INNOVATION - February 2025

ELLIOTT SELLER

Head of Connected Home, Innovation & Product Partnerships (CHIP) on 40 years of advancing the telco industry at Vodafone UK.

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the February bumper edition of INNOVATION Magazine!

e have a stellar line-up for you this month and are thrilled to share seven exclusive interviews in this year's first edition, starting 2025 with a bang.

Let’s collaborate…

For our cover interview, I have the pleasure of chatting with Elliott Seller, Head of Connected Home, Innovation & Product Partnerships (CHIP) at Vodafone UK to discuss the company’s forty-year heritage of innovation. We dive into the technologies, trends and strategies propelling the business forward, focusing on Vodafone UK’s superfast connectivity and wider developments in the telecoms industry (

Innovation Magazine is a specialist technology platform with over 166,700+ readers.

Ben Garner, Head of Logistics Development & Standards at construction materials giant Tarmac, joins me to discuss the company’s sustainable solutions and the role of logistics in facilitating them. Ben also shares his insights into how Tarmac is forging new partnerships to facilitate transformation in the construction industry

Our community consists of C, V and D level executives from a wide range of industries. A unique blend of thought leadership interviews and features that cover digital transformation, cloud & cyber, enterprise IT, artificial intelligence, machine learning and sustainability.

I speak to Roberto De Paolis, Head of Digital Security & Security Operations at Leonardo in an exclusive Q&A about his career journey and the company’s security strategy (

Erik Bosman, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Cerus, offers his insights on building the company’s global supply chain and fostering innovation in the high-stakes medical industry – where the ultimate aim is to safeguard the world’s blood supply (

Tim Fell, Vice President of Networking Technology and Services and Brian Lakey, Vice President of Service Reliability Center at TELUS elaborate on the company’s approach to transforming the telecoms landscape in

I welcome Dean Garvey-North, Chief Information Officer and Faye England, Head of Transformation at Affinity Water, who share how the company is embracing emerging technologies, enhancing customer experiences, driving sustainability, and reshaping the future of water supply (

Rounding off the interviews in this edition, Markus Weiss, President and CFO at Miltenyi Biotec North America sits down with me for a Q&A about leadership, driving innovation and delivering transformative results (

In our global tech features this month, we cover the UK government launch of the Female Founders Initiative ), five AI projects redefining healthcare ( ) and Trojan Battery’s centennial (

Last but by no means least, our Startup of the Month is Sano Genetics – the biotech research innovator accelerating the process of clinical trials in precision medicine (

We hope you enjoy our latest edition. As always, if you would like to be considered as an interviewee or if you have a story for us, please do get in touch.

editorial@ithink.media

We sit down with Elliott Seller to discuss Vodafone UK’s innovation strategy

Garner explains logistics in facilitating solutions at Tarmac

Q&A with De Paolis of Leonardo

cohort of the Initiative

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Trojan Battery celebrates 100 years of innovation

Erik Bosman on innovating in the highly regulated medical industry at Cerus

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In the company of… Markus Weiss Dean Garvey-North and Faye England outline how emerging technologies are enhancing customer experience at Affinity Water 100 the role of facilitating sustainable

Tim Fell and Brian Lakey on transforming Canada’s digital future at TELUS

Elliott Seller, Head of Connected Home, Innovation & Product Partnerships (CHIP) at Vodafone UK discusses the company’s innovation strategy, superfast connectivity, cutting-edge technology and emerging trends in the telecommunications industry.

Creating a digital society: 40 years of telco innovation at Vodafone UK

Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. The business provides mobile and fixed services to over 330 million customers in 15 countries, partnering with mobile networks in 45 more, and has one of the world’s largest IoT platforms.

odafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, businesses and help progress inclusive sustainable societies. It is committed to reducing its environmental impact to reach net zero emissions by 2040.

Within the broader Vodafone group, Vodafone UK is on a mission to create a digital society powered by superfast connectivity, leading technology and customer-driven solutions. The company has set its sights on uniting people, communities and businesses in a way that unlocks the UK’s potential and protects the planet in the process.

But these progressive and innovative ambitions are not new at Vodafone.

In fact, the company has a rich fourdecade heritage of transforming the telecommunications industry.

Here to tell us more about the innovation strategy, technologies and trends propelling the company forward today is Elliott Seller, Head of Connected Home, Innovation & Product Partnerships (CHIP) at Vodafone UK.

“I lead the CHIP team at Vodafone UK, which stands for Connected Home, Innovation, and Partnerships,” begins Elliott. “Our remit is broad, and I love it because we have breadth and depth covering hardware and software in the WiFi/Home Broadband/Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) domain, physical

and digital security, emerging technologies, entertainment products, product quality & reliability, product operations, and partnerships. We contribute to the end-to-end product lifecycle, from concept to delivery, in-life management, and sunsetting products.

“From a macro view, our core focus is Vodafone UK, and we work closely alongside Vodafone Group. We are part of the Device Operations, Products, and Services organisation, affectionately known as DOPS. We are an innovative, collaborative, customer-focused team striving to make Vodafone the number one company for customer experience and their number one choice for connectivity.”

Zooming out from the extensive domains Elliott and his team work in, he explains how defining innovation and what it means for Vodafone UK is imperative for understanding the company’s efforts to advance the telecommunications industry.

