Lisa Morris, Vice President of Supply Chain at Virgin Galactic on the supply chain strategies behind offering unforgettable experiences and cutting-edge research opportunities in the commercial space flight industry
FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the July 2024 edition of INNOVATION Magazine.
Summer’s here, the sun is shining and football fever is in full sway for the Euros here in the iThink Media office!
We’re delighted to share three exclusive interviews with you this month, along with the latest global technology news and features.
Kicking things off in our cover interview this month, I speak to Lisa Morris, Vice President of Supply Chain at Virgin Galactic about the tech innovation and supply chain strategies behind offering unforgettable experiences and cutting-edge research opportunities in the commercial space flight industry (p6).
Jess Bech, Vice President of Customer Service, Operations and Digitalisation at Norlys, one of Denmark’s leading integrated energy and telco companies, joins me to discuss streamlining its back-end platforms while integrating the diverse businesses and services under its remit, with the ultimate goal of serving its customers and network of cooperative owners (p40).
I sit down with John Brocking, Chief Information Officer of Thames Water, the UK’s largest water company, who shares his insights into placing customers and the environment at the core of the organisation’s digital transformation and technology strategies (p64).
Our features this month include celebrating Pfizer’s 175-year legacy (p30), sharing the news of Olympus and HCLTech’s expanded partnership to promote advances in affordable healthcare (p78), exploring S&P’s new scalable risk solution (p54) and revealing the new AI training curriculum from Apple Developer Academy (p90).
Our Startup of the Month is Spoon Guru – the company transforming the retail experience for people with diverse dietary needs (p100).
Please enjoy our latest edition. As always, if you would like to be considered as an interviewee or you have a story for us to include, please do get in touch. Contact us at editorial@ithink.media or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Lisa Morris on the innovation and supply chain strategy behind Virgin Galactic’s cuttingedge offerings in the commercial space flight industry 6
Jess Bech divulges Norlys’ digitalisation strategy its customers and network cooperative owners
78
Learn more about the innovative new partnership between Olympus and HCLTech
Norlys’ strategy in serving network of
Lisa Morris, Vice President of Supply Chain at Virgin Galactic on the supply chain strategies behind offering unforgettable experiences and cutting-edge research opportunities in the commercial space flight industry.
Virgin AEROSPACE COMPANY VIRGIN GALACTIC, FOUNDED BY SIR RICHARD BRANSON IN 2004, LAUNCHED THE WORLD’S FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACE FLIGHT ON JUNE 29, 2023.
he company pioneers human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. The goal? Developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world to the wonder and awe created by space travel and to offer customers a transformative experience.
Striving towards the betterment of Earth and space exploration, Virgin Galactic’s vehicles serve as suborbital space labs for governments, commercial industry and researchers to test innovations in microgravity and conduct experiments. The company’s reusable piloted vehicles
WATCH THE STORY OF VIRGIN GALACTIC
are designed for humans and research payloads to ascend to space on affordable, frequent and safe suborbital spaceflights.
Lisa Morris, Vice President of Supply Chain at Virgin Galactic joins us today to share her insights into the supply chain strategy behind the company’s mission to pioneer research endeavours and forge unforgettable experiences for its private customers.
Launching our conversation, Lisa begins by explaining that Virgin Galactic sells experiences, not space vehicles. As such, the organisation’s supply chain gravitates around building and operating vehicles to enable research and commercial space flight ventures for the long haul.
“When we look at our supply chain, we are balancing providing out-ofthis-world customer experiences
Virgin Galactic
alongside ground-breaking research opportunities,” says Lisa. “So when we build out the supply chain that's associated with these two priorities, you can imagine the complexity that comes with it. We must consider more than just being the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and building the vehicles – we must also consider our maintenance, repair and operations (MRO). There are also many related considerations like managing ground support vehicles, hospitality provision and other customer experience dynamics. At Virgin Galactic, these diverse pieces of the procurement puzzle and supply chain come together in one, rather than just being focused on the aerospace case alone.
“It's exciting from the supply chain standpoint because we get into many different commodities that you wouldn't expect in a standard aerospace environment, which I’m thrilled to be a part of and continue to be excited about. My overall responsibilities include sourcing, procurement, planning, logistics, fleet management – it’s pretty expansive from a supply chain perspective.”
Given the dynamic nature of the supply chain at Virgin Galactic, Lisa explains how a crucial part of her role is staying on top of the latest industry trends to keep the company at the leading edge of the space tourism industry.
“We’re listening to cutting-edge research that's out there,” says Lisa. “I
do a lot of reading in several industry journals, whether that's specifics on raw materials or what's happening from a geopolitical standpoint. But as a company, we also look at ancillary industries. For example, in the medical industry, there are interesting discussions about CT scanning and imaging tools for diagnosing the human body, which could one day be relevant to us. We consider how these emerging technologies might benefit our own operations.
“So it's not just about focusing on the aerospace industry but looking laterally at some of these growing technologies that we may be able to use in different fashions as we're
trying to create this new environment with a space vehicle.
“Beyond the research, I'm very selective and purposeful about the conferences, gatherings and events that I go to. Who are the speakers in attendance? Are we looking for specific suppliers, certain technologies or realms of expertise? Will these events offer salient conversations with those industry leaders to help us guide our future and our strategy?
“Industry research and events help us understand the art of the possible. But there must be a balance between exploring new and exciting technologies, while being mindful
of risk and respecting the proven precedents in the aerospace industry.”
So how do Lisa and her team adapt their strategies to lean into the opportunities and obstacles of a complex supply chain at Virgin Galactic?
“The first step to understanding our supply chain strategy is to look at where we came from,” begins Lisa. “We've got a rich history of success with 11 successful space flights and more than a decade of experience under our belts. So we are a startup, but certainly not brand new to the scene. When I joined Virgin Galactic, I kept these dynamics in mind but looked at the bigger picture from a supply chain standpoint. I asked how do we take something that we've been able to demonstrate and do effectively, but then productionise it?
“It started with breaking down the strategy for how we approach the supply chain, evaluating our entire thought process. Our technology is built on the shoulders of giants and you can see it in the Virgin Galactic DNA – starting with Icarus and his father Daedalus, all the way through the space programmes in the 1960s, to what we're doing today. Due to this legacy, we do not have to do everything internally or from the ground up for the first time. How can we take advantage of the infrastructure of experience that's been in the aerospace community for more than 100 years? How can we bring in relevant experts and listen to them?
