EBI is a 185-year-old privately held corporation with diversified businesses in aerospace and defense, molecular diagnostics, and pet food palatability markets. Cawood Scientific is the UK’s leading independent scientific group, with laboratories throughout the UK, EU, and US serving the agriculture, food, and environmental sectors. Cawood will become a member of EBI’s Agriculture and Environmental Diagnostics Group.

Commenting on the acquisition, EBI President and CEO Tom Perlitz said, “Cawood has more than just exceptional growth potential, it comes to us as a thriving business with a solid market position and great talent – built on a set of strong principles that very closely mirror the core values of EBI. This partnership will support both goals to expand our diagnostic offerings and extend our reach in global markets, and we could not be more pleased to welcome Cawood into the EBI family.”

“Over the last 18 months, Cawood has doubled in size, following significant investment in acquisitions, equipment, and technology, and EBI is committed to supporting and guiding that strategic growth long-term,” said Cawood’s Simon Parrington, who will continue as the Cawood Group CEO.

Tom Perlitz also noted, “Cawood will represent a unique partnership with EBI’s EnviroLogix business that will strengthen and grow EBI’s foothold in the agricultural supply chain. With the addition of Cawood’s capabilities to our diagnostics growth platform, we will be able to offer a compelling farm-to-feed diagnostic solution for our customers in the ag industry as we expand globally.”

Ensign-Bickford Industries (EBI) is a 185-year-old privately held corporation with diversified businesses in aerospace & defense, molecular diagnostics, and pet food palatability markets. EBI’s businesses provide the global marketplace value-added products and services, including palatability enhancers for the pet food industry, precision energetic systems for the aerospace market, innovative explosive and non-explosive solutions for defense customers, and molecular and protein detection for the agricultural industry. EBI is headquartered in Denver, CO. For more information, visit http://www.ensign-bickfordind.com/

Cawood Scientific Limited (Cawood), is the UK’s leading independent scientific group, with offices in the US, Spain, Czech Republic, and Republic of Ireland. The group provides independent laboratory analysis for the agriculture, food, infrastructure, and environmental sectors, as well as contract research to support the development of agrochemicals, biocides, and other chemicals. For more information visit https://cawood.co.uk/

Media Contact
Alexandra Ulrich
ajulrich@envirologix.com
207-274-6503

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ElectrifAi annonce la vision par ordinateur et le MLaaS pour le pétrole, le gaz et l’énergie à ADIPEC

Fournir des solutions commerciales d’apprentissage automatique rapides et fiables.

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, 15 novembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ElectrifAi, l’une des principales sociétés mondiales dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) pratique et des modèles d’apprentissage machine (ML) préconstruits, a annoncé aujourd’hui la disponibilité de la vision par ordinateur (CV) et de l’apprentissage machine en tant que service (MLaaS) pour les industries du pétrole, du gaz et de l’énergie à ADIPEC à Abu Dhabi. ElectrifAi sera présente au stand 13605.

ElectrifAi

Plus que jamais, les entreprises pétrolières et gazières doivent tirer parti de la puissance de l’IA, du ML et de la CV pour réaliser des économies opérationnelles et de coûts. Le défi est de savoir comment. Les entreprises du secteur du pétrole, du gaz et de l’énergie génèrent des quantités extraordinaires de données dans toute l’entreprise. Mais souvent, la valeur et la puissance de ces données ne sont jamais pleinement exploitées pour diverses raisons, notamment l’incapacité d’accéder à des données en silo, le manque général de talents en ingénierie et en science des données, et l’incapacité de relier le ML et l’IA aux besoins pratiques des unités commerciales.

Depuis plus de 15 ans, ElectrifAi est un leader dans le domaine de l’IA, du ML et de la CV pratiques, aidant les entreprises et les gouvernements du monde entier à transformer rapidement leurs données en une arme stratégique pour stimuler la croissance des revenus ainsi que la réduction des coûts et des risques. Nous disposons de l’une des plus grandes bibliothèques de modèles ML pré-structurés qui a été construite et testée au cours des 15 dernières années. Nous avons également développé des modèles de CV innovants pour favoriser la sécurité sur le lieu de travail ainsi que pour réduire les coûts. Et maintenant, avec notre offre innovante MLaaS, ElectrifAi permet aux entreprises de réaliser rapidement les avantages de l’IA et du ML. Nous nous occupons de tout. Les clients décrivent simplement le cas d’utilisation de leur entreprise. Nous leur indiquons quelles données sont nécessaires. Les clients fournissent ensuite les données et ElectrifAi prend le relais en formant, exploitant et déployant les modèles et en fournissant rapidement des résultats. C’est aussi simple que cela.

