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Edge computing is transforming the way data is being handled, processed and delivered from millions of devices around the world. The explosive growth of internet-connected devices – the IoT – along with new applications that require real-time computing power, continues to drive edge-computing systems.
Faster networking technologies, such as 5G wireless, allows edge computing systems to accelerate the creation or support of real-time applications, such as video processing and analytics, self-driving cars, artificial intelligence and robotics, to name a few.
Brent has a strong track record of bringing products from conceptualisation through to commercialisation. He is responsible for shaping SUSE’s technology and portfolio strategy in support of emerging use cases in areas such as Hybrid Cloud, IoT and AI/ML. He also drives the technology relationship with numerous industry partners, participates in open source communities as well as evangelising the SUSE vision with customers, press and analysts.
Brent acknowledges that there are some challenges with regards to cloud computing. The high costs usually associated with edge computing is of concern to companies and the public sector. Configuration, deployment and maintenance of an edge computing framework are expensive. To ease the worry of the public and private sectors, adopters need to keep in mind two key aspects when managing concerns regarding costs of edge computing.
The first is to identify focused projects that have a clear return on investment. Starting with value to the business gets quicker alignment and buy-in from all stakeholders that benefit from the outcome. Rather than building an edge programme from the get-go, organisations must learn how to conduct a focus project first. The return could be financial in improved throughput or efficiency for the organisation; client retention through improved experience and satisfaction; or even societal returns by improved traffic management or safety/security.
The second aspect is to utilise a cost-effective solution. Brent does not recommend highly custom solutions built on proprietary software. This creates lock-in, does not leverage industry scale and ultimately can lead to higher costs. Implementers should look to leverage open source solutions as much as possible to help improve the overall costs and provide the greatest flexibility.
Organisations need to engage service providers that have direct experience in edge computing. Collaborating with experts helps architect the usage of edge solution to achieve the business goals. It is important to understand the technology’s capabilities and if the solution it provides fits the problem to ensure alignment.
For example, Brent elaborates, if the edge application is processing large volumes of image data looking for anomalies, they would choose a different technology than a system that is processing movement data from a robotics environment that is designed to optimise factory automation. Collaboration among the teams helps to bring together the business requirements with the right technical capabilities.
Businesses must be equipped to efficiently manage between data that is important in edge operations versus the long-term, Brent feels. The key value proposition of edge computing is how technology continues to change, as against trying to use a centralised solution whether in a company data centre or cloud.
Edge data management technologies can be used to build real-time analytics taking advantage of large volumes of data to drive smart city actions. There is a lot of data involved in edge computing, not all of which are used for operations of smart cities. Open-source technologies such as Apache Kafka and Spark are often used for processing at this point. Once real-time processing is complete, further analysis and filtering of the data can be done at the edge, discarding unnecessary data and forwarding essential data to a centralised, cloud-based data lake for further analytics.
In terms of security using edge computing, Brent conceded that for edge solutions to be effectively governed, companies must employ automation at all levels of the infrastructure and applications to ensure continuous compliance with policies, best practices, and the latest security updates. Automation helps on two fronts – it minimises the human element for managing change and provides continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure and application, something humans cannot do on a practical level.
Key concepts people may have heard of that are required to implement automation to this level are Infrastructure as Code and Policy as Code. SUSE’s portfolio utilises both these concepts to help companies implement automation at multiple levels.
First, within the compute infrastructure SUSE Manager protects businesses with an automated system that proactively manages against the standards they define – so they can easily meet security and compliance requirements while maintaining healthy, available services. For the application infrastructure, as companies take advantage of cloud-native computing at the edge, the SUSE Rancher product line lets companies automate processes and applies a consistent set of user access and security policies for all the Kubernetes clusters, no matter where they are running.
Brent added that there is a shift in skillset occurring with the adoption of cloud-native technology, which is the fuel that drives Edge to make it cost-effective. Companies will need to look for applicants that are well versed in not only the technologies but its techniques and processes. Specifically, skill in DevOps principles, microservices, and the new security requirements. Candidates skilled in these elements will adapt to a variety of technologies that can be used to implement secure cloud solutions.
Regarding specific technologies, Kubernetes experience is the most universal need. Organisations should begin hiring a core team of members who understand Kubernetes and related cloud-native computing technologies.
A shortage of these technically skilled people and the surge in technologies is a very real issue. The remedy is to combine hiring a core group of team members with these new skills, with an internal training and mentoring programme. Engineers appreciate the opportunity to learn new skills, and what better way to improve employee satisfaction than providing career refreshment and growth opportunities.
Brent concluded that organisations could reap the full benefits of Edge Computing by building teams with a combination of new, skilled talent and existing team members who are already familiar with the organisational requirements. In the end, both will benefit from each other’s skills and experience resulting in greater overall productivity and satisfaction.