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO SUPERCHARGED UNITED CNC MACHINING
Celebrating 45 years of singlegeneration excellence, United CNC has become a leading preferred partner for high-precision critical airborne components for the aerospace, space and defence industries. Founded in 1979 by the current owner, Glenn Charest, there were no computers, no cell phones and no CNC. Digital Readouts were all the rage, while NC was just around the corner!
In the beginning, with only one 1948 Bridgeport Mill, Glenn Charest handcranked out small tools and gauges for the local Detroit auto industry. The first DRO’s for his Vintage Bridgeport were earned by performing DRO installations at night for a local distributor. For every 4 installations, Charest was given one for free! Soon United had 6 Bridgeports with DROs and was considered the “high tech” of Mom and Pop shops.
SUPERCHARGED 5-AXIS SHOP
45 years have seen an amazing company transformation to what is now a premier 5-axis machining source, where the most difficult of airborne components has become daily routine. Now supercharged with more than 50 work centres, 10 CMMs and many lasers, United CNC has become the leading choice of such unique manufacturers as Virgin Galactic. Whether prototype or limited production, United CNCs customers are the most demanding, with very challenging GDT, ultra-high precision tolerances and extremely fine micro finishes. Recently, United developed a much-coveted process which yields sub4 ra micro finishes! For this, Virgin Galactic is the perfect fit for United CNC.
“Many times, one of our valued customers may be struggling with a tough part,” says Glenn. “This is when we are called in. With our unique culture, we take the near impossible and make it an everyday job. Whether high nickel exotic alloys or geometry that seems impossible, that’s what we look for, the jobs others walk away from.”
United CNC credits its success to the excellence of a refined culture. Their meticulous plant is much like a laboratory with its cleanliness and organisation. Their one-of-a-kind facility, designed by Charest,
boasts tonnes of natural light with many large windows and skylights. Although quality is built into each product starting at Engineered Op 10, all is confirmed in the 1500 Sq Ft Inspection Lab which is situated on a separately designed 30” thick floating foundation apart from the earth and the building itself. This lab can detect 10X closer than the given tolerance. Equipment is replaced so regularly, everything is like new and they can keep up with the latest and greatest of technologies. United is now a complete probing shop where the use of a traditional indicator is rare.
“We are a tight team of 45, where everyone has signed a pledge of transparency and commitment to helping each other,” says Glenn. “Everyone cares, and our customers know it! I can’t remember our last defective part escape. Our team is so transparent, it just doesn’t get out the door. We keep hearing how everyone is challenged when finding skilled help. Thanks to our culture, we do not struggle when finding or training new team members.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, United CNC has joined the Space Race with great success. Whether it’s colonising Mars someday or providing exciting tourism like Virgin Galactic does, we find this industry fascinating and our customers are very serious about getting vehicles safely into space and back, so our latest mission statement says it all:
“Committed to Total Transparency and Absolute Safety”
Virgin Galactic has great plans for growth in the space tourism business, and we are extremely proud to be their strategic partner for the critical parts they require, which will guarantee 100% safe flights.
“WE ARE DEVELOPING WAYS TO DESIGN IN A MODEL-BASED
ENVIRONMENT, UTILISING TOOLS WITH THAT DIGITAL THREAD FRONT AND CENTRE TO FOSTER COLLABORATION”
“As such we're capitalising on suppliers that have existing infrastructure and listening to their input very early in the design phases of our next fleet. We've been able to incorporate them in the end-toend process, gaining feedback and important information that can help us develop the best system and truly productionise it.
“For instance, one of the topics I’m referring to here is manufacturability. How can we produce a vehicle that can be maintained in a much more efficient manner so that we can be turning round our vehicles in days rather than months? Can we better utilise those vehicles for the long haul? So when we think about our next generation fleet, the Delta class spaceships, while they're a progression from where we've come it is in an iterative sense. The
supply chain strategy and innovation behind the iterations allow us to take things to the next level with a better producible product, a factory that can output multiple spaceships in a given year and a vehicle with a turnaround measured in days, not weeks or months. Through our innovation and iteration, we will be able to provide an opportunity for future astronauts to literally go up on a daily basis.”
For Lisa and her team, technology and partnerships are crucial enablers for the success of the supply chain strategy at Virgin Galactic. These factors are fundamentally important to the company’s vision of making space more accessible and pioneering suborbital research – but also for taking Virgin Galactic forward, with exciting prospects
on the horizon such as the Delta class vehicles and a new spaceship manufacturing facility in Arizona.
“When we think about our tools from a technology standpoint, we're leaning heavily into the digital thread,” says Lisa. “We are developing ways to design in a model-based environment, utilising tools with that digital thread front and centre to foster collaboration. During the design process, we connect with our suppliers, enabling them to see those models as they're being developed to influence our decision-making in aspects like material selection, placement of components and so on.
“Another crucial aspect of our supply chain strategy focuses on automation technology. Here, it's all about precision and we aren't automating
for the sake of automating. We are looking at some of our suppliers and their capabilities for machining, striving for near-determinate assembly. Again, this is connected to our ability to produce our vehicles in a reliable and repeatable fashion. Automation allows us to lay up our composite structures before doing the final machining so that the assembly can be done in a much more refined and consistent manner.”
On the topic of bringing in technology partners, Lisa explains how a robust ecosystem of trusted partnerships helps Virgin Galactic thrive as a business and bolsters its supply chain.
“First, and foremost, it's about risk management,” says Lisa. “We value working with partners who can help
us see around the corners and predict where we may have issues. When setting up our systems, we want to be as agile as possible and adjust to those predictions proactively. A good example of that is working with machine shops that are building some of our mechanical assemblies. How are they sourcing raw materials and looking at market conditions and lead times? For us, we look for clear communication on these fundamental topics and a relationship built on trust where we receive this information to ensure the efficiency and reliability of our processes.
“In building those relationships with a supplier, we are bringing that information to our designers to inform their decisions about material selections and manufacturing
FirstKem Soars Beyond Expectations with Chemicals and Consumables Approach
FirstKem, a leading chemical and consumables company, has been revolutionising the industry since its inception in 2017. Founded by Mario Catalano, FirstKem aims to provide exceptional customer service, reliable support, and unparalleled industry knowledge to its clients in the aerospace, military and industrial sectors.
With a focus on reviving and fostering fresh ideas in the business world, FirstKem has quickly made a name for itself by going above and beyond for its customers. As a result, the company has experienced exponential growth over the past six years, adding major manufacturers like 3M Aerospace, AeroWipe, AkzoNobel, Castrol, CAIG, Polyken/Patco, PPG and Syn-Tech to its extensive repertoire.
However, what truly sets FirstKem apart is its mission to provide an experience rather than just a transaction.