La collection de cas d’utilisation de CV qu’ElectrifAi a créée va au-delà de la gamme normale des capacités de CV déjà vues. Nous avons de nombreuses solutions basées sur le CV qui pourraient être applicables dans ce secteur. Par exemple : la sécurité sur le lieu de travail, la surveillance des infrastructures critiques, la détection du méthane et la surveillance des équipements.

Dans l’industrie du pétrole et du gaz, rien n’est plus important que la sécurité. L’erreur humaine dans les environnements à haut risque peut provoquer des accidents, des pertes de vie et des arrêts de production. La CV peut jouer un rôle essentiel dans la prévention des blessures et le bon fonctionnement des plates-formes et des installations de production en signalant aux opérateurs les situations potentiellement dangereuses et en remédiant aux problèmes avant qu’un accident ne se produise. De même, la CV peut également jouer un rôle essentiel dans la surveillance des blocs de vannes et d’autres infrastructures critiques pour détecter les erreurs humaines ainsi que l’usure conduisant à la défaillance des équipements. Outre les pertes dues aux arrêts de production, il existe également des coûts annexes qui peuvent être évités, tels que les litiges, les amendes réglementaires et l’augmentation de la couverture d’assurance responsabilité civile.

Le MLaaS accroît l’efficacité et la commodité de l’apprentissage automatique. Les clients peuvent rapidement commencer à utiliser l’apprentissage automatique sans avoir à déployer des processus d’installation exhaustifs ou à fournir leurs propres serveurs. Bien que la plupart des entreprises explorent activement les possibilités de l’IA et du ML, nombre d’entre elles se heurtent à des difficultés fondamentales liées à la disponibilité et à la qualité des données, ainsi qu’à la capacité de recruter et de conserver des ingénieurs et des scientifiques spécialisés dans les données. La nouvelle offre MLaaS d’ElectrifAi aborde et résout ces défis. Avec le MLaaS d’ElectrifAi, les entreprises ont besoin de peu ou pas d’expérience pour réaliser le maximum d’avantages commerciaux et opérationnels de l’IA et du ML. MLaaS se déploie facilement dans n’importe quel environnement cloud ou sur le site du client. ElectrifAi développera, exploitera et maintiendra les modèles pour le compte du client, ce qui rendra l’offre MLaaS plus rapide, meilleure, moins chère et nettement moins risquée pour les clients.

En utilisant le MLaaS, les clients peuvent obtenir de nombreux avantages pour améliorer leurs opérations et leurs capacités. Parmi ces avantages, citons la réduction des coûts (un modèle peut être moins cher que le coût annuel d’un seul spécialiste des données), l’accélération du déploiement et la diminution du risque lié au projet (le déploiement moyen est de 8 à 12 semaines pour les MLaaS, contre 8 à 12 mois pour la création de nouveaux modèles de ML), ainsi que l’accélération de la création de valeur avec un retour sur investissement (ROI) élevé.

L’une des offres MLaaS d’ElectrifAi, qui connaît un grand succès, est une solution d’analyse des dépenses et des achats basée sur le ML, à laquelle certaines des plus grandes entreprises du monde ont fait confiance. Il est rapide et facile à déployer dans le centre de données d’un client ou dans tout environnement cloud choisi par le client. Les économies moyennes réalisées pour notre produit SpendAi sont de l’ordre de 2 à 4 %. Pour une entreprise dont les dépenses indirectes annuelles s’élèvent à 1 milliard de dollars, cela représente 20 à 40 millions de dollars d’économies annuelles. D’autres cas d’utilisation populaires incluent la prévision de la demande, la tarification dynamique, la segmentation de la clientèle et l’engagement des clients.

« Nous sommes heureux de présenter nos offres de vision par ordinateur et d’apprentissage automatique en tant que service à l’industrie mondiale de l’énergie. Chaque entreprise peut désormais bénéficier des avantages de la vision par ordinateur et de l’apprentissage automatique avec un retour sur investissement très élevé. Nous aidons les entreprises du secteur de l’énergie du monde entier à se développer et à devenir plus compétitives grâce à des décisions commerciales fondées sur les données. » – Edward Scott, PDG, ElectrifAi