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Venture Capital (VC) has played a significant role in driving innovation and economic growth by providing essential financing for startups and early-stage enterprises. With rising interest rates and complicated loan approval processes, many entrepreneurs are turning to VC financing opportunities to bridge the gap between funding sources for innovation and traditional, lower-cost forms of finance available to existing businesses.
To attract private equity funds and entice entrepreneurs with high-return ideas, the VC industry must offer a satisfactory return on capital, provide appealing returns for its members, and demonstrate promising upside potential. However, consistently outperforming investments in inherently risky business operations remains a significant challenge
Despite not being long-term ventures, the goal of VC investments is to provide financial support to a company’s balance sheet and infrastructure until it achieves a certain size and level of credibility that makes it attractive for acquisition by a corporation or provides the opportunity for liquidity in the institutional public equity markets.
Due to the saturation of the startup market and ongoing inflation concerns, many investors are opting for a more conservative approach. Venture capitalists today are adopting a more cautious, long-term strategy, departing from the previously prevalent aggressive, short-term investment approach.
Venture Capitalists Measure When Funding a Startup
“UTokyo IPC aims to accelerate innovation on a global scale that leveraged the University of Tokyo through three key activities: supporting entrepreneurs, facilitating corporate innovation, and investing in startups,” Kei reveals.
The company’s primary activity is Venture Capital (VC), which consists of meaningful investments and the exiting of those portfolios. A concurrent objective is to apply UTokyo’s research, intellectual assets and other resources to businesses.
While the ultimate goal is to make investments, Kei shared that they also conduct extensive research and academic work, that can be commercialised.
The company has invested in around 60 companies or portfolios that are primarily focused on various fields including biotech (drug discovery, medical devices, agriculture), robotics, aerospace, IT and AI (mainly enterprise solutions).
“It is pertinent that our company was established as a result of a political decision, indicating that the government is currently experiencing a period of uncertainty,” Kei explains. “Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)made a joint decision to increase funding for startups emerging from universities, to explore ways to transform research into viable business ventures. This decision ultimately led to the creation of our company.”
Typically, national universities in Japan are not permitted to invest in companies, but an exception was made in this case. As a result, the VC firm is deeply invested in the growth of startups and takes a deep interest in their success.
Kei explained that the national budget was used to establish our funds. It is noteworthy that the funds comprise public and private sources, with a government disbursement allowing it to undertake investments with significantly greater risk.
He acknowledges that the company employs a matrix to evaluate the success of its investments. However, due to their focus on early-stage deep tech investments, it can be extremely challenging to conduct such measurements, particularly at an early stage. Nonetheless, his team closely monitors the progress of each investment and ensures that the milestones established for both business and technology are met.
The company operates an incubation and accelerator programme called “1st Round” (https://www.1stround.jp/) that serves as a bridge between academia and business. It is a programme co-hosted by 13 Top national and private universities from Japan. To participate in the initiative, start-ups are not required to be incorporated but must do so if chosen. If already incorporated, they must be under 3 years, and must not be funded by a VC at application timing.
He notes that they have numerous corporate sponsors, consisting of major Japanese corporations of a wide spectrum of industry fields. They strongly encourage partnerships between the startups and the sponsoring companies to conduct proof of concept (POC) projects together. This safe and close-knit community has resulted in many successful ventures between companies and startups.
The venture capitalist arm has a follow-on investment strategy aimed at providing support to the companies they invest in, particularly during challenging times. They take a hands-on approach by having members sit or observe boards meeting of portfolio companies to offer guidance and mentorship for business development, HR support (has own recruitment platform “Deep tech Dive” (https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/dive/), and public relations. Also since their fund terms are 15 years, relatively longer than other VC funds, which helps deep tech startups to firmly bring technology to the market.
The VC strongly believes in the value of persistence and is committed to not giving up on its investments. They are determined to work tirelessly until the very end to revitalise the company, a trait they consider critical of a successful investor.
As a university subsidiary, they do not limit themselves to any particular investment areas and remain open to various types of startups. While there may be some sectors that are more attractive to non-tech venture capital, they generally favour startups that may be complex to comprehend but possess the potential to bring about transformative changes in the world.
They take a long-term investment approach and have transitioned from short-term rapid investment to supporting social impact and sustainability, particularly in healthcare startups. However, they also must balance this with the need for financial returns.
When making investments, financial returns are undoubtedly important, but they are not the sole factor that should be taken into account. The overall impact of the investment, including its social, environmental and ethical implications, should also be carefully considered.
Startups have several options for obtaining capital, such as crowdfunding, venture loans, and revenue-based finance. Each strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages, and therefore, entrepreneurs must have a deep understanding of these options.
Having multiple funding options can be advantageous, provided that entrepreneurs and shareholders are well-informed about the pros and cons of each. A thorough understanding of the funding options can help them make an informed decision that aligns with their business goals and objectives.