In an industry that often prioritises efficiency over personal connection, FirstKem places an emphasis on responsiveness and strategy tailored to their customers’ unique needs. Their team is passionately dedicated to customer success and takes great pride in ensuring every opportunity is handled with care.
With strategic locations in the USA, UK, and Singapore, FirstKem boasts a global reach, ready to support the consumable requirements of clients worldwide. As the cornerstone of their business, service lies at the heart of everything they do. Their key objective is to save customers time and money by stocking the right products at the optimal price. Regardless of the size project, FirstKem understands that ‘aircraft need to fly!’ and is committed to supporting their clients needs.
FirstKem is not content with simply offering industry-mainstay products. They go the extra mile by providing value-added services such as:
• Exclusive Distributor of AeroWipe
• Custom Kitting
• Chemical Paint and Repackaging
• Composite Film Converting
• Custom Tape Slitting and Converting
• Clean Room and Walk-in Freezer Storage
• Advanced Technical Support and Specification Cross-Referencing
with Revolutionary
“Regardless
of the size project, FirstKem understands that ‘aircraft need to fly!’ and is committed to supporting their clients needs”
FirstKem’s success can be attributed to their unwavering commitment to exceeding customer satisfaction, through an extensive product lineup, staying ahead of industry trends and providing Superior Solutions. By constantly expanding their offering and ensuring their customers have access to the latest and greatest aerospace and industrial products, FirstKem can provide a one-stop solution for all their clients’ needs.
As the company continues to grow at a fervent rate, FirstKem remains focused on delivering exceptional service and fostering strong relationships with their customers. With a team of industry experts who are always ready to go the extra mile, FirstKem is poised to become the industry standard for chemical and consumable procurement experience.
Contact us today for more information at Solutions@FirstKem.com
processes. For instance, the end goal might relate to choosing a composite or a metal, considering their merits in terms of performance and weight, which is a high-end decision point in the world of aerospace. But by trusting our partners and embracing the risk management side of the equation, we can make informed decisions like these with the longevity and success of our programme in mind.
“We strive to build close relationships as an OEM and a customer when we engage with our partners. What we want to do is make sure that we're a customer of choice. Our volumes are low, so we've got to build those close relationships and carefully select partners and suppliers that share our dream. We seek partners who want to be a part of what we're doing in our mission to make space accessible for everyone and to be able to have on-demand research opportunities in space.
“The other piece of that is to watch our peer communities to see what they're learning and doing. I say peer communities and not competitors, because that's a really good way to think of it. Our model for what Virgin Galactic is doing in space varies very much from some of the other commercial companies out there. There's an opportunity to learn from each other and how we are all approaching problems or addressing technology concerns. We feel that
“AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR FLEET, WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEEK OUT SUPPLIERS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE WITH US IN BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE AND FOLLOWING OUR MISSION”
success alongside those other entities comes together for the benefit of all involved. The goal is to foster an open environment where we can have an exchange of ideas for a better outcome altogether.”
Turning our attention to the future of Virgin Galactic, Lisa shares her insights from the supply chain side of the business into the company’s next-generation Delta class vehicles and the new spaceship production facility in Arizona where the final assembly of these vehicles will take place.
The Delta class spaceship is Virgin Galactic’s latest production vehicle that is designed to fly two to three times per week, supporting the company’s target of 400 flights per year from Spaceport America. Based on current schedules, the first of these ships is expected to commence flight test in late 2025, progressing to revenue-generating flights in 2026.
“For us, it's about looking at the total cost analysis and understanding the lifecycle of what we're building,” explains Lisa. “It's about understanding what we've done successfully and iterating from these foundations. We look at how we are engaging in our advanced technology development, alongside optimising proven technologies that are already out there.
“With the Delta class vehicles, we are looking to optimise for maintainability and longevity, with the ability to turn them around in a timely fashion. Ideally, we're looking for systems that are going to reflect the total lifecycle of the new vehicles. If we were building the Delta class vehicles to ship them out as a product, we would have to consider the aftermarket space as well.
“But with our business model, we are the aftermarket space and we ultimately operate our own vehicles – so we must consider the longevity of the Delta class vehicles when we make decisions with our suppliers or how we incorporate technology. We're striving for very tight tolerances and high-end quality outcomes for our mechanical systems and composite materials because we want them to last the same lifecycle as that vehicle. This
is the biggest advance between what we're flying today successfully and what we're going to be flying in the future.
“By building the Delta class vehicles with longevity, quality and maintainability in mind, we are working towards the ultimate final outputs of creating incredible research opportunities and customer experiences.”
Alongside deploying the new Delta class vehicles this year, Virgin Galactic is also opening a new spaceship manufacturing facility to produce them. Located in Mesa in the Greater Phoenix area, adjacent to the PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport, the facility will bring highly skilled aerospace engineering and manufacturing jobs to the area.
“We're thrilled to be opening the new facility in Phoenix,” says Lisa. “The facility is sized to be able to build upwards of six spacecraft in a given
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“WE ALL BELIEVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND MAKING THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE A REALITY FOR EVERYONE”
year and we cannot wait to open our doors later this year.”
Beyond these two exciting developments, Lisa adds that fleet expansion and seeking new suppliers will be essential to the future of Virgin Galactic from the supply chain side of the business.
“As we continue to expand our fleet, we will also continue to seek out suppliers who want to engage with us in building for the future and following our mission,” says Lisa. “As we learn from the Delta class test flights and start putting them into operation, it will be a question of nurturing our partnership ecosystem, building new relationships and developing our hardware and operations.
“We'll continue to partner with those suppliers that can help us build on what we have from the design perspective, working with companies that have either cutting-edge technology or highend quality output offerings, and who
are as excited as we are to look for iterative improvements – whether that is generated by weight savings or an ability to offer new and advanced technology to researchers.
“In the coming years, we will be asking how do we capitalise on those types of innovative offerings in our future. And what does that mean for the supply chain? Where can we explore feedback from our researchers? How can we expand the fleet and our operations even more while taking a look at future international opportunities?”
Wrapping up our conversation, Lisa rounds off the discussion by highlighting the major achievements at Virgin Galactic in recent years.
“Virgin Galactic has been able to achieve some tremendous milestones
as a company, and the effect that we've had on our customers and astronauts has been profound,” beams Lisa. “We've had 11 space flights thus far and we've just
completed our sixth and seventh commercial spaceflights.
“We are breaking down barriers and when we say ‘Space for All’
as a business, we mean it – and our efforts towards inclusion are phenomenal.
“From sending the first astronauts from countries like Antigua, that have never been to space, to sending the first Olympian and second person with Parkinson’s disease, we are helping people to realise that profound childhood dream of going to space and reaching the stars. One of the achievements which resonates most with me is when we coordinated a galactic flight with the most women flown in a single space mission.
