Day: July 6, 2021

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Seegene announces partnership with Bio-Rad to develop diagnostic testing products for the U.S. Market

  • Seegene announces partnership with Bio-Rad for the development and commercialization of infectious disease molecular diagnostic products
  • Diagnostic tests designed for the pandemic and the post-pandemic era with high multiplex technology
  • A significant step forward for Seegene in expanding its business to the U.S., the world’s biggest in vitro diagnostics market.

SEOUL, South Korea, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Seegene Inc. (KQ 096530), a South Korean leading biotechnology firm has signed a partnership agreement with American biotechnology company Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. to support entering the U.S. market.

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Seegene announced on June 1 that it has signed a partnership with Bio-Rad, laboratories, Inc. for the clinical development and commercialization of infectious disease molecular diagnostic products. Under the terms of the agreement, Seegene will provide diagnostic tests for use on Bio-Rad’s CFX96™ Dx Real-Time PCR System for the U.S. market, pending clinical development and approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the ‘Report on the U.S. In Vitro Diagnostics market Trend’ released by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in 2020, North America is a very important market, accounting for about 37 percent of the global in vitro diagnostic industry. However, it has been difficult for newer foreign companies to enter the U.S. market because the market has already been dominated by well-established global companies and the U.S. government prioritizes its domestic products. Under such circumstances, the supply deal with Bio-Rad, a biotech giant with over 60 years of history, is expected to be a significant step forward for Seegene in entering the U.S. market.

Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is a global leader in the fields of life science and clinical diagnostics. The company has been Seegene’s major partner over the past ten years. Previously, Seegene was able to generate some 1 trillion won worth of sales revenue by applying its diagnostic assays to Bio-Rad’s PCR systems that had already been installed globally. This new partnership is expected to streamline the process for Seegene to seek U.S. FDA clearance and the partnership of the two world class companies is expected to drive new U.S. market opportunity.

Seegene plans to submit applications for FDA approval for its diagnostic reagent made of the firm’s high-multiplex diagnostic technology, which is unique in its capability to simultaneously screen multiple target genes on a high throughput real time PCR system. Using Seegene’s proprietary technologies, it can also selectively amplify target genes while identifying different viruses and the number of viruses. Thanks to the deal, Seegene will partner with Bio-Rad to plan to seek U.S. FDA clearance and offer a wide range of its products to U.S. customers.

Under the deal, Seegene intends to seek U.S. FDA clearance for clinical assays on Bio-Rad’s real-time PCR system ‘CFX96  (TM) Dx Real-Time PCR System’.

This includes an intent to clear Seegene’s ‘AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB/RSV Assay’, a multiplex real-time PCR assay. Going forward, the company says it is also planning to establish research and manufacturing facilities in the United States. This deal provides the potential access for Seegene to enter the U.S. market with items selected among over 150 diagnostic assays already sold globally.

The AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB/RSV Assay can simultaneously detect and differentiate a total of five viruses including Flu A, Flu B, RSV A/B and three target genes of COVID-19 (N gene, S gene and RdRP gene) in a single test. It is also suitable for mass testing and capable of targeting more genes than its competitors’ products. It is also expected to play a critical role in a new pandemic situation by detecting various respiratory diseases as well as genetic variants which may resurge in the U.S. when the country eases prevention guidelines following the nationwide vaccination.

Ho Yi, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Seegene said, “To expand our business in the U.S. market, it is important to work closely with a global company like Bio-Rad that has comprehensive network in the region. Together with Seegene’s advanced technology and Bio-Rad’s solid client base, the two will be able to take the lead in the U.S. market.” He added that “The deal is expected to serve as the steppingstone for Seegene to secure its foothold in the U.S.market. And it will also help increase the company’s revenue and expand the business into other countries going forward.”

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The Globe and Mail’s Sophi.io Wins WAN-IFRA’s North American Digital Media Award

TORONTO, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-based automation, optimization and prediction engine, won WAN-IFRA’s 2021 North American Digital Media Award in the category of Best Paid Content Strategy. This is Sophi’s fourth award in the last month.

The North American Digital Media Awards honour news publishers that have delivered cutting-edge, unique and original digital media projects in the past year.

“Through the use of this [dynamic paywall] technology, The Globe and Mail truly understands its readers’ habits, leading to best practices in advertising and paid content, smartly adjusting their business strategy,” WAN-IFRA said when announcing the decision.