Urban Ideas and Solutions Through LKYGBPC
The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), which began in 2001, is a biennial global university start-up competition hosted in Singapore. Organised by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, focuses on urban ideas and solutions developed by student founders and early-stage start-ups.
According to Kei, as an entrepreneur, it is essential to have the appropriate capacity and seek guidance from knowledgeable individuals, particularly in the early stages of the business. As a university subsidiary, UTokyoIPC is well-equipped to assist entrepreneurs and help prevent them from making fatal mistakes out of ignorance.
The success of promoting entrepreneurship in culture depends on the ecosystem and environment that encourages and supports it. Singapore has a strong entrepreneurial environment, with universities such as SMU and NUS emphasising entrepreneurship. In contrast, Japan has a larger economy but tends to be more conservative.
The University of Tokyo has been actively fostering entrepreneurship by offering courses to students, which has led to the creation of numerous companies. The critical factor behind this success is the creation of an environment that supports entrepreneurship and motivates people to pursue it. Marketing and promoting the benefits of entrepreneurship are also vital to its success.
“The programme is expanding and involving many other universities beyond Singapore. This makes LKYGBPC an excellent platform for startups or the venture capital industry, as it is close to many countries in the region.” Kei believes.
Since joining the company in 2019, Kei has been actively involved in supporting startups, professors, and students through various initiatives. His passion is on deep tech startups or those with the potential to bring about positive changes in the world. He has invested in a diverse range of fields, including IT, robotics, AI and agritech.
Many successful entrepreneurs come from different backgrounds, such as business, engineering, finance, marketing and more. While having a technical background can be advantageous in some industries, it is not always necessary for achieving business success, Kei opines.
“Ultimately, having a strong business sense is more crucial than any specific technical background. What truly matters is possessing a good grasp of business and the necessary skills to succeed in it. This entails competencies such as strategic thinking, financial management, leadership, communication, and problem-solving,” Kei concludes.
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Pemodal ventura atau venture capital (VC) telah menjadi kekuatan vital dan katalis inovasi terkemuka selama beberapa dekade terakhir. Permodalan mereka telah menjadi sumber keuangan utama bagi sejumlah startup, sebab VC dikenal lebih ramah inovasi bagi pertumbuhan perusahaan pemula (startup).
Alih-alih meminjam modal dari bank yang memiliki suku bunga tinggi dan proses persetujuan pinjaman yang rumit, tidak heran jika banyak pengusaha lebih memilih alternatif pendanaan kepada pemodal ventura. Bagai gayung bersambut, investor pun mendukung upaya para pendiri startup dengan memasok modal yang mereka butuhkan.
VC menjadi jembatan untuk mengisi celah kebutuhan antara sumber modal inovatif dan tradisional. Pendanaan model ini menjadi alternatif sumber modal rendah biaya untuk mendanai bisnis. Untuk menyediakan dana besar bagi pegiat startup, bisnis pemodal ventura harus memberikan insentif yang menarik bagi para investor privat agar mereka mau menaruh uang mereka di perusahaan pemodal ventura.
Di sisi lain, besarnya ketersediaan sumber dana menjadi modal bagi VC untuk menarik potensi startup berkualitas yang berpotensi memberikan keuntungan tinggi. Secara singkat, tantangan pemodal ventura adalah mencari potensi untuk melipatgandakan investasi yang diberikan pada bisnis-bisnis dengan tingkat risiko tinggi.
Modal ventura bukanlah modal jangka panjang. VC bertujuan untuk berinvestasi hingga perusahaan mencapai ukuran dan kredibilitas yang bisa dijual ke korporasi lain atau bisa dijual sebagai likuiditas di pasar modal. Intinya, seorang pemodal ventura berinvestasi pada ide pengusaha, mengembangkannya dalam waktu singkat, kemudian mencari strategi untuk mendapat laba berlipat dengan menjual perusahaan atau melakukan penawaran saham perdana (Initial Public Offering/ IPO).
Namun, kiniada muncul tren baru dimana pemodal ventura beralih dari metode investasi jangka pendek yang agresif ke pendekatan jangka panjang yang lebih konservatif. Pasar startup yang sudah terlalu jenuh menjadi salah satu alasan transisi ini. Tren ini, dikombinasikan dengan kekhawatiran inflasi yang berkelanjutan, membuat banyak investor memainkan portofolio investasi mereka dengan lebih hati-hati.
Menyaring startup potensial
Pendirian pemodal ventura UTokyoIPC sendiri berawal dari inisiatif Menteri Ekonomi dan Menteri Pendidikan untuk memberikan pendanaan pada riset-riset yang dilakukan kampus. Mereka ingin agar riset-riset itu bisa dikomersialisasi dan dikembangkan menjadi bisnis. Lantas didirikanlah UTokyoIPC di bawah Universitas Tokyo yang mendapat sumber modal dari pemerintah dan swasta.