“Before, people saw space as something reserved for the top percentile of the human population. But with our work, that’s not the case anymore.
“It is an honour to be involved with growing our team and bringing talent to Virgin Galactic, seeking people that are also very excited about striving towards that mission – it is something that keeps us going every day.
“Let's face it, getting to space is hard. This is not easy stuff. And we've got some extremely intelligent and talented engineers, technology staff, planners and certainly from my team, experienced professionals in the supply chain that are ready to tackle issues and seize opportunities. We all believe in what we're doing and making the seemingly impossible a reality for everyone.”
For further information about Virgin Galactic, visit virgingalactic.com.
“For me personally, this is a huge driver for why I want to be a part of the experience at Virgin Galactic and see the company succeed because I truly believe in our mission. It doesn't matter how many space flights I've seen, every time I witness it, the phenomenon still gives me the chills. To be able to see the joy on the faces of the individuals who are experiencing it themselves, it’s incredibly touching to see it all unfold and know that my team and I had a part in making it happen.
Turn over for Added Value with Lisa.
ADDED VALUE
Connecting with the past to appreciate the present
Lisa has always had a passion for history, and she is particularly interested in the evolution of technology and the impact this has on our lifestyles.
“I’m in that generation where we’re used to having cell phones and being able to communicate at any given moment, but when I grew up there was no such thing,” says Lisa. “Sometimes it’s easy to take the technology available to us for granted and forget what life was like without it.
“If we look at emerging technologies over the last 100 years there are so many inspiring stories to draw strength from. Personally, this resonates with me because it deeply applies to what we’re doing at Virgin Galactic since we’re a product of evolving technologies in the past century.
“Before automobiles were all around us, people believed the ‘horseless carriage’ would never take off since the infrastructure and technology
Lisa has a busy schedule ahead of her for the remainder of 2024 with the supply chain team working full steam ahead on the next-generation Delta class vehicles and opening the new spaceship manufacturing facility in Calendar
“As recently as the 1940s and 1950s, very few people could experience air travel and that was the norm. Now a journey that might have taken days or weeks at sea can be completed in a few hours.
“Expectations change as technology evolves and this inspires me in my role at Virgin Galactic. Looking to the future, we are working towards redefining space travel to become part of everyday human life. Right now, it might be hard to wrap our heads around this prospect. But I find it helpful to look back at history, putting myself in the shoes of those individuals who were part of new waves of technologies which totally changed their outlooks. I get a lot of my inspiration by contemplating the dreams of our forebears and marvelling at how they came to fruition.”
Arizona. However, she is very much looking forward to attending the Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing & R&D Summit hosted by the Marcus Evans Group on June 24-25, 2024 in Westlake Village, California. weren’t widely available. Now we take roads, gas stations and cars for granted.
Connect with Lisa
Follow Virgin Galactic:
“I am excited to be attending because Marcus Evans brings together high-level industry leaders and decision-makers, so in terms of the relationships you can forge there, you know you’ll be meeting top-tier suppliers and future partners,” says Lisa.
Pfizer:
Celebrating 175 years of history
A closer look at the leading pharmaceutical company’s legacy – and a glimpse into its future.
Pfizer recently celebrated its 175year anniversary, marking the company’s innovative achievements and commitment to help shape the future of global healthcare.
oday, we’re reflecting on the company’s significant contributions made in the global and regional medical landscapes, and looking ahead at what is yet to come.
Last year, Pfizer helped more than 45 million patients and completed 32 successful launches across the Middle East, Russia and Africa (MERA). The pharmaceutical leader also reached out to around 15,000 patients through 30 patient access programmes available in 11 countries across the region.
Pfizer has also pioneered several industry advancements through
“As we come together to mark this momentous milestone, today is an opportunity to acknowledge the endless global breakthroughs we have led over the past 175 years”
Patrick van der Loo, Regional President of Pfizer MERA
government collaborations. These include the partnership with Haya Karima in Egypt, collaborations with the Ministry of Health in Morocco to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and enhance the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) landscape in Morocco and more recently, a collaboration with the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi
to advance research through the generation and analysis of real-world data focusing on rare diseases such as Sickle Cell Disease.
“As we come together to mark this momentous milestone, today is an opportunity to acknowledge the endless global breakthroughs we
have led over the past 175 years and the immense contributions that we have made to the regional medical landscape over the last 65 years,” says Patrick van der Loo, Regional President of Pfizer MERA. “We are incredibly honoured to partner with public sector leaders and to be strategic contributors in driving national healthcare agendas
forward, bringing innovative treatments to those who need them wherever they are.
“As we look back at all our great accomplishments, we are simultaneously looking ahead with the same momentum and renewed commitment to further paving the way for medical excellence. I am
“Pfizer has spearheaded clinical trials on a global level to bring the most advanced and effective treatments to the market”
Yasser El Dershaby, Vice President and Regional Medical Lead at Pfizer MERA
confident that the best is yet to come from Pfizer, and I am excited to see how our scientists, researchers and employees will continue to deliver breakthroughs that will change patients' lives in the region and beyond.”
Pfizer's recent acquisition of global biotech company Seagen marked the beginning of a strategic focal shift towards oncology with cancer continuing to be a leading cause of death around the world. This has boosted Pfizer's oncology capabilities significantly, with a portfolio now comprising 50+ programmes in development. The company has dedicated 40% of total Research and Development investments towards oncology
while also partnering across the oncology community to maximise accessibility of cancer treatments.
Looking ahead, Pfizer is poised to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance patient outcomes, further expand its oncology offerings and increase vaccine accessibility across the region and beyond. The company aims to have 35 launches across MERA in 2024 and remains committed to
enhancing patient access through various access programmes and partnerships to improve patient care and foster economic growth.
“Pfizer has spearheaded clinical trials on a global level to bring the most advanced and effective treatments to the market,” says Yasser El Dershaby, Vice President and Regional Medical Lead at Pfizer MERA. “Recently, we saw phenomenal results during the third phase of our CROWN trial
evaluating Lorlatinib – a lung cancer treatment in people with previously untreated, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
“As we embark on a new chapter, we look forward to driving even more innovations in the pharmaceutical industry to benefit more people across the region and beyond. Our focus is on clinical excellence and medical innovation through
continued research and development efforts.
“We are eager to strengthen our partnership network, leverage cutting-edge technologies, and introduce new products to push the boundaries of what's possible in the field of health and wellness and ensure our offerings reach all those who need them.”