Phillip Crawley, CEO and Publisher of The Globe and Mail, said: “Winning a WAN-IFRA North American Digital Media Award for the second year in a row demonstrates Sophi’s ability to show the publishing industry what the future looks like. We are proud to be able to bring these AI and ML-powered tools to organizations across the globe.”

Sophi was developed by The Globe and Mail to help the newsroom make important strategic and tactical decisions. It is a suite of tools that includes Sophi Automation and Sophi for Paywalls as well as Sophi Analytics, a newsroom decision-support system.

Sophi is an artificial-intelligence system that helps publishers identify and leverage their most valuable content. It has powerful predictive capabilities – using natural language processing, Sophi Dynamic Paywall is a fully dynamic, real-time, personalized paywall engine that analyzes both content and user behaviour to determine when to ask a reader for money or an email address, and when to leave them alone.

As the North American award winner, Sophi is now a contender for the WAN-IFRA World Digital Media Awards, where the winners from North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa, India, and the Middle East compete.

About Sophi.io

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) is a suite of AI-powered optimization and prediction tools developed by The Globe and Mail, Canada’s foremost news media company, to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. Sophi solutions range from Sophi Site Automation and Sophi for Paywalls to Sophi Analytics, a decision-support system for content publishers. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to any business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume.

Contact

Jamie Rubenovitch
Head of Marketing, Sophi.io
The Globe and Mail
416-585-3355
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com

 

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Huawei and Shanghai International Port Group Launch Centralized Remote Control Project for Smart Ports

—Port Intelligent Twins Speed Up Upgrades in the Port & Shipping Industry

SHANGHAI, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On June 25th, Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) launched its smart command and control center project, with the support from its Shangdong Branch, NeZha Technology, and Huawei. This is the first project in the world to apply optical networking technology for centralized remote control in ports — marking a major breakthrough in the operation of next-generation smart ports. At the launch event, Shangdong Branch, NeZha Technology, and Huawei also signed a Port Intelligent Twins Innovation Cooperation Agreement to emphasize the intention of the three parties to continue their cooperation in building world-class smart ports while promoting the digital transformation of SIPG.

Compared with previous generations of fixed networks, Huawei’s optical networking technology offers improved bandwidth, lower latency, higher reliability, and more connections, capable to fulfill industrial IoT requirements from smart ports. Thanks to its market leading redundancy and reliability features, the optical architecture designed for this project ensures secure and reliable connectivity for various remote control applications that drive port machinery, while also enabling smarter port operations, smooth evolution, and future-oriented investment protection.

“This project marks the first practical application of the centralized remote control in urban areas over port equipment using advanced optical networks. It highlights our commitment to innovation and the use of cutting-edge technologies in an effort to position ourselves as leaders in the market. Currently, we are building a smart, green, high-tech, and efficient port. We are capitalizing on the opportunities presented by digital transformation, optimizing our port operations and management models. Guided by the 14th Five-Year Plan, SIPG will continue to develop a world-class shipping hub. To achieve this, we aim to build an internationally competitive digital port industry, and accelerate the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center and powerful ports. Our vision is to become a world-leading terminal operator and port logistics service supplier,” said Mr. Gu Jinshan, the Chairman of SIPG.

World’s Largest Automated Terminal with Improved Emergency Response and Uninterrupted Operations

SIPG is at the forefront of innovation, building a world-class smart green port to fuel economic development.

The smart command and control center for centralized remote control in urban areas using advanced optical networks was deployed at Phase IV of the Yangshan Port — the world’s largest and most automated container terminal. The terminal covers 2,350 meters of shoreline, and holds seven deep-water container berths, 21 ship-to-shore (STG) cranes, 108 rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes, and 125 automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Operating since December 2017, Phase IV of the Yangshan Port is quickly growing its container throughput, having handled 11 million TEUs to date. In fact, the terminal continues to hit various records. Its maximum round-the-clock handling capacity exceeds 21,000 TEUs, and its STG cranes have repeatedly performed over 1000 operations within a calendar day. This production level highlights the effectiveness of the automated system while also testing its stability.

And with the optical networking technology featuring low latency and high reliability, command and control over quay cranes (QCs) and yard cranes is no longer taking place at the port. Instead, remote control is implemented from the Tongsheng Logistics Park and downtown Shanghai. Located over 100 km away from the port, remote operators control a variety of heavy port equipment from a single point to multiple locations. This brings many advantages such as reduced commute times for staff, better predictability of staff availability, and attractiveness of the workplace.