“Di portofolio kami, ada sekitar 50-60 perusahaan dan kebanyakan bergerak di biotech, seperti penemuan obat, peralatan medis, dan sebagian kecil bergerak di pertanian,” tutur Kei Furukawa, Partner, Investasi & Pengembang Bisnis UTokyoIPC, dalam wawancara khusus dengan Mohit Sagar, CEO dan Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia.
“Meski tak banyak pemodal ventura yang bergerak di area ini, namun kami melihat sektor ini sangat penting dan berdampak pada hidup banyak orang, sehingga kami memutuskan untuk berinvestasi di sini.”
Ia lantas membeberkan sejumlah hal yang menjadi pertimbangan perusahaan pemodal ventura untuk berinvestasi di sebuah startup. Kei mengaku penilaian yang mereka lakukan tak jauh beda dari penilaian yang dilakukan oleh pemodal ventura lain pada umumnya:
- Memiliki tim yang bagus,
- Mengusung teknologi yang menarik di waktu yang tepat,
- Ketersediaan pasar,
- Potensi ekspansi, untuk mengukur seberapa besar perusahaan bisa dikembangkan dan berapa banyak pasar yang bisa diraup.
Tidak terpenuhinya sejumlah syarat itu menjadi kesalahan startup ketika gagal menggaet pemodal. Ketersediaan pasar dan potensi kecepatan pertumbuhan perusahaan menjadi pertimbangan terbesar para pemberi modal.
Modal jangka panjang
Sebagai pemodal ventura untuk startup yang bergerak dibidang bio-tech, UTokyoIPC menyadari bahwa mengembangkan inovasi teknologi medis memang membutuhkan waktu lama. Sebab, industri ini berkaitan dengan kesehatan dan nyawa manusia sehingga perlu riset mendalam untuk memastikan keamanan dan keakuratan produk yang dihasilkan.
“Di tahun pertama, kami mengelola startup agar mereka berkomitmen menjaga pertumbuhan perusahaan. Kami tidak mengejar-ngejar mereka agar lekas besar. Sebab, pengembangan deep tech memang perlu waktu, sehingga kami tidak perlu terburu-buru.”
Selain itu, skema pendanaan campuran antara publik dan privat membuat model pendanaan yang diberikan UTokyoIPC bisa lebih menerima pendanaan model ini. Mereka bisa lebih leluasa mengambil risiko ketika berinvestasi.
Untuk memberi pendanaan, UTokyoIPC biasanya memulai dengan melakukan konsultasi dengan berbagai riset yang ada di kampus-kampus. Mereka mencari riset yang berpotensi untuk diubah menjadi bisnis. Riset yang dianggap potensial akan diajak untuk mengikuti pitching sebagai bagian dari proses seleksi sebelum pemberian modal.
Setelah itu, mereka memberikan program bimbingan tahap awal. Perusahaan yang terpilih masuk ke program ini akan mendapat pendanaan dengan nilai maksimum US$100 ribu sebagai dana hibah. Mereka mendapat bimbingan selama enam bulan agar dana hibah yang diberikan bisa dipakai untuk mengembangkan perusahaan.
“Mereka tak tahu banyak soal bisnis, sehingga kami memberikan saran dan dukungan uang sebanyak mungkin agar mereka tidak terjegal di fase awal mereka. Tujuan kami agar startup bisa berhasil melewati pendanaan tahap awal (seed round funding) dan mencapai valuasi terbaik.”
UTokyoIPC memberikan pendanaan di tahap awal perusahaan mulai dari seed funding hingga seri kedua (second round funding). Sebagai investor tahap awal, Kei menuturkan sulit untuk mengukur tingkat kesuksesan investasi yang dilakukan. Sehingga, mereka berpatokan pada target-target yang telah ditetapkan bersama. Jika startup berhasil mencapai tiap target yang sudah disepakati, hal tersebut menjadi indikasi perusahaan telah berjalan dengan baik. Jika yang terjadi sebaliknya, maka perlu dilakukan peninjauan ulang untuk mengubah haluan.
Sukses di pemodal ventura
Sebagai seseorang yang tidak memiliki latar belakang investasi dan bisnis, Kei merasa beruntung bisa terjun ke bisnis pemodal ventura UTokyoIPC. Awal ketertarikan Kei terhadap bisnis modal ventura sendiri berawal sejak ia menjajal Pendidikan MBA di Singapura.
Merasa tak punya cukup mental untuk menjadi seorang pengusaha, Kei banting setir untuk mempelajari sistem pendukung bisnis yaitu pemodal ventura. Sehingga, ia pun banyak mengambil kursus pemodal ventura kala itu.
Meski demikian, jalan tak selalu mulus. Lantaran tak punya pengalaman kerja di bidang itu, ia tak langsung terjun ke industri pemodal ventura. Setelah melanglangbuana ke sejumlah perusahaan swasta, suatu hari ia berkesempatan berkarir di UTokyoIPC yang merupakan pemodal ventura.