Source: Pfizer
Driving platform unification
THROUGH DIGITALISATION
Jess Bech, VP of Customer Service, Operations and Digitalisation at Norlys sits down with us to explore how the company prioritises digitalisation to serve its cooperative owners and customers.
ith 4,600 employees and 3.5 million customer relationships, Norlys is Denmark’s largest integrated energy and telecommunications group. Owned by more than 800,000 cooperative members, the company supplies energy, charging points, internet, TV and mobile services across Denmark. In addition to owning Denmark’s
largest fibre network, Norlys recently acquired Telia Denmark thereby securing half of the country’s largest mobile network.
The company has also prioritised sustainable initiatives, holding the majority shares in green and circular industrial park GreenLab, as well as leading developer of
DIGITALISATION AT NORLYS unification
solar and wind farms Eurowind Energy.
Joining us today to discuss Norlys’ work in streamlining its back-end platforms through digital innovation is Jess Bech, VP of Customer Service, Operations and Digitalisation.
To begin, Jess explores how Norlys’ customer ownership helps guide innovation within the company.
“We are a cooperative,” says Jess. “That means we are owned by a network of the households directly connected to our energy infrastructure and an elected representative group that the Board of Directors actually reports to. This makes a significant difference in terms of how value is created and kept within the cooperative. So we’re not owned by a foundation or even shareholders. Instead, we are required to be owned by our connected community and because of this dynamic, we’ve been on quite a journey in the past year.”
The journey so far has involved 47 mergers and acquisitions of internet and TV companies, leading to a process of amalgamating these companies with a unified back-end platform into one user-friendly hub.
“There are very few similarities between the various internet and TV providers we have been purchasing and acquiring,” says Jess. “So there’s a huge network of legacy systems to unify. Norlys is the friend that connects all the previous known brands, and
building up our brand awareness has been crucial.”
To address the complexity involved in integrating the diverse companies and services under its remit, Norlys is embracing digitalisation to propel the company forward.
“We’ve been investing heavily in the renewal of our core platforms on both the internet/TV and energy components of the company,” says Jess. “This has helped us prepare for our upcoming digital innovation. Of course, it would have been nice to carry out some of the consumerdirected, front-end transformations earlier – but the logic and data we need to put forward to the consumers is reliant on the back-end platforms we are now putting in place.
“This has been a massive undertaking of moving more than 600,000 internet and TV customers from four different billing systems, seven different networks and 35 CPE types into one system. But these changes provide us with the ability to actually do the digital transformation which should dramatically improve the customer experience.”
To expedite this process, Norlys has worked in close collaboration with Danish IT consultancy Netcompany.
“We’ve been working on getting customers into a unified back-end system across the internet divisions we have purchased, and that’s an ongoing process. This is a part of what
Netcompany is now helping us out with. They’ve utilised their experience in this field, which is comprehensive and very impressive.
“Netcompany has recently begun focusing more on platform solutions, completely reutilising their work approach and tooling. This is why we continue to work with them – they’re there for us, and they’re super skilled in driving transformation programmes.
“WE’VE BEEN USING NETCOMPANY FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO SO BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE CROSS-INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE THAT IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR COMPANY TO SUCCEED”
Transforming the Energy & Utilities Sector For Future Needs
With fast-changing consumer behavior, companies providing energy and utility services need an equally robust and future-ready platform to meet new customer demands, in addition to maintaining an already complex system.
Based on decades of experience in working with consumer-facing services, Netcompany has developed a safe, efficient, and cost-effective platform, PULSE, that transforms siloed legacy systems and prepares organisations for the use of new machine learning and AI-powered solutions.
Enabling better process and workflow digitisation to improve business efficiency, PULSE has proven success in de-risking transformation projects across energy, utilities, logistics, and other critical infrastructure environments. At its core, PULSE can simultaneously process and translate millions of unstructured data from multiple inputs to enable and simplify real-time decision-making.
Read more about PULSE and our other platforms at netcompany.com.
“KMD IS HELPING US INNOVATE WITHIN A PERIOD OF HUGE TRANSITION. IT’S A SIGNIFICANT MIGRATION, AND VERY TECHNICALLY COMPLEX”
These aren’t transformations that we do every day as a company at Norlys, but they are what Netcompany do as a living, so they have become very experienced with them. They have the tooling, they have the methodology, they have the structure.
“To some extent, Netcompany is solution-agnostic, as they’re able to tap into different scenarios seamlessly. They are super structured and offer an agile methodology that they can roll out for us. We’ve been using them for a long time, and we’ll continue to do so because they provide crossindustry knowledge that is crucial for our company to succeed, allowing us to focus on our primary targets. I consider them not just a vendor, but a digital transformation partner.”
On the energy side of things, Norlys is working on a new billing solution in collaboration with KMD, one of Denmark’s leading IT and software companies.
“KMD is helping us innovate within a period of huge transition,” says Jess. “It’s a significant migration, and very technically complex. Our aim is to provide consumers with more information and insights into the energy that they’re using, when they’re storing and producing it and
what percentage of that is green energy – and therefore cheap energy.
“Right now, we’re looking at minimising capital expenditure (CapEx) spend and driving consumer behaviour in a more sustainable direction. To do that, we need to ensure there’s a higher degree of green energy flowing into the system, and make sure that this is happening in a transparent way that customers are able to understand. KMD has been such an important partner for us throughout this process because they represent the entire value chain, which is paramount for being present in this industry. They’re also able to provide us with consistent support.
“To facilitate such a complex transformation, we need to understand the work other energy companies are doing globally. We’ve looked at what Octopus Energy has done in the British market and how they have acquired customers. There’s also Tibber, which holds a huge portion of the market in Sweden and is gaining market value with simple services that are easy to understand, in a market that’s traditionally very conservative.
“In order to support that type of transformation here, Netcompany
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and KMD have been so important for us to have as technology partners, because they can help push us forward to succeed and develop the technologies we need.
“These two partners in particular are extremely important for us as a company. They have provided us with the best-in-class technology implementation, and I have no doubt that the way they run it is paramount to our success. Our growth could have stagnated if we weren’t working with the right partners, because a partnership is a huge investment that can be catastrophic if not run by people who know what they’re doing.”
For Norlys, a significant growth area has been using new technologies
to provide customers with a more personalised and cost-effective service.
“No two people’s internet and energy usage is the same,” says Jess. “And our service embraces that. For example, you could be a family of four and one member of the family is a gamer, meaning that they’re online constantly. This could be dramatically different to another four-person family’s internet usage.
“Part of what AI and big data do for us is they allow us to monitor consumers' usage on a personal level and build a profile from that information. By tapping into those customer journeys and usage scenarios, we can support customers more effectively.
