Tag: MENA

Four days of events include keynotes, panels, demos and socials from world-leading AI researchers and innovative business leaders

EDMONTON, Alberta, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) welcomes the world AI community to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for Upper Bound, May 23-26. All are invited to attend the multi-day event, with diverse programming catered for AI researchers, industry leaders, pop culture enthusiasts and anyone who has ever been curious about artificial intelligence.

In-person and virtual tickets start at $0. Registration and schedules are available at upperbound.ai 

A celebration of AI excellence in Alberta and beyond, Upper Bound will take over Edmonton with a full event schedule and more than 100 events taking place in the downtown core. Upper Bound is pleased to welcome our 2023 keynote speakers including:

• Richard S. Sutton, trailblazing AI researcher and Amii Chief Scientific Advisor, considered by many as the pioneer of reinforcement learning | Ticket Access: Community Pass, Upper Bound Pass, Talent Bursary All Access and Online Pass 
• Cam Linke, CEO, Amii | Ticket Access: Upper Bound Pass, Talent Bursary All Access and Online Pass
• Peter Stone, Executive Director of Sony AI America | Ticket Access: Academic Symposium and Upper Bound Pass (limited)
• Marlos Machado, Amii Fellow & Canada CIFAR AI Chair | Ticket Access: Academic Symposium 

“AI is the most important tool of our time, and it continues to dominate global conversation,” says Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. “Upper Bound puts a spotlight on Alberta’s AI leadership and legacy and is a celebration of AI that welcomes everybody to learn, network, discuss and join in on the conversation. This is an invitation for the world’s AI community to experience the best of what Amii and Canada has to offer in scientific excellence, start-up creation and industry application — so they can leave inspired by the connections they’ve made, the information learned, and their ambitious ideas realized.”

Upper Bound is an AI event for everyone and includes sessions, demos, networking events and socials open for a range of ages and familiarity with AI. Scheduled events include:

• An Academic Symposium, showcasing leading research and organized by Amii Fellows from the University of Alberta, one of the world’s top academic institutions for AI research.
• Panels on AI in industry, including discussions on innovative applications of AI in industry; the demand for AI talent; advancing cellular agriculture; ventures and start-ups; and more.
• AI & Culture, high-energy and fun events for all AI enthusiasts.
• Social and networking opportunities with daily coffee catch up, beers with peers and the hottest ticket in town, the official Upper Bound Party.

Last year more than 2,000 attendees from 38 countries attended the inaugural event. Amii awarded Talent Bursaries to over 500 recipients from around the world to cover travel and accommodation costs with over 69% of recipients self-identified as members of underrepresented groups in STEM.

This year, Amii has awarded over $500,000 in Talent Bursaries to support 700 recipients from 22 countries to Upper Bound in person. An additional 612 global Talent Bursary applicants received Online Pass access for live-streamed content and full immersion in the Upper Bound app.

Upper Bound is proudly presented by Amii. One of Canada’s three centres of AI excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI strategy, Amii is an Alberta-based, non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning and translates scientific advancement into industry adoption. Learn more at amii.ca.

Media Contact

Lynda Vang, Communications Specialist

E: lynda.vang@amii.ca

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8829558

Hub initiative demonstrates leadership in climate action by identifying best practices and pathways to bring CCUS projects to life

Regina, Sask. and Calgary, Alta., April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The world’s first open-source repository of knowledge and information about the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS/CCUS) projects will be established by the International CCS Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre) with foundational support from the Government of Alberta.

As a key action item included in Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan released April 19, 2023, the Government of Alberta is providing $3 million for the creation of a national CCS knowledge sharing hub that will be an important tool for Canada to meet its ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The mandate of the CCS knowledge sharing hub will be to collect and curate best practices and lessons learned from Canadian CCS projects past, present and future – drawing on knowledge from as many projects as possible from initial planning and feasibility studies, through to construction and ongoing operations – to enhance the success of CCS projects and promote continuous learning and improvement in CCS technology. Expansion of CCS is also a crucial step for creating and maintaining vital jobs in all heavy emitting sectors provincially and nationally in such areas as cement, iron and steel, power generation, petrochemicals, fertilizer, and oil and gas.

“Bringing large-scale CCS projects to life at the speed and scale that is required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 requires unprecedented collaboration between industry, government, academia and other partners. The most effective way of reducing risk, lowering costs and improving performance of these multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects is to share our proven expertise and apply the experience gained across heavy-emitting industries in order to build a sustainable future for all,” said James Millar, president and chief executive officer of the International CCS Knowledge Centre.

“We are very grateful to the Government of Alberta for stepping up with this critical support, allowing us to launch the CCS knowledge sharing hub and ensure lessons learned from dozens of CCS projects planned across Canada are documented and made available to anyone who can benefit from them,” Millar added. “I would be remiss in not singling out the strong leadership of Environment and Protected Areas Minister Sonya Savage in helping to ensure this initiative moves forward.”