Menurutnya, agar berhasil di bisnis pemodal ventura, seseorang mesti memiliki kemampuan berelasi yang baik. Sebab, bisnis ini selalu berhubungan dengan orang lain, baik dengan investor maupun startup.
“Karena Anda akan berhubungan dengan banyak orang, berbicara dengan mereka dan memahami siapa mereka. Sebab, ini akan menjadi aspek penting ketika melakukan investasi.”
Selain kepiawaian dalam menangani orang lain, catatan lain sebagai seorang pemodal ventura adalah semangat pantang menyerah. Pemodal mesti berjuang bersama tim startup hingga titik darah penghabisan. Optimisme dan kemampuan untuk terus mencoba strategi baru sangat diperlukan. Sebab selalu akan ada momen di mana rasa putus asa dan keinginan untuk menyerah muncul karena tidak melihat jalan keluar menuju keberhasilan.
“Tapi, saya tekankan untuk jangan menyerah. Anda harus mendorong diri Anda hingga hari terakhir, hingga berhasil.”
Selain itu, seorang investor juga perlu memiliki kesabaran untuk memberi waktu dan kesempatan bagi orang lain. Sebab, dalam investasi deep tech, banyak pekerjaan laboratorium yang tak segera terlihat hasilnya.
“Saya berbicara dengan berbagai tim ketika mereka bekerja di laboratorium dan berpikir bahwa sebagian besar waktu yang digunakan tidak segera menjadi uang atau menjadi produk, namun kami tetap memberi keleluasaan waktu. Kami melihat kesempatan apa yang bisa kita manfaatkan dari hasil penelitian mereka. Sehingga persoalannya, “Apakah Anda ingin memberikan waktu bagi startup yang dimodali? Yang kemungkinan dalam tiga atau lima tahun ke depan akan menjadi bisnis yang besar? Saya kira ini penting.”
LKYGBPC sosialisasikan minat kewirausahaan
Menurut Kei, Singapura memiliki kultur entrepreneurship yang kuat ketimbang Jepang. Hal ini mengejutkannya dan membuatnya tertarik untuk menggali lebih jauh ketika mendapat pelajaran entrepreneurship dalam proses mengambil gelar master di negara itu.
“Meski Jepang memiliki skala ekonomi yang lebih besar, namun warga di sini lebih konservatif ketimbang Singapura yang sangat agresif dengan entrepreneurship.”
Lewat kompetisi kewirausahaan seperti Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) menurut Kei berguna untuk terus memupuk jiwa kewirausahaan anak muda di Singapura dan berbagai belahan dunia. Selain itu, LKYGBPC juga memberi pengaruh ke berbagai universitas lain di dalam dan luar Singapura untuk ikut terlibat dalam pengembangan kewirausahaan.
Kompetisi ini juga menjadi sarana yang baik untuk mempertemukan startup dengan pemodal ventura. Sehingga, ia berharap program kompetisi ini bisa menjadi platform untuk melebarkan semangat entrepreneurship.
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CUHK researchers, led by Professors Zhang Li, Philip Chiu Wai-yan, and Tony Chan Kai-fung, have developed wirelessly powered electronic stents for a non-invasive electrical stimulation therapy to treat gastric acid reflux. The research was published in Science Advances and will be featured in Nature Reviews Bioengineering’s April 2023 issue.
GERD is a persistent gastrointestinal disorder with widespread prevalence. Medication is necessary for about 8% of patients, but it can harm their physical and mental health. Surgical interventions such as Nissen fundoplication and magnetic augmentation are available but require laparoscopic surgery. Electrical stimulation of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) offers a promising solution but requires invasive surgery, which is risky.
Implantable electrical stimulation systems for GERD have significant surgical burdens and potential risks, making them difficult to implement. As GERD patients become more prevalent worldwide, there is a strong need for a less invasive electrical stimulation system that can reduce surgical risks and increase patient acceptance.
The research team has developed a wirelessly powered electronic stent (E-Stent) that provides a less invasive strategy for diagnosis and treatment in the gastrointestinal tract. The E-Stent uses a super elastic clinical oesophageal stent as the mechanical skeleton, a liquid metal antenna, and an intrinsically stretchable pulse generator. The liquid metal has a low melting temperature and high electrical conductivity, making it compliant with deformations in the oesophagus. With a wearable power transfer system, the elastic antenna can harvest sufficient energy for electrical stimulation therapy, even under compression of the oesophagus.
To improve design flexibility and speed up production, the research team utilised a laser engrafting machine for the batch fabrication of stretchable circuits. The circuit’s intrinsic stretchability and excellent mechanical properties enable it to provide stable biphasic current stimulation under various extreme deformations. The E-Stent not only overcomes the power bottleneck of bioelectronic implants but also has the potential for other non-invasive biomedical applications in organs with a natural orifice.