“In particular, we can monitor their energy usage and even tell them if any household items seem like they’re using too much energy compared to their normal usage levels.
“This also helps us better understand customer’s pain points. We can now see that 85% of customers requiring support have the same queries regarding usage, payments and billing. For instance, we consistently see customers needing help with their payment method failing, or not understanding their bill. With these specific problems, we’ve been spending a lot of time digitising these transactions through AI and robotics.
“We have more than 600,000 customer transactions across our entire business each month, and over two-thirds of these are supported by AI and robotics, freeing up our agents. If a consumer contacts our customer support and says they have a problem with their energy bill, we can direct them to an agent who can solve their problem. But if it’s something more straightforward, like a customer not understanding their bill, our AI chatbots are more than capable of dealing with that issue. We introduced AI supported actions six months ago, and it’s been accelerating rapidly.”
One of the biggest benefits of developing these new systems, Jess
explains, is that they foster a sense of trust for the customer.
“We’ve been getting language models in place to rectify poor textto-speech translation,” says Jess.
“With this, we record the customer calls and summarise the pain point into three or four bullet points, and then the agent loads it into the system. This provides us with an extremely accurate summary of what has been said and done, which the next agent can see. So if a customer has multiple issues, they are able to see what the customer was talking about last time they were in contact and directly work with that.
“We want to know you as a customer, and we prove that we know you by how we engage with you, while also selling you the right service or
solution at the right time – based on your profile and your pain points. We’re not interested in selling you something you don’t need. We’re not overselling, but we are relevantly selling. And what we offer you is based on what we think you need when we compare you to similar profiles in our customer base.
“This has been a huge transformation in what we do, and a huge change in the way our operators work and support consumers. We’re just starting this process, but it is extremely promising, it works well, and it works very fast.”
Looking ahead, Jess hopes Norlys will become even more streamlined, and continue to increase its focus on sustainability throughout the company.
“I genuinely believe that every mobile customer we have recently acquired deserves an internet, TV and energy solution from Norlys,” says Jess. “And my goal is to make sure that they will be treated with those types of solutions. From a corporate perspective, there’s a focus on company growth here, but there’s also a focus on the green transition.
“If you come home with your electric vehicle (EV) then we can recharge the battery into the home, or use your solar panels. We transfer the energy into the battery and offload it into the grid at times when it needs energy, we charge it when we have enough or too much.
“We are working to support the average consumer and their behaviour, so we need solutions that are convenient for ordinary people. A big part of this transition is done through digital transformation – AI, big data tools and robotics. We’re very focused on investing in these technologies right now.
“The next phase is helping consumers better understand their energy consumption and what they could save or gain by using it in a different way. For instance, exchanging their refrigerator or buying an electric car. We need to balance this network as a whole. We want to bring the community together, and the only way to do that is through digitisation and AI.”
Learn more about Norlys here.
ADDED VALUE
TECHNOLOGY AND THE GREEN TRANSITION
“I believe that the only way to solve the environmental crisis is through technology, and more specifically AI,” says Jess. “And it can help in ways you may not necessarily expect. From working within the energy sector, I know that people often overcharge their electric vehicles. If you’re driving 100 kilometres per day, maximum, and you’ve got 600 kilometres on the battery – then you don’t need to charge it every day. But people do, because that’s the easy thing to do. But AI can check your calendar, your personal agenda and your habits, and charge your EV in a more efficient way. I really do think that there is a lot of hope for electric vehicles and sustainable technology, and this is the way to embrace it.”
Connect with Jess
"The team were professional and diligent throughout"
Leigh Feaviour, CTIO for BT’s Supply Chain
"Absolute pleasure working with the Digital Innovation team"
Mun Valiji, Chief Information Security Officer at Sainsbury’s
"A highly professional approach"
Andy Brierley, Vice President, Cloud Application Modernisation at IBM
"Digital innovation Magazine is a very flexible and professional team"
Kim Larsen CTIO, T-Mobile Netherlands
A closer look at S&P’s latest scalable credit risk solution
Newly launched solution from S&P Global Market Intelligence enables navigation of sectors across low to high probabilities of default including utilities, energy, communications services and consumer discretionary.
RiskGauge™ Desktop – the solution created by S&P Global Market Intelligence – is designed to help credit professionals effectively manage and monetise credit risk across volatility levels, geographies and sectors.
s a leading global provider of analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets, information services and solutions provider S&P Global Market Intelligence’s primary goal is to help the world's leading organisations navigate the economic landscape.
With this objective in mind, the company has recently announced the launch of
RiskGauge™ Desktop, a scalable solution designed to streamline the credit risk assessment workflows of corporations of all scopes and sizes.
RiskGauge™ Desktop combines deep credit expertise, S&P Capital IQ's extensive data assets, cutting edge analytics and an intuitive user workflow to provide credit professionals with a clear, tailored view of their credit risk exposures.
“RiskGauge™ reports for more than 50 million companies with detailed historical performance and key developments”
The key features of this solution include:
• Proprietary scoring methodology combining market, financial and business risk inputs to offer a more accurate read on entity and portfolio risks.
• An innovative model combining financial, business and market risk for millions of companies with the option of macroeconomic scenario, qualitative adjustment and loss given default overlays, to provide a more comprehensive view of risk.
• At-a-glance view of critical entity and portfolio risk, enabling quicker action through early warning signals.
• Ability to view customer trends
“Bringing our vast credit data, advanced analytics and real-time portfolio surveillance into a single desktop application optimises complex credit risk management for any organisation”
Whit McGraw, Head of Credit and Risk Solutions, S&P Global Market Intelligence.
and stratify risk by country, industry and risk scores and analysis across key segments and peer groups, allowing for the identification of potential risk hot spots.
• RiskGauge™ reports for more than 50 million companies with detailed historical performance and key developments.
• Access to S&P Capital IQ extensive data assets, including financial statements for over 12 million public and private companies, news, key developments, ownership and transactions data.
“Bringing our vast credit data, advanced analytics and real-time
“Our goal was to build a product that forms the backbone for sustainable growth
for
organisations of all sizes and levels of sophistication, especially important in today's dynamic market environment”
Whit McGraw, Head of Credit and Risk Solutions, S&P Global Market Intelligence
portfolio surveillance into a single desktop application optimises complex credit risk management for any organisation,” says Whit McGraw, Head of Credit and Risk Solutions, S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“RiskGauge™ Desktop provides data-based insights that help credit leaders mitigate risk, identify new opportunities and enhance their overall credit risk management
capabilities. Our goal was to build a product that forms the backbone for sustainable growth for organisations of all sizes and levels of sophistication, especially important in today's dynamic market environment.”
