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The US$500 billion inventor

Materials scientist and physicist Dr Tuomo Suntola, who recently won the Millennium Technology Prize 2018 for his invention of atomic layer deposition (ALD), will be participating in the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2019 in Singapore, 20-25 January 2019. From laptops to smartphones, many of the electronic devices that we take for granted today would not have been possible without the work of Finnish materials scientist and physicist Dr Tuomo Suntola. In the early 1970s, Dr Suntola developed a way of producing ultra-thin films, one atomic layer at a time that can be used to coat the surface of any material. This technique, called atomic layer deposition (ALD), has been used to improve the performance of computer chips, create high-efficiency solar power cells, and even protect coins and telescope mirrors. It also enabled modern nanometre-scale integrated circuits, which are essential components in virtually all-modern computers and smartphones, and many other electronic equipment. Today, the market value of consumer electronics that rely on the technique exceeds US$500 billion (S$684.5 billion). For his far-reaching work, Dr Suntola was awarded the biennial Millennium Technology Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of technology, in 2018. Dr Suntola, who will be a speaker at the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2019, to be held in Singapore from 20 to 25 Jan, said that ALD could also play a key role in creating the next generation of batteries for electric vehicles and other products. “It can also be used for the manufacturing of new materials with as-yet unknown properties,” he said. A serial inventor Even as a child, Dr Suntola was interested in technology. He built wooden miniature replicas of World War II fighter planes, his first transistor radio at the age of 12 when the first transistors became available in Finland, and graduated to constructing radios […]

Why the circular economy must link up the whole supply chain

The long-discussed concept of the circular economy (CE) seems ready for takeoff. New information technologies like the internet of things (IoT), big data analytics or blockchain are the powerful means everybody is waiting for. The real door-opener is still to be found in the analog world: It’s about trustful collaboration. But only when all actors along the product life cycle find profitable ways to take resource scarcity into account, and only if they share both costs and benefits, will CE be able to unfold its full potential. So trustful collaboration is asking for a lot. It needs to convince decision-makers of the business opportunities they get once they trade their silo-oriented optimization rationale for a holistic-management approach that addresses the entire life cycle of the products and the materials involved. Making use of circular economy to prosper and differentiate products and services is suitable for business-to-business heavyweights, too. For example, ocean carrier Maersk created a digital twin of their latest container ships down to the smallest bolt. Through this, the company will ultimately know how much and what material is being used in their fleet. During routine overhauls or at the final disassembly, Maersk has a clear systemic view on which parts and materials can be reused, remanufactured, upcycled or continue to stay in the circular flow of shipbuilding. Executing supply chain power It’s not by chance that most CE case studies are when economically strong asset owners and service providers such as Caterpillar and Maersk are in the driving seat. The same applies to powerful vendors, for instance tech giants such as HP and Dell who have established highly efficient return systems for used products. Why is it that CE pioneers are often found among these kind of companies? The two most obvious reasons: on one hand, these players have […]

Fujitsu develops single-panel antenna to support multiple 5G communications

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has announced the development of the world’s first equipment technology to enable simultaneous communications to four users with a single antenna panel in the 28-GHz band, in the world’s most compact structure. The equipment delivers high-speed communications in excess of 10 Gbps, as required by 5G mobile communication formats. The use of 5G is premised on deployment of base stations with comparatively small coverage areas placed every few tens of meters. Given this, it will be necessary to have equipment of a compact size that can be deployed anywhere. Conventional 5G system structures require use of an antenna panel for each terminal when simultaneously transmitting to multiple terminals. Now, by controlling with high accuracy the phase (angle) of signals separately emitted from 128 antenna elements, Fujitsu Laboratories has suppressed the interference between signals. This enables simultaneous communications in four directions using only one antenna panel. Moreover, the company can vary signals in both horizontal and vertical directions, successfully expanding the communications area. With these developments, components can now be fit on a single 13 cm2 printed circuit board, instead of two or more antenna panels required with conventional technology. This will enable the deployment of compact base stations and high-speed 5G communications in locations where many people gather, such as around train stations and in stadiums. Development Background The spread of smartphones, 4K image resolution, and VR has raised demand for high-speed wireless communication. Meanwhile, problems like transmission delays and poor connections due to insufficient wireless communications capacity are occurring in urban centers, stadiums, and event venues, and anywhere many people gather. To remedy these shortcomings, the development of 5G, which uses the millimeter wave band to secure a wide frequency band, is being carried out globally, with the goal of commercial deployment around 2020. While 5G […]