The Director of the Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine, CU Medicine stated that the team’s bioelectronic platform can regulate GERD by electrical stimulation. The researchers demonstrated the concept in pig models, showing that continuous electrical stimulation can increase the pressure on the lower oesophageal sphincter, which could potentially prevent gastric acid in a less invasive way. The team’s next step is to optimise and transform the prototypes into clinical products. They will continue their interdisciplinary collaboration to move forward with the work and help more people.
Professor Zhang Li from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering collaborated with CU Medicine to develop the E-Stent platform and a transoral delivery strategy to overcome several challenges in mucosa-interfacing bioelectronics.
The team worked to address issues such as wirelessly powering bioelectronics inside the body, especially for high-power applications like electrical stimulation, and designing microneedle electrodes to safely and efficiently deliver electrical stimulation across the mucosa, which acts as a natural barrier protecting the GI tract.
Research Assistant Professor Tony Chan Kai-fung of the Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine expressed that digital medicine could have a transformative impact and demonstrates the clinical potential to integrate other functions. He suggested that pressure sensors and other bio-sensors could be integrated with the E-Stent for physiological assessment.
The data collected could be used for real-time optimisation of electrical stimulation and personalised treatment. Professor Chan also noted that the applications of the E-Stent platform are not limited to GERD but can be extended to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract and organs with natural orifices.
Currently, the research team is collaborating to add new features to the E-Stent for other applications in the gastrointestinal tract and conducting further preclinical and clinical evaluations. The team aims to develop a non-invasive platform that provides efficient and safe options for personalised treatments and physiological assessments with various functions of high clinical value. The team envisions that the E-Stent will have a promising future as a highly useful technology.
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The government in Indonesia continue to develop its public service to enhance efficiency and provide easy access for people who need them. The Indonesian government have begun working on running the National Public Service Innovation Network (JIPPNas). The website for JIPPNas has evolved into a central repository for new approaches to public service around the country.
The website compiled all available data and information about the finest public services to facilitate a shared understanding of how to advance innovation in Indonesia’s public sector. Having several agencies work together to maintain the JIPPNas website is a central hub for fostering innovation, particularly in public services.
“This partnership is a good leap in managing innovation in government agencies,” PANRB Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas mentioned at the signing of the JIPPNas Site Management Cooperation Agreement and JIPP Hub Commitment in South Jakarta.
According to Diah Natalisa, Deputy for Public Services in the Ministry of PANRB, the JIPPNas website evolved from a national public service innovation information portal into a platform for disseminating the Best Public Service Innovations resulting from the Public Service Innovation Competition’s implementation (KIPP). The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Innovative Government Award (IGA) and LAN’s Innoland have been included in JIPPNas.
As required by PermenPANRB No. 89/2020 concerning the implementation of JIPP, the JIPPNas website is the government’s endeavour to encourage innovation in the public service sector. The Joint Innovation Programme for Public-Private Partnerships in the Americas (JIPPNas) is an approach to ensuring that the most effective ideas in the public sector are produced, transferred, and disseminated to other units and organisations. The duplicated innovations may be readily institutionalised and sustained and can be reported immediately on the JIPPNas website.
“With this combined management, it is believed that JIPPNas can strengthen the innovation process for issue solving, sharing information and open cooperation, and generating ideas to support sustainable innovation activities,” Diah remarked.
Merita Gidarjati, representing USAID at ERAT, recently discussed the organisation’s ambitions for collaborative administration of the JIPPNas site. She explained that the goal of this partnership is to serve as a national innovation centre, which would serve as a storehouse for cutting-edge ideas and a platform from which they could be shared with the rest of the country.
“This cross-agency collaboration has a big multiplier impact on the motto of outstanding service and may also become a new tradition in fostering innovation,” she added.
In this activity, a workshop was also held under the theme Progress of Implementation of Assistance and Development of Innovation Nodes at the Provincial Level and continued with a discussion of the Culture of Sustainable Innovation.
The State Administration Agency (LAN), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) signed a collaboration agreement to commemorate the event.
Seven provinces (Jambi, Lampung, West Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, and North Maluku) also inked agreements to create innovation clusters. As a result, Indonesia now has 22 provinces with established innovation clusters, up from 15 regions just a few years ago.
In addition, to provide an integrated website to promote local government innovation and digitalisation, Indonesia supervised the Public Service Coordination Forum (FKPP). The forum’s hoped-for advantages extended from creating policies and delivering public services at the national, institutional, and regional levels.
At the event, speakers from various backgrounds present in two sessions to provide insights on how best to structure public services. The speech’s leading figure, East Java’s Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak, claimed that his party hosted an event named Kovablik to promote regional creativity (Public Service Competition).
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Nowadays, as new technologies and formats emerge, the regularity of industrial development tends to deteriorate significantly, and the complexity, randomness, and sudden problems increase, posing numerous uncertain challenges to businesses.