You can learn more about RiskGauge™ Desktop here.
Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence
DIVE INTO THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT THE UK’S LARGEST WATER COMPANY
John Brocking, Chief Information Officer of Thames Water describes placing customers and the environment at the core of the company’s digital transformation and technology strategies.
TRANSFORMATION
THAMES WATER IS THE
UK’S LARGEST WATER AND WASTEWATER COMPANY, SERVING AROUND 16 MILLION CUSTOMERS ACROSS LONDON, THE THAMES VALLEY & THE HOME COUNTIES.
very day the company supplies 2.6bn litres of fresh drinking water through 20,000 miles of pipes and removes 4.6bn litres of wastewater through over 70,000 miles of sewers.
Today we are speaking to John Brocking, Chief Information Officer of Thames Water to discuss the innovation and technology underpinning the company’s services.
“In my role as Chief Information Officer, I oversee our digital transformation, ensuring our people have the right digital tools to better serve our customers, communities and the environment,” begins John.
“Customers are at the heart of our digital transformation as we focus on the turnaround of the
“ONE
HUGE SUCCESS WAS
IMPROVING OUR HOME MOVERS' JOURNEY. WE STREAMLINED THIS PROCESS BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH SAP – ONE OF OUR CORE CRM SYSTEMS –
IMPROVING IT FOR COLLEAGUES AND CUSTOMERS”
business to deliver better customer journeys. We must get the basics right from the get-go, whether that’s customers accessing their bills online or providing excellent service on the phone.
“Technology underpins almost every interaction that we have with our customers, so our colleagues need the best systems to deliver a better experience. That’s why we’re investing in the technology used by colleagues and customers and streamlining digital journeys.
“If we can provide a better service from the word go, we will increase
customer satisfaction and reduce complaints – many of our digital tools underpin customers’ experience with us.”
So how does Thames Water approach improving customer journeys and experiences?
“Improving customers’ digital journeys with us has been a key focus for the business,” says John. “One huge success was improving our home movers' journey. We streamlined this process by working closely with SAP – one of our core CRM systems – improving it for colleagues and customers. We worked together
“OUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS INTEGRAL TO OUR PLANS TO TURNAROUND THAMES WATER AND WE’RE REALLY EXCITED FOR WHAT’S AHEAD”
to re-design screens and created built-in automated workflows. Overall, we’ve been able to leverage SAP’s technical advances to support our customers as we work to deliver a better service.
“We’ve also increased capability and functionality online, introducing reporting tools where people can easily log a leak or sewer fault. We’ve paid special attention to ensuring the tools are mobilefriendly, as we’ve seen a rise in the number of customers accessing the internet or digital services in this way.”
Looking beyond the customerfacing side of the business, John explains another key focus for Thames Water has been the deployment of digital transformation behind the scenes, in the operations and maintenance side of the company. Here, John highlights
“WE’VE WORKED WITH VODAFONE TO FIT INTERNET BOOSTERS IN OUR VANS AND AT SOME OF OUR SITES. THE VAN BOOSTERS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE TO FIELD ENGINEERS WHO CAN HOTSPOT THEIR DEVICES WHEN VISITING CUSTOMERS”
how Thames Water has improved its connectivity capacity with technological innovation.
“Internet and network connectivity have been key to many of our technical advances, whether it’s collecting data to locate leaks or making sure our engineers have internet access when out on the road or on-site,” explains John.
“Many of our digital services, rely on an internet connection. This isn’t a
problem in densely populated areas such as greater London, which is well connected. The challenge comes further afield in the more rural parts of our supply area.
“Our people need to be able to access the internet on the go. Whether they are accessing our systems to log a repair job or reporting back on maintenance checks. Some of our field engineers reported that they were having to travel to connect to wifi to log updates. This is where
our partnership with Vodafone has played a critical role.
“We’ve worked with Vodafone to fit internet boosters in our vans and at some of our sites. The van boosters have been invaluable to field engineers who can hotspot their devices when visiting customers.
“Our smart meter rollout is another great example of investing in connectivity, with the devices giving our customers greater control over their water bills.”
According to John, working with high-calibre specialist partners where needed to develop in-house capabilities has been fundamental
to the digital transformation at Thames Water.
“We work collaboratively with our digital partners, with many of our relationships helping us to think differently and act differently,” says John. “With both SAP and Vodafone, we've run innovation days with them which really helps our digital teams to understand what is taking place outside of our sector.”
Reflecting on the success of the digital transformation at Thames Water so far, John looks ahead to the coming years with excitement and enthusiasm for what’s in store at the company.
“Our digital transformation is integral to our plans to turnaround Thames Water and we’re really excited for what’s ahead,” says John. “In January 2023, we launched our EDM map and were the first water company to provide a live view for all untreated discharges. This ‘near real-time’ data is available to customers and the general public as a map on our website and is also available through an open data platform for third parties, such as swimming and environmental groups, to use.
“We’re committed to delivering improvements that protect the environment. We’ve recently upgraded our digital tools to create a metrics-focused dashboard, which has helped us to prioritise and focus on environmentally critical work across our waste assets. This has enabled colleagues to take a proactive approach to prevent pollution incidents.
“In the last year, we have also introduced WhatsApp as a new platform for customers to communicate with us, directly from their mobile, and we’re continuing to improve this communications channel based on customer feedback.”
To learn more, visit thameswater.co.uk.
ADDED VALUE
RECOMMENDED VIEWING
“I think our recent OnTap episode, which shows how our Retail Customer Team are hard at work, is well worth a watch,” says John.
COOPERATION
“I am really pleased with the collaborations that we have at Thames Water with the technology teams across the water industry,” shares John. “We have regular conversations where we discuss innovation, lessons learned and industry trends.”
Olympus and HCLTech expand engineering and R&D partnership
Dedicated product innovation centre in Hyderabad, India announced to advance Olympus’ global product innovation journey in partnership with HCLTech.
HCLTech, a leading global technology company, and Olympus Corporation (Olympus), a global MedTech company, have expanded their strategic partnership to enable advanced and affordable healthcare for patients through cutting-edge engineering technologies.
HCLTech will leverage its global leadership in engineering and R&D services along with artificial intelligence (AI) based solutions to provide speed and scale to Olympus’ global product development journey.
HCLTech will establish a dedicated product innovation centre in Hyderabad, India to serve Olympus’ operations across US, Europe, Middle East and Africa. The centre is expected to commence operations this month and
boost Olympus’ business expansion plans and drive advancements in medical technology.