Visualized remote control is an important component as it significantly improves operational efficiency of the port. This project has allowed SIPG to improve the terminal’s emergency response and uninterrupted service capabilities in exceptional circumstances, such as extreme weather conditions. This demonstrates SIPG’s commitment to delivering stable and efficient services to its customers, and marks an important step in building the Shanghai International Shipping Center.

Optical Networking Enables the World’s First Centralized Remote Port Control from a Distance of 100 km

In smart ports, optical networking is mainly used in the Huawei OTN solution to implement WAN interconnection between ports, as well as in the Huawei Industry OptiX solution to accurately and efficiently control large port equipment. This project is seen as a lighthouse project for optical networking applications in the following aspects:

  • First, optical networking technology is applied in the industrial control field (QC control) for the first time to realize “fiber-to-the-machine” deployment that will help reinvent the network architecture of large ports. Enhanced Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (eDBA) technology assigns fixed bandwidth and QoS parameters to channels that carry industrial control services and flexible bandwidth to carry ultra-high definition (UHD) videos, implementing smoother remote QC control over conventional technologies. Moreover, optical networking technology simplifies network layers and centrally carries machine and campus networks, with the visualized network management system (NMS) reducing the O&M workload by 60%.
  • Second, this is the first application of optical networking technology to a backbone WAN of a large port. An all-optical data highway is built between geographically separated ports, achieving outstanding transmission capabilities with Tbit/s ultra-large capacity, μs-level low latency, and zero jitter over distances exceeding 100 km. Such transmission creates infinite possibilities for the application of new technologies and Port Intelligent Twins. This further accelerates the digital transformation of the port industry and large-scale collaboration potential of SIPG’s services.

Building Port Intelligent Twins to Drive Digital Economic Development

Mr. Wang Guoyu, President of the Global Transportation Business Unit of Huawei Enterprise BG, said: “Huawei develops the ‘Port Intelligent Twins’ across all processes, service architectures, and lifecycles of smart ports based on application innovation and ecosystem aggregation. We use digital technologies — such as cloud, and intelligent vision — to deeply integrate with service scenarios of traditional industries, and leverage new ICT to improve intelligence and computing power. In doing so, we enable industry digitalization and upgrades, create new productivity for conventional labor-intensive enterprises, and drive digital economic development.”

Focusing on the Navigation Spirit in the New Era and Accelerating the Transformation and Upgrade of the Shipping Industry

Shangdong Branch, NeZha Technology, and Huawei signed the Port Intelligent Twins Innovation Cooperation Agreement. With the goal of building a world-class comprehensive port service supplier, the three parties will invest in and construct major projects, guided by the use of advanced technologies, and develop industry demonstration applications. They will also aggregate superior talent, technology, and capital resources to empower SIPG’s digital transformation to the highest extent possible.

In order to accumulate and deliver successful digital transformation practices and methodologies for ports globally, the three parties established a joint Port Intelligent Twins innovation center, which achieves all-scenario sensing, interconnection, and intelligence. They will strengthen cooperation in smart port construction, basic service upgrades, technological innovation, and talent cultivation. Aimed at building a world-class port, they will accelerate the overall improvements of SIPG’s intelligence, efficiency, and experience.

Huawei will fully leverage its product and technical advantages to provide comprehensive and efficient ICT products, solutions, and services for SIPG, further driving the group’s digitalization growth. The three parties will continue to work together to promote green port construction, with the help of Huawei’s leading digital power technology.

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Nimo TV, propriété de Huya, remporte une sentence arbitrale contre la violation des engagements contractuels du Livestreamer marocain

GUANGZHOU, Chine, 6 juillet 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Nimo TV, HUYA Inc. (« Huya », NYSE: HUYA), plateforme internationale de streaming en direct, a lancé récemment une procédure d’arbitrage d’urgence au Centre d’arbitrage international de Singapour (SIAC) contre un streamer marocain qui avait enfreint un accord de coopération exclusive avec Nimo TV. Une injonction provisoire a donc été émise par le SIAC. En entamant rapidement une action en justice, Huya a démontré que la société Internet chinoise était déterminée et capable de défendre ses intérêts à l’heure de son internationalisation.