Simultaneously, next-generation information and communication technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and blockchain continue to emerge, and they have demonstrated certain benefits in related fields. However, the simple combination of new digital technologies and traditional industries is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of traditional vertical industries, and enterprise digital transformation is entering the “deep water zone.”
Traditional businesses have recognised the importance of digital transformation and have begun to develop digital transformation strategies and plans. However, many issues remain, such as a lack of understanding of digital transformation, ambiguous strategies, ineffective implementation, and ineffective outcomes.
At the same time, the market has many subdivided fields of digital transformation products, as well as various types of products. The demand side struggles to fully understand its product and service capabilities, which slows the progress of enterprise digital transformation.
To address the issues, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) Foundation Project has launched the “Panorama of High-Quality Digital Transformation Products and Services” in 2022.
CAICT collected application forms from nearly 400 companies during the compilation process, and finally selected 315 companies (including different types of products from the same company) after review and screening to form the 2022 “Panorama.”
The “Panorama of High-Quality Digital Transformation Products and Services (2022)” divides it into two parts: basic technology and application services. It includes technology development, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud service, data analysis, IT operation and maintenance, and 7 modules of assembled applications in the basic part; marketing, human resources, finance, taxation and legal affairs, project management, enterprise resource planning, sales, customer service, design, general office, and other 9 modules in the application service part.
Data analysis is a basic technology panorama. Cloud computing and AI are the most popular segments, with more than 50 companies participating, respectively. The following directions will concentrate on IT operations, the IoT, assembled applications, and other fields.
In a panoramic view of application services, the first components are general office, marketing, and human resources. Follow-up will concentrate on finance, taxation, legal affairs, sales, enterprise resource planning, project management, and other areas.
In 2023, “Panorama” will continue to be built around digital transformation products and services, fully demonstrating the benefits to all parties in the industry and providing favourable support for the digital transformation of traditional industries in the country.
CAICT anticipates that more companies will participate in the compilation of the “Foundation Foundation Plan” panorama, thereby contributing to industry exchange and mutual learning, as well as the formation of common industry standards.
The public can now apply for the 2023 “Panorama,” which will be chosen through corporate interviews, on-site visits, and expert review. Companies that make the cut will be officially announced at CAICT’s “Foundation 2023-High-Quality Digital Transformation Development Forum.”
The digital transformation of China presents opportunities not only for Chinese citizens but also for businesses worldwide. The nation is still discovering how the local company could be a part of one of the most significant digital transformations in history.
The rise of China is ushering in the Asian century, but companies have yet to fully explore the opportunities it presents. Thus, technology is the solution. The Chinese market is undergoing a rapid digital transformation; understanding this massive shift and how to capitalise on it will be crucial for businesses worldwide.
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CSIRO, the Australian national science agency, has announced the launch of AquaWatch Australia, an initiative aimed at introducing the first-ever water quality monitoring system from the ground to space, catering to both Australia and the world.
Once fully operational, AquaWatch will deliver near real-time updates and predictive forecasting, similar to a weather service but for water quality. The program will leverage an extensive network of Earth observation satellites and ground-based water sensors to enable improved water quality management. It will provide early warnings for harmful events, including toxic algal blooms, blackwater, and runoff contamination.
In addition to enhancing water quality management, the AquaWatch system will bolster the resilience of Australian communities that rely on water and improve outcomes for the natural environment in the aftermath of events like bushfires and floods.
CSIRO is collaborating with SmartSat CRC, its foundation partner, to bring together research, government, and industry stakeholders. The development and design of AquaWatch will involve an initial co-investment of $83 million.
CSIRO’s Chief Executive emphasised the significance of water as a vital resource in Australia and worldwide. The AquaWatch Australia initiative is designed to provide extensive water quality monitoring that would enhance water quality management in various sectors. The system aims to provide predictive forecasting, allowing for early warning on harmful water events such as toxic algal blooms, blackwater, and runoff contamination.
AquaWatch Australia will leverage Earth observation satellites and other science capabilities such as in-situ sensing, ecosystem modelling, engineering, data science, and artificial intelligence. It is part of CSIRO’s Missions Program, a large-scale scientific research initiative that seeks to accelerate problem-solving for some of the nation’s most significant challenges. The program aims to increase the resilience of Australian communities that depend on water and improve outcomes for the natural environment after events such as bushfires and floods.
AquaWatch will collaborate with various implementation partners to expand its monitoring capabilities from rivers to coasts. The initiative will have the ability to monitor water quality in bays, coastal wetlands, aquaculture farming, mangrove forests, and coral reefs, including the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef.
According to SmartSat’s CRC Chief Executive Officer space technology will play a significant role in the AquaWatch initiative and will be critical in developing an accurate understanding of Australia’s water systems. As the foundational partner for AquaWatch, SmartSat CRC has partnered with CSIRO to establish several pilot projects aimed at developing technologies to monitor and manage Australia’s water resources effectively.