Inaugural Meeting of Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data

Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data convened for their inaugural meeting on Friday, Nov 30. The Advisory Council[1] brings together transnational thought leaders and industry captains from diverse backgrounds spanning the spectrum of large tech providers, users, the academia and government. Members comprise international leaders in AI such as Google, Microsoft and Alibaba; advocates of social and consumer interests; and leaders of local companies who are keen users of AI. Council members had a robust discussion on the ethical use of AI and data. This included discussion on the paper released by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) in June 2018 on the responsible development and adoption of AI. There were many suggestions given on how to improve the draft model framework. The Advisory Council called for broader engagement and consultation of the draft model framework. The meeting is a timely reminder of how a private-public relationship is necessary to enable the Digital Economy. A trusted AI ecosystem is critical for industries to effectively adopt innovative emerging technologies and business models, while ensuring strong consumer confidence, protection and participation. In the area of data and data-driven technologies like AI, the development of responsible practices must be informed by diverse views and a global perspective. Singapore aims to contribute to the global discourse by proposing a pragmatic governance framework that translates ethical principles into practice. An updated draft will be made available soon. Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary said, “I am especially thankful for the attendance of a strong and diverse transnational mix of members, including tech giants, companies large and small, users, academia and government. Building a future Digital Economy with a trusted AI ecosystem is critical.” The Advisory Council is one of three structured, interlinked initiatives[2] to support the engagement […]

Grundfos collaborates with Cambodia to improve water security

New partnership to strengthen the country’s access to water through intelligent water solutions Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Global pumps leader Grundfos and the Ministry of Industry & Handicraft, Cambodia today confirmed that they will exchange a Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation in water management, in an effort to reduce the cost of water and increase access to clean, quality water in the country. His Excellency Cham Prasidh, Minister of Industry & Handicraft, Cambodia and Mr. Leong Chee Khuan, Area Managing Director – South Asia, Grundfos highlighted that the Letter of Intent will include an endorsement of Grundfos by the Cambodian government, welcoming its latest technology and business models to reduce non-revenue water and boost water management efficiency. One of the biggest water management challenges for Cambodia is its water infrastructure, which is prone to leakages and insufficient water pressure when serving cities and provinces during peak hours of water consumption. This leads to cases experiencing up to 40 per cent in non-revenue water (NRW), or water that is lost or otherwise unaccounted for in the system. H.E. Cham Prasidh said, “As Cambodia’s economy grows rapidly, we’ve seen an increasing demand for clean water, and we expect this demand to increase to 0.8 million cubic metres per day by 2025, and to one million cubic meters per day by 2030. This will place more pressure on our water utility facilities to provide efficient and reliable water access. “We are excited to work with an industry leader like Grundfos to improve Cambodia’s access to clean, quality water. We believe Grundfos’ innovative technology and solutions will have significant impact on our water management systems.” Mr. Leong Chee Khuan, Grundfos said, “Grundfos is committed to helping Cambodia strengthen the quality, reliability and sustainability of its water supply. We are pleased to work with the […]