L’injonction du SIAC interdit au streamer marocain de diffuser en direct sur des plateformes, des sites web et des applications qui ne sont pas exploitées par Nimo TV. De plus, le streamer est empêché de participer à des activités commerciales ou promotionnelles par toute plateforme concurrente, y compris Nonolive, la branche de streaming en direct à l’étranger de Douyu, et la plateforme alternative que le streamer a menacé d’adopter. Le streamer est également responsable de dizaines de milliers de dollars de frais, qui comprennent les frais liés à la procédure d’arbitrage d’urgence et les frais juridiques de Nimo TV.

L’industrie internationale du streaming en direct est souvent confrontée à des difficultés lorsque les streamers violent les contrats en changeant de plateforme. Comme les procédures juridiques transnationales sont en général compliquées, coûteuses et difficiles à exécuter, de nombreux streamers internationaux profitent de ces situations et considèrent leurs accords de coopération exclusive comme non contraignants. Lorsque les streamers se voient proposer un prix plus élevé, ils risquent de violer les contrats sans s’inquiéter des conséquences juridiques. Toutefois, à contre-courant de cette idée reçue, les plateformes de streaming en direct, y compris Nimo TV, valorisent fortement le potentiel commercial des streamers et les considèrent comme des partenaires importants dans la production de contenus. À cet égard, lorsqu’elles s’internationalisent, il est crucial que les plateformes de streaming en direct s’assurent que les streamers de différentes nationalités respectent leurs obligations et ne contreviennent pas aux contrats.

La procédure d’arbitrage d’urgence initiée au SIAC représente une étape importante pour Nimo TV. Il n’a fallu que 14 jours entre le dépôt des documents pertinents et la réception de l’ordonnance provisoire, ce qui pourrait dissuader les futurs streamers de violer leurs contrats. En outre, l’injonction contre le streamer marocain est probablement le premier cas de l’industrie du streaming en direct que le SIAC a traité et pourrait fournir des informations pour les plateformes internationales de streaming en direct lors de la gestion de la violation des contrats. Nimo TV cherche désormais à obtenir la reconnaissance et l’exécution de la décision arbitrale par les tribunaux marocains, le Maroc étant le pays d’origine du streamer, pour sécuriser ses intérêts par des moyens légaux.

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Government-backed Militias in Burkina Faso Accused of Abuses

The attack in Burkina Faso last month that killed 160 civilians was in retaliation for activity by pro-government civilian militias in the area, according to Human Rights Watch.

In the daytime, Daouda Diallo is a scientist. By night, he is one of Burkina Faso’s most prominent human rights campaigners.

He runs the Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities, a campaigning group set up in the wake of the Yirgou massacre, an attack that saw around 200 people killed, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, in early 2019.

In Burkina Faso’s conflict with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, the number of civilians killed by security forces has often come close to the numbers killed by the terror groups.

Diallo has been deeply affected by this.

“I’m a very sensitive person — I like to help the widow and the orphan, the vulnerable. … I’ve devoted my time to this, but it's not an easy job, and I go unpaid. I do it for humanitarian reasons,” Diallo told VOA.

Diallo also points out that one of the government’s most controversial policies is a law that allows preexisting civilian militias, known as koglweogos, to be armed and trained by the government.

The new force is called the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, or VDPs.

When the law was created in 2020, Human Rights Watch said arming poorly trained civilians could lead to abuses.

So far, at least 95 people have been killed in 38 incidents of violence against civilians by VDPs, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

A man, whose full name has been withheld to protect his safety, says he watched as VDPs killed two of his neighbors after accusing them of being terrorists.

“...Issa was sick and decided to go to the market. The VDPs shot at him there. Issa ran to his house, where they killed him. Bad things happen. That’s why I had to run away. The militias are chasing you; the terrorists are chasing you.”

Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to VOA's interview request about the incident.

One VDP leader, who asked to not be named, said most VDPs simply want to defend their homeland, many having had terrifying encounters with terrorists themselves.

“The terrorists came and burned my house. They were looking for me, but fortunately I was not around. They also killed some of my neighbors and burned their houses as well. It’s because of that I really felt I had to join the VDPs,” he said.

A leader of the ruling MPP party admits it’s possible VDPs commit abuses — but says they are necessary.

“Within the framework of the fight against terrorism, we are obliged to face the fact that the VDPs make a very big contribution," said Lassane Sawadogo, MPP Party Executive Secretary.

As widespread protests against insecurity in Burkina Faso have swept the country in recent weeks, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said he will reform the VDPs as one way of improving security.

Diallo says the government should take corrective action quickly. However, the government has yet to say what its actions will be.

Source: Voice of America