À propos d’ElectrifAi

ElectrifAi est un leader mondial dans le domaine des modèles d’apprentissage automatique adaptés aux entreprises. La mission d’ElectrifAi est d’aider les organisations à changer leur façon de travailler grâce à l’apprentissage automatique, qui permet de stimuler la croissance des revenus, de réduire les coûts et d’améliorer les profits et le rendement. Fondée en 2004, ElectrifAi met à profit son leadership industriel chevronné, son équipe mondiale d’experts du domaine et sa réputation sur le plan de la transformation à grande échelle de données structurées et non structurées. ElectrifAi dispose d’une large bibliothèque de produits basés sur l’Ai qui s’étend aux fonctions commerciales, aux systèmes de données et aux équipes afin de générer des résultats supérieurs en un temps record. ElectrifAi compte environ 200 scientifiques, ingénieurs en logiciels et employés qui ont fait leurs preuves en s’occupant de plus de 2 000 implémentations chez des clients, principalement des entreprises du Fortune 500. Au cœur de la mission d’ElectrifAi se trouve l’engagement de rendre l’IA et l’apprentissage automatique plus compréhensibles, pratiques et rentables pour les entreprises et les industries du monde entier. ElectrifAi est une entreprise internationale avec des bureaux à Miami, Jersey City, Shanghai et New Delhi.

Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527876/ElectrifAi_Logo.jpg

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Death of Nigerian Journalist Sharpens Focus on Declining Media Environment

In an upper-class estate on the northern fringes of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, a black gate with iron bars leads into a cream-colored duplex that offers a good view of the city.

It is home to businesswoman Torkwase Kuraun and her husband Jeffrey Kuraun, a geologist with the Department of Petroleum Resources. And for two months, it also was home to Kuraun’s younger brother Tordue Salem, a parliamentary journalist for The Vanguard.

Salem moved in temporarily after gunmen attacked his apartment in Lugbe, some 20 kilometers southeast, in September. He escaped by a whisker.

When VOA visited earlier this month, a quietness had fallen around the house — a reflection of the uncertainty the family has faced since October 13.

That was the day when Salem, 43, went missing. For 28 days, his family and colleagues waited for news.

Finally, on November 11, they learned the journalist was dead.

National police said Salem had been hit by a car and his body taken to a hospital, which had not been able to identify the missing journalist.

Nigeria’s press community is mourning the reporter’s death. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives held a minute’s silence in his memory.

But Salem’s colleagues and family are not convinced by accounts of how he died. The Nigerian Union of Journalists has demanded an independent investigation.

Police have said that Salem had identity cards on him when he died, and a family friend, who had spoken with the journalist’s relatives, said the body appeared to show signs of torture. The friend, who asked for anonymity out of concern for her safety, believes the journalist was privy to information that cost Salem his life but did not provide further details.

Police spokesperson Frank Mba did not respond to several calls requesting an interview.

Prior to Salem’s body being identified, police said they had questioned six people whom the reporter was in contact with the day he went missing. On Friday, the day after Salem’s body was identified, Mba paraded a man whom he says was driving the car that hit the journalist.

Dangers for media

Journalists in Nigeria have on occasion been attacked, abducted, or detained because of their reporting.

And while no one has been able to prove that Salem’s disappearance is work-related, the earlier attack gave his family reason to be worried.

His sister Karaun said she had been worrying about her brother for months.

Holding back tears, she recalled the last time she saw Salem. “He was in front of the gate when I was leaving, so I just waved because he was on the phone.”

Salem was the only son in a family of seven — a big deal for a typical African home. His first name, Tordue, means “A King is Born” in the Tiv language of Nigeria’s central Benue State, where the family are from.

His late parents waited so long for a son that they held a big celebration to mark his birth, Kuraun said, adding that she and Salem were always close.

“He’s always there with me sitting on this couch and watching the television, news he likes. News, he doesn’t watch football,” she said, sobbing as she sat upon an L-shaped grey sofa.

With her younger sister, Angela Kpamkwase, who runs a restaurant business in Lagos, Kuraun launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of their brother’s case. Kuraun created a WhatsApp group, adding journalists, friends, volunteers, private agents.

Colleagues in the media also campaigned, marching to police headquarters in Abuja last month and demanding action. The police spokesperson Mba addressed the crowd of journalists who were holding placards that read “Free the Press,” “Enough is Enough,” “Free Tordue Salem” and assured them the police were on top of the matter.

The Abuja march was an opportunity for many to address a wider issue – attacks on the media. In October alone, news crews were harassed while covering the anniversary of mass protests against police brutality, and they were barred from entering an Abuja courtroom during the trial of a separatist leader.

Arise News correspondent Adefemi Akinsanya is one of the reporters harassed while covering the October 20 protest memorial. She says police tried to seize the media company’s drone and her colleague.