Olympus and HCLTech share a decade-long partnership in core engineering and R&D, spanning product engineering, software engineering, product sustenance, risk and regulatory services. HCLTech serves Olympus from its global delivery centres in India and Vietnam.
“It is with great pleasure and excitement that we
announce this agreement with HCLTech, with whom we share a decade-long partnership in core Engineering and R&D services. I am confident that our collaboration will enhance Olympus’ engineering capabilities and unlock new innovations that enable quality healthcare through technology,” says André Roggan, Chief Technology Officer, Olympus.
“HCLTech is focused on bringing together the best of technology and its people to supercharge progress for its clients. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Olympus, adding tangible value to its new product development and growth with our expertise in MedTech product engineering,” says Hari Sadarahalli, Corporate Vice
“I am confident that our collaboration will enhance Olympus’ engineering capabilities and unlock new innovations that enable quality healthcare through technology”
André Roggan, Chief Technology Officer, Olympus
“We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Olympus, adding tangible value to its new product development and growth with our expertise in MedTech product engineering”
Hari Sadarahalli, Corporate Vice President and Head of Engineering and R&D Services, HCLTech
President and Head of Engineering and R&D Services, HCLTech.
HCLTech is partner to more than 100 of the top 250 engineering R&D spenders globally. The company has been ranked #1 engineering services provider in Everest Group’s 2023 PEAK Matrix Provider of the Year™ Awards and rated a leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Software Engineering Services 2023 Vendor Assessment.
Turn over to find out more about Olympus and HCLTech
Source: HCLTech and Olympus
At Olympus, we are committed to Our Purpose of making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. As a global medical technology company, we partner with healthcare professionals to provide best-in-class solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has pursued the goal of contributing to society by producing products designed with the purpose of delivering optimal outcomes for its customers around the world.
For more information, visit olympus-global.com.
HCLTech
HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 227,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centred around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending March 2024 totalled $13.3bn.
To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com.
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Apple Developer Academy introduces new AI training
The new curriculum will benefit Apple Developer Academy students and alumni worldwide.
Apple recently announced that it will train all Apple Developer Academy students and mentors on technologies and tools that take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI).
pple Developer Academy alumni will also have the opportunity to take part in this training.
The new core curriculum will be provided to thousands of students and alumni across 18 Developer Academies in six countries as the academy continues to increase opportunities for developers, designers and entrepreneurs looking to embark on careers in the growing iOS app economy and beyond.
A dedicated curriculum on AI joins the academy’s programme as a foundational skill, extending essential competencies in coding, professional skills, design and marketing that are offered around the world and aim to help students learn important skills to contribute to their local businesses and communities. The curriculum also incorporates Apple’s values throughout coursework, encouraging students to design inclusively and make a positive impact in the world.
Beginning this autumn, every Apple Developer Academy student will benefit from a custom-built curriculum that teaches them how to build, train and deploy machine
learning models across Apple devices. Courses will include the fundamentals of AI technologies and frameworks, core ML and its ability to deliver fast performance on Apple devices
and guidance on how to build and train AI models from the ground up. Students will learn from a guided curriculum and project-based assignments that include assistance from
hundreds of mentors and more than 12,000 academy alumni worldwide.
With the introduction of new technologies, students will also
“At Apple, we see coding as a universal language and believe in empowering developers, creators and entrepreneurs across the world with tools and technologies that will allow them to create phenomenal experiences”
Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations
have even more access to tools that empower them to build exceptional projects and apps. This includes Xcode 16, which sets a new standard for developer productivity. These features and performance enhancements also include Swift Assist, which serves as a companion for all of a developer’s coding tasks, and easily allows students to explore new frameworks and experiment with new ideas. Additionally, Swift 6 introduces new capabilities aimed at enhancing code clarity and making concurrent programming easier.
“With the introduction of a curriculum dedicated to AI and other new technologies, we’re excited to see what students will build to share with their communities and the world”
Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations
“At Apple, we see coding as a universal language and believe in empowering developers, creators and entrepreneurs across the world with tools and technologies that will allow them to create phenomenal experiences,” says Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice
President of Worldwide Developer Relations. “With the introduction of a curriculum dedicated to AI and other new technologies, we’re excited to see what students will build to share with their communities and the world.”
Source: Apple.
How leading AI solution provider Spoon Guru is transforming the retail experience for people with diverse dietary needs.
he UK-based startup Spoon Guru was born from a frustration at the lack of intelligent commerce solutions for people with food allergies.
Founders Markus Stripf, Tim Allen and Simon O’Regan wanted to create a tool that could optimise the retail experience after their own experiences struggling to find options that fit their dietary needs.
Today, Spoon Guru is a leading provider of innovative AI solutions for grocery retail, specialising in nutrition. By combining AI and machine learning with evidence-based science from its in-house team of nutritionists, Spoon Guru helps
retailers and food businesses deliver personalised shopping experiences for customers with food allergies and intolerances.
With a mission to make food discovery simpler and more accessible, the company is revolutionising how people find products and inspiration for meals that meet their health and dietary needs.
The company’s AI solutions – including personalised food recommendations, tailored recipe suggestions, interactive meal-prepping tools and inventory management – are underscored by its dedication to ethical practices within AI. Spoon Guru is committed to the goals of the “Me-We-It: The Open Standard for Responsible AI” and is striving to create small and specialised language models to provide well-supported answers.
Spoon Guru is also continuously investing in training its data to include peer-reviewed research and trusted nutritional databases, ensuring the use of evidence-based information and meticulous curation.
“Here at Spoon Guru, we're driven by a relentless commitment to harnessing the power of technology to transform the food industry”
Shruti
One of the guiding principles at Spoon Guru is to offer a complete overhaul in the way consumers discover and engage with food. The company’s advanced machine learning algorithms enable relevant and accurate food recommendations tailored to each individual's unique dietary preferences, restrictions and health goals. This approach not only enhances the shopping experience but also empowers consumers to make more informed and healthier food choices, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.
Looking ahead to the future, the team at SpoonGuru hopes to expand beyond retail and into other verticals like CPG, catering and hospitality. Overall, the
company hopes to extend its offering to not only grocery retailers but every touch point where food is bought and sold.
“Here at Spoon Guru, we're driven by a relentless commitment to harnessing the power of technology to transform the food industry,” says Shruti Chawla Reed, VP of Marketing at Spoon Guru. “Every day presents new challenges and opportunities, and it's our unwavering dedication to innovation and excellence that propels us forward. Together, we're shaping the future of food discovery and making a meaningful impact on the lives of millions worldwide.”
Learn more about Spoon Guru at spoon.guru.