Future of Design: the Quadro RTX 4000

The Quadro RTX 4000 graphics card — the company’s first midrange professional GPU is powered by NVIDIA Turing architecture and NVIDIA RTX platform. Unveiled at the annual Autodesk University Conference in Las Vegas, the Quadro RTX 4000 puts real-time ray tracing within reach of a wider range of developers, designers and artists worldwide. Professionals from the manufacturing, architecture, engineering and media creation industries witnessed a seismic shift in computer graphics with the launch of Turing in August. The field’s greatest leap since the invention of the CUDA GPU in 2006, Turing features new RT Cores to accelerate ray tracing and next-gen Tensor Cores for AI inferencing which, together for the first time, make real-time ray tracing possible. The Quadro RTX 4000 features a power-efficient, single-slot design that fits in variety of workstation chassis. Other benefits include: ● Significant performance improvements — 8GB of ultra-fast GDDR6 graphics memory technology provides over 40 percent more memory bandwidth than the previous generation Quadro P4000. ● 36 RT Cores — enable real-time ray tracing of objects and environments with physically accurate shadows, reflections, refractions, and global illumination. 288 Turing Tensor Cores for 57 TFLOPS of deep learning performance — accelerate neural network training and inference, which are critical to powering AI-enhanced rendering, products and services. ● Hardware support for VirtualLink — new open industry standard meets the power, display and bandwidth demands of next-generation VR headsets through a single USB-C connector1. ● Improved performance of VR applications — new and enhanced technologies include Variable Rate Shading, Multi-View Rendering and VRWorks Audio. ● Video encode and decode engines — accelerate video creation and playback for multiple video streams with resolutions up to 8K. OEM support Leading OEMs have voiced their support for new Turing-based Quadro RTX 4000 GPUs: ● “AI and real-time ray tracing are […]

NEC hosts C & C User Forum and iEXPO 2018 in Tokyo

Solutions for safer cities and innovative co-creation NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) will host the C&C User Forum and iEXPO 2018, a showcase of the company’s latest technologies, on November 8 and 9 at the Tokyo International Forum. This year’s seminars and exhibits will introduce “NEC Safer Cities,” which underpin the realization of safe, secure, efficient, and equal cities, and “NEC Value Chain Innovation,” which connects people, things, and processes to generate new value. NEC will feature AI, biometrics, security, and network technologies, which are necessary for building safer cities and enabling co-creation with partners and customers. Highlighting an esteemed lineup of presentations and seminars, Takashi Niino, President and CEO, NEC Corporation will deliver a keynote speech on “Digital Inclusion,” and the creation of new social value with partners and customers. Exhibitions and Demonstrations at iEXPO 2018 that illustrate how “Digital enhances a brighter future for all” include the following: NEC Safer Cities solutions that enable: – Smooth airport procedures and efficient transportation – Critical infrastructure surveillance and disaster countermeasures – Citizen-friendly digital government – New urban development approaches – Advanced and efficient health care NEC Value Chain Innovation solutions that enhance: – Manufacturing – Logistics/mobility – Retail – Finance Platform services that accelerate Digital Transformation, including: – NEC Biometric Authentication: Bio-IDiom – NEC’s AI portfolio “NEC the WISE” – Cyber Security – High-performance computing – IoT/SDN – Optical submarine cable systems – Space utilization services, Hayabusa 2 asteroid probe For more information on NEC’s C&C User Forum and iEXPO 2018, visit: https://www.nec.com/en/event/uf-iexpo/index.html