These cooperative projects bring together research partners, government, and industry to cover integrated ground-to-space water quality monitoring systems for inland, estuarine, and near-coastal water bodies.
The AquaWatch partnership is an excellent example of the benefits of cross-agency collaboration and demonstrates the potential to achieve much more when combining efforts and know-how for the benefit of all Australians. The collaborative effort to leverage data gathered from satellites will play a crucial role in safeguarding Australia’s future water supply and improving the natural environment.
Once operational, AquaWatch will integrate data from both water sensors and satellites into a central data hub. CSIRO’s expertise in data analysis and AI will then provide forecasts a few days in advance. The system is currently being tested through six pilot sites around Australia, where it is being used to monitor toxic blue-green algae blooms at Lake Tuggeranong in Canberra, among other uses.
The system is also being tested along Australia’s coasts, with a pilot project focused on monitoring how sediment flow from the Fitzroy River out to the Great Barrier Reef affects water quality. Additional pilots established overseas will demonstrate how AquaWatch can be used to monitor water quality for various purposes, such as drinking, sanitation, species conservation, hydroelectricity, and carbon sequestration in mangrove forests.
The AquaWatch Mission involves collaboration between CSIRO, SmartSat CRC, and a network of partners from government, industry, and research organisations. Among these partners are government agencies such as the ACT Government’s Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, and Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
The mission also includes industry partners as well as universities and research organisations such as ANU Institute for Water Futures, ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, Curtin University, La Trobe University, and the University of Queensland.
International collaborators include CSIRO Chile, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, the University of California, Davis, the University of California, Merced, and Vietnam’s National Center for Water Resources and Investigation.
The mission aims to develop and implement a system that integrates data from various sources to provide accurate and timely monitoring and forecasting of water quality for a range of applications.
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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an inexpensive air sensor calibration that uses Machine Learning techniques to improve the accuracy of measuring air pollution. With the release of a cheap mobile air pollution detector, the general population can contribute significantly to monitoring air quality.
According to the WHO, air pollution causes over 4 million yearly fatalities. It is a severe issue for public health, yet it isn’t often monitored closely. To enlist more individuals in the cause, the researchers at MIT develop the Flatburn detector.
“We want groups of concerned people or individuals all over the world to be able to evaluate their own levels of air pollution, pinpoint its causes, and work in concert with government agencies and other relevant parties to improve the quality of the air,” said Carlo Ratti, head of MIT’s Senseable City Lab.
The Flatburn gadget is a component of the City Scanner initiative, which use mobile technology to get insight into urban life. According to Fabio Duarte, chief research scientist of Senseable City Lab, the original idea and remains the project’s goal was to democratise environmental data. ” We’d like everyone to be able to evaluate information and interact with citizens and officials,” he underlined.
The open-source detector may be 3D-printed or assembled from low-cost components. Now that it has been thoroughly tried and tested compared to existing state-of-the-art machines, the researchers are making all their findings public, including instructions on constructing the device, running the programme, and deciphering the results.
Simone Mora, a research scientist at Senseable City Lab and co-author of a newly published paper detailing the scanner’s testing process explained that they have been doing several pilots around the world.
“We have since refined a set of prototypes, with hardware, software, and rules, to make sure the data we gain are robust from an ecological science point of view,” he elaborated.
Around 2017, MIT researchers began prototyping a mobile pollution detector, first intended for use on garbage trucks in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The sensors may be charged via USB or solar panel, and they retain data on an internal memory card that can be accessed through the internet.
The latest research phase has been putting the devices through their paces in New York City and Greater Boston, comparing them against established pollution detection infrastructure to determine their efficacy. For four weeks in 2021, researchers in New York employed five detectors to capture 1.6 million data points, which they compared with input from state officials. The group used mobile sensors in Boston, comparing the performance of the Flatburn devices to that of a state-of-the-art system by Tufts University and a state agency.
Both nitrogen dioxide and acceptable particulate matter concentrations were measured over a 10-meter radius using identical detectors. Often connected with combustion processes like those seen in power plants, internal combustion engines in automobiles, and fires, “fine matter” refers to tiny particles.
The research team’s development found that Flatburn devices can produce reliable results. Lower concentrations of fine particulate matter can be detected and estimated with mobile detectors than the devices currently in use. But it only happened with a strong enough correlation, with adjustments for weather conditions and other factors.
However, the study did show that the devices will have a six-month functioning life if used in a mobile situation, such as atop vehicles. However, they also found some problems that users of Flatburn detectors can encounter. Among these are “drift,” the slow but steady change in the detector’s readings over time, and “ageing,” or the more fundamental decline in a unit’s physical state.
Researchers are confident that the devices will perform well, so they’ve released Flatburn as an open-source utility with detailed instructions. It includes advice on analysing the data alongside government representatives and locals to influence policy.