“Carbon capture and storage is a critical part of Alberta’s path to achieving a net-zero economy. With projects such as the Quest CCS facility operated by Shell Canada, and the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, we have led the world in developing CCUS facilities and proving the capability of this technology to drastically cut CO₂ emissions from the industries that are the bedrock of our economy and are the lifeblood of our communities. We look forward to working with the Knowledge Centre to ensure that Alberta and Canada remain at the forefront and capture the enormous opportunities that are before us as the world undertakes an aggressive expansion of CCS to curb rising emissions and address climate change,” said Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Sonya Savage.

The CCS knowledge sharing hub will be developed and operated by the International CCS Knowledge Centre to assess and identify best practices and frameworks to get CCS projects to final investment decision. Key to the initiative’s long-term success will be coordination and proactive promotion of the sharing of knowledge on CCS gathered from companies large and small to ensure the timely and efficient transfer of CCS best practices across Alberta, Canada and the globe – outcomes where industry and government jointly benefit. Sharing critical information on the development of projects from study stage into operation will greatly increase the transfer of crucial learnings, leading to better outcomes and inevitably a greater level of CO₂ emission reductions in Canada.

At a global level, the world can’t afford not to pursue large-scale CCS as a key tool for meeting international climate commitments. The International Energy Agency and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded a massive investment in large-scale CCS is required in order to achieve the emissions reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 2ºC. The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report Summary for Policy Makers forecast that the cost of climate mitigation would increase by 138 per cent without the application of CCS technologies.

Background:

The International CCS Knowledge Centre provides independent consultation and technical advisory services on large-scale CCS projects around the world, including a number of Alberta companies pursuing CCS projects as part of their long-term sustainability plans, including:

• Completing the feasibility study (with funding provided by Emissions Reduction Alberta) and supporting front-end engineering and design (FEED) planning for the world’s first full-scale CCS facility on a cement plant at Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton plant.

• Supporting early-stage engineering work on CCS projects planned by several members of the Pathways Alliance, a coalition of the six largest oil sands producers that is planning to invest more than $24 billion in CCS and other emissions reduction technologies by the end of the decade in order to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

• Partnering with Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) to provide successful applicants of the ERA’s Carbon Capture Kickstart with up to 200 hours of support on their pre-construction design and engineering studies for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects, with funding provided by ERA. The 11 successful projects represent an estimated $20 billion in capital expenditures in a wide range of industrial sectors, including power generation, cement, fertilizer, forest products and oil and gas.

About the International CCS Knowledge Centre
The International CCS Knowledge Centre is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by BHP and SaskPower to advance large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects as a critical means of managing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the world’s ambitious climate goals.

The Knowledge Centre provides independent, expert advisory services for CCS projects across heavy-emitting industries based on our team’s unique experience developing the world’s first fully integrated post-combustion CCS facility on a coal-fired power plant. We have a proven track record of helping our clients lower costs, reduce risk and improve the performance of CCS projects across industries and technology platforms using the latest knowledge and lessons learned from major projects across the globe.

We also provide input to policy development and promote broad collaboration between stakeholders to enhance understanding of the critical role CCS plays in global decarbonization efforts and accelerate the deployment of new CCS projects around the world.

Learn more at ccsknowledge.com

Grady Semmens
International CCS Knowledge Centre
4032452667
gsemmens@ccsknowledge.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8827721

MODIFI Expands Its Footprint to Singapore

MODIFI Expands Its Footprint to Singapore to Better Serve Business Customers in Asia

SINGAPORE, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MODIFI, a leading European fintech company specializing in cross-border payment solutions and provision of liquidity for exporters around the world, announces the opening of its new office in Singapore. The expansion is part of MODIFI’s strategy to strengthen its global presence and better serve customers in Asia.

The company’s Chief Commercial Officer, Matthias Hendrichs, will relocate from Germany to Singapore to lead the new office and oversee the company’s growth in the region. Hendrichs brings over 16 years of experience in Asia and has played an instrumental role in driving MODIFI’s global expansion to date.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in Singapore, which marks an important milestone in our journey to expand our global footprint,” said Nelson Holzner, CEO of MODIFI. “With this new office, we aim to deepen our relationships with customers in Asia and provide them with the best cross-border payment solutions available.”

Singapore’s strategic location at the intersection of major shipping routes has made it a crucial port of call for ships traveling between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Moreover, with a well-developed air transport network and Changi Airport serving as a major hub for international flights, Singapore is an efficient location for businesses to transport goods and connect with global markets. Additionally, Singapore has recently surpassed Hong Kong and now ranks as the third largest financial center in the world.

MODIFI’s expansion to Singapore comes at a time when the company is experiencing rapid growth and increasing demand for its services in Asia. The company’s innovative platform offers exporters the No 1 payment method in cross-border business: With MODIFI, exporters get paid instantly while buyers can pay up to 180 days later. MODIFI’s solutions have already helped over 1,500 businesses around the world grow their business and expand into new markets.

“We are excited to be part of Singapore’s vibrant fintech ecosystem and collaborate with local partners to provide our customers with the best service,” said Hendrichs. “Our goal is to help businesses in Asia thrive by providing them with the support they need to succeed in today’s global marketplace.”

MODIFI’s new office is in Singapore’s financial district and will serve as the company’s regional headquarters for Asia.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13e859a3-c59b-4abd-aca2-7fa61b2e475e

Contact person:

Sara Debevec, PR manager, marketing@modifi.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 300855504