Universal Robots marks 25,000 cobot milestone

Vietnam’s Vinacomin Motor Industry Joint Stock Company presented one-of-a-kind Gold Edition robot in celebration of Universal Robots’ milestone Universal Robots (UR), the pioneer and market leader in collaborative robots (cobots), has cemented its market leadership after hitting 25,000 cobot sales. To celebrate this significant milestone, the company awarded ten of its 25,000 global customers a Gold Edition cobot. The lucky winner in Southeast Asia is Vietnam’s Vinacomin Motor Industry Joint Stock Company (VMIC), which was presented with the one-of-a-kind UR10 cobot on 9 October 2018. The special edition cobot has the joints painted in a rich, gold-coloured finish, a refreshing take on UR’s iconic blue and grey cobots. Based in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province, VMIC is engaged in the manufacture, assembly, maintenance and repair of transportation vehicles. The Company’s leading products are heavy duty trucks used in the delivery of mining products, together with light trucks and other utility vehicles. Other business activities include the production of automotive parts, industrial machinery and equipment trading, the construction of industrial and civil infrastructure, as well as the provision of technical consulting services. “We are thrilled to receive the Gold Edition UR10 cobot which will be deployed to assist in the production of parts for transport vehicles, working alongside our employees,” said Pham Xuan Phi, VMIC Chairman and CEO. “The need to improve productivity and reduce operational cost led us to opt for cobots as the ideal solution. Since deploying our first cobot in July this year, we have already seen productivity surge 30 per cent and improvements in product quality and takt time stability,” he added. “We couldn’t have reached this historic 25,000-cobot landmark without excellent customers like VMIC,” said Sakari Kuikka, APAC Regional Director of UR. “With this, we celebrate not just the success of UR in empowering customers, but also […]

Sustainable Food Summit Singapore

The Asia-Pacific edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit drew to a successful close a few weeks ago in Singapore. About 200 executives attended the Asia-Pacific and European (hosted earlier in Amsterdam) editions. Eight of the key outcomes of these two executive summits were: Proteins crisis in Asia In his opening keynote, David Yeung (Founder of Green Common in Hong Kong and the Green Monday movement) said the Asian food industry is facing a sustainability crisis. The growing population and changes in food consumption were putting a strain on protein production systems. Livestock products generate about 15% of all greenhouse gases and take up two-thirds of agricultural land. There are 1.5 billion cows on the planet, generating 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide; this is more carbon emissions of the UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan and South Korea combined. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, especially in Asia. China houses almost half the global pig population, with roughly 723 million pigs reared for meat consumption. Intensive pork production brings environmental and health repercussions. Ben McCarron presented latest research from Asia Research and Engagement, showing that meat & seafood consumption in Asia is projected to rise by 78% between 2018 and 2050. The increase will require an additional 7.1 million km2 land area, 1 billion m3 water per annum, 39,000 tonnes of antibiotics per annum, and generate an additional 5.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. Potential of clean meat Shir Friedman, Co-Founder of the Israeli company Supermeat, believes the future is with clean meat: cellular meat grown in refineries. She said clean meat overcomes ethical issues concerning rearing and slaughtering animals, whilst providing consumers identical meat products. After commercialisation, her company is looking to license its cultured meat technology to conventional meat […]

Hitachi launches AI-assisted predictive maintenance service for petrochemical plants

In the picture: Detection of abnormalities by the predictive maintenance service for petrochemical plants Hitachi Ltd. has started offering the predictive maintenance service for petrochemical plants. It makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically classify and analyse the petrochemical plant’s operation status in preparation for the real-time detection of changes in conditions and abnormalities that may be signs of failure. The service collects plant operation data and analyses them by means of the adaptive resonance theory (ART), one of AI-based data clustering technologies, to swiftly detect abnormalities in devices and equipment that constitute the plant arising from multiple causes that are difficult to be discovered by predictive maintenance systems based on ordinary prediction models or by human judgment. It will help reduce not only the workload of operators monitoring the plant’s operation but also the failure occurrence ratio to increase efficiency in operation and maintenance. This predictive maintenance service has been developed and commercialised through a demonstrative trial conducted by Hitachi in collaboration with Showa Denko K.K. at the ethylene plant in Showa Denko’s Oita Complex. It came into service for the practical operation of the plant in October. Oil refineries, petrochemical plants and other plants require the constant maintenance of safe and stable operation. It is common for skilled operators to check the data from the monitoring and control system and carry out on-site patrols to perform visual inspections in order to grasp the operation status of individual devices and equipment for the purpose of monitoring plant operation. However, even when individual devices and equipment in the plant are in normal operation, multiple factors such as the flow rate, pressure and temperature may bring the plant to a halt. The plant operation monitoring is therefore dependent on the judgments of skilled operators based on their experience and […]

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