“They were trying to forcibly take our cameraman into custody, they were grabbing him off the ground, it was quite a scary experience,” Akinsanya said.

Security had cordoned the entire Lekki toll gate area — a flashpoint since the October 2020 protests known as the End SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) movement.

Videos of Adefemi and the security agents appeared on social media. She says the Lagos state police commissioner later apologized, but at that moment, she feared for her life.

“You see you cannot tell the story of End SARS without the toll gate, that’s just it,” freelancer Peter Oboh told VOA.

The Lagos-based videographer says he was filming in April, when police seized his camera, slapped him and dragged him into a vehicle.

At a police station, officers asked Oboh why he was trying to film the toll gate and searched his camera before releasing him after about two hours.

Such attacks come as civil society and media advocates warn of a poor climate for journalists under President Muhamadu Buhari’s government. News outlets have been fined, journalists harassed or detained, and the president in June banned Twitter after the social media platform deleted a comment he posted about a separatist group.

The Twitter ban was widely criticized by rights groups. But the government defended its decision, saying the platform too often has been used to promote violence and fake news.

Nigeria has declined five points on the media freedom ranking, falling to 120 out of 180 places, where 1 is the most free, according to Reporters Without Borders.

But Nigerian press freedom activist Raphael Adebayo says journalists must remain resilient and firm.

“We must continue to denounce very strongly this incessant desire to rein in freedom of expression, freedom of the press and all types of freedom that makes our democracy strong.”

Media freedom also is important to Adefemi, who told VOA, “It’s the hallmark of a free and just society and that is what we want from Nigeria, a free and just place.”

Nigerian journalists agree that without better treatment from authorities, the country will become too risky a place to work. But for Salem, those risks already may have cost him his life.

Back at the Kuraun house, Salem’s room looks the same. His bed is made, and his clothes hang just the way he left them. The reporter’s family will be grieving his loss for a long time, and they will be waiting for answers that never may come.

Source: Voice of America

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Leaked Report Accuses Nigerian Army, Police of Shooting ‘End SARS’ Protesters

Nigerian rights activists are praising a Lagos state report into protests last year against a controversial special police unit. Days of protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in October 2020 came to a halt when security forces fired on the demonstrators at a toll gate, leaving at least 11 people dead. The report, leaked Monday, blamed Nigerian security for the deaths.

The report described the events of October 20 of last year as a “massacre,” stating that agents of the army and police shot at peaceful protesters as they sang the national anthem and waved the Nigerian flag during the evening rally.

The report said there were 48 casualties, including 11 people killed, four people missing and presumed dead, and many others injured with gunshot wounds.

The military, along with police authorities and the national government, have yet to comment on the report, but its findings contradict the early official position on the incident, and corroborate accounts told by many protesters.

“End SARS” activists have praised the report, including Obianuju Iloanya, one of the Abuja protest leaders whose brother was killed by the SARS police unit in 2012.

“When I saw it [the report] yesterday, the first feeling I had was relief because I never expected them to be so transparent or be able to say the truth. I thought that they’ll run away from the truth because it’s a panel that was set up by government,” Iloanya said.

In October of last year, Nigerian authorities established investigative panels across 29 out of 36 states in the wake of mass protests against police brutality. They were looking into claims, many made by younger citizens, of abuse.

The Lagos state panel received 255 petitions against the police. The panel’s findings also showed that the military prevented medical aid from getting to the injured protesters after the shooting, further exacerbating the impact.

In its submission to the Lagos state authorities on Monday, the panel recommended police reforms and sanctions for security agents who took part in the shooting.

The panel also said compensation should be paid to victims and that the government must improve its engagement with the youth and publicly apologize to protesters.

Last year, Amnesty International said at least 12 protesters were killed at the toll gate and made recommendations similar to those of the panel. Speaking before the report was leaked, Amnesty’s spokesperson, Seun Bakare, said government usually trivializes these issues.

“The government has consistently refused to take recommendations seriously. Many times they even claim that all that we’re saying is absolute lies,” Bakare said.

Iloanya said the leaked report triggered sad memories.

“I felt anger and I felt pain and frustration because these were young people that were out on the streets, and demanding for better and they were killed for that; it’s painful thinking about it,” he said.

But End SARS activists like Iloanya say the Lagos panel’s findings and honesty inspire confidence and hope that it prompts other investigative panels to do the same. In the wake of last year’s deadly protests, the government disbanded the SARS unit. Rights groups have said the unit was a symbol of excessive force.

Source: Voice of America

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