“I joined Vodafone in 2021 and it’s a privilege to lead product innovation for Vodafone consumers because this is a business that literally has innovation in its DNA,” celebrates Elliott. “We made Britain’s first ever mobile phone call on January 1, 1985, using a Vodafone Transportable handset. The world’s first SMS text message was sent via our network in 1992. In 2001, we made the first 3G phone call in the UK and in 2020, we launched Britain's first commercial

standalone 5G network with Coventry University, enabling real-time tours of the human body using VR and AR.

“I think innovation thrives in a culture where everyone feels safe to share and explore ideas. At Vodafone, our CEO Max Taylor has set a mission to make our company the #1 Best Place to work, and we’re on track because we all believe in our objectives. This mission fosters innovation because, in my experience, when everyone aligns with a common goal and feels empowered, creativity flows naturally.

“From my perspective, innovation isn’t just a title, nor should it be siloed: it’s for everyone. But when it is in your job title,

you have an obligation to facilitate, encourage and spearhead new thinking throughout an organisation. When I joined Vodafone, I knew that ‘forced innovation’ or sharing superficial presentations without a clear path to deliver wasn’t the way to go.”

So how do Elliott and his team embark upon the journey of innovation with a clear path before them? According to Elliott, success hinges on launching the process properly.

“When it comes to innovation in practice, we always start with a discovery process and framework to identify, analyse and understand the

problem that needs solving,” says Elliott. “It’s crucial to get this right before we assess potential solutions.

“Throughout my career, I have seen so many instances where people have cracking ideas, jump straight into a solution and then run into significant issues. Sure, challenges are part and parcel of the job, but a well-thoughtthrough discovery process enables you to fail with pride and recover faster.

“My immediate team includes product managers, analysts and specialists with commercial, mechanical and electronic engineering expertise and experience. We collaborate across the business with areas such as our brilliant marketing,

“We have also established a full lifecycle plan which enables us to recycle the product in the UK. We developed this with our exclusive partner and vendor, Wire Technologies”

Elliott Seller, Head of Connected

Home, Innovation & Product Partnerships (CHIP) at Vodafone UK

brand, commercial, service design, and finance teams, alongside our Vodafone Group colleagues. This diverse expertise also allows us to prototype and see what is technologically feasible even before ‘pitching’ ideas internally. Our close ties with VPC (Vodafone Procurement Company) and direct relationships with multiple vendors and partners help us understand what we can deliver at scale.

“Selecting the right partners is also crucial for innovation. At Vodafone, we aim to provide tailored products and services, which naturally enhance customer experience. Even if we don’t design and build from scratch, we rarely procure a finished product without customising it. Our partnership

Sercomm and Vodafone

Revolutionising the Connected Home

Sercomm and Vodafone have partnered to redefine connected living by combining Sercomm’s 30 years of design expertise with Vodafone’s 40 years of connectivity leadership. Their collaboration leverages the Reference Design Kit-Broadband (RDK-B) to deliver advanced broadband solutions with unmatched wifi performance, security and sustainability.

Unmatched Networking Performance

With Sercomm’s RDK-B expertise, Vodafone provides broadband solutions featuring:

• Enhanced Wifi Coverage: Multi-gigabit speeds and greater reach.

• Seamless User Experience: Consistent functionality for streaming, gaming and smart home devices.

• Secure Connectivity: Regular updates ensure optimal performance and robust security.

These capabilities meet the demands of modern connected living while remaining future-proof.

Flexible Integration and Innovation

Sercomm’s modular RDK-B platform enables Vodafone to:

• Deliver customised services such as parental controls and IoT support.

• Provide effortless updates through simplified firmware upgrades.

• Enable rapid innovation with swift feature deployment.

• Support third-party applications to enhance customer value.

This streamlined approach enhances service delivery and operational efficiency.

Shaping the Future of Connectivity

“Sercomm’s RDK-B expertise drives innovation and strengthens Vodafone’s broadband leadership.” Derek Elder, President of Global Service Providers at Sercomm

“Sercomm empowers us to deliver exceptional, secure and sustainable broadband solutions.” Elliott Sellers, Head of Connected Home at Vodafone

“Sercomm has been instrumental in delivering broadband solutions that excel in performance, security and sustainability”

with Sercomm exemplifies this – they take the time to understand our objectives and requirements to fulfil our customer promises, then they leverage their global expertise to make our products smarter and more efficient. For instance, their expertise in RDKbased platforms has enabled us to offer seamless, reliable, and tailored customer experiences.

“Bringing a new product to market, especially hardware, is a complex and high-stakes process. Attitude and collaboration are key. Vodafone values people and fosters a positive work environment, so it’s essential our partners share this ethos. These factors combined mean Sercomm has been instrumental in delivering broadband

solutions that excel in performance, security and sustainability.”

Citing a recent example of a highly successful innovation project to emerge from this process, Elliott draws attention to Vodafone UK’s industryfirst advanced battery backup product for customers’ routers.

“The government’s ambitious plan to upgrade the UK’s connectivity and broadband infrastructures is fantastic, but the shift from the copper-based PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) to fibre means during power outages, customer routers and ONTs (Optical Network Terminals) need a backup supply,” says Elliott. “We found no practical solution on the market

that could keep a router powered for more than 90 minutes, so we invented and patented a compact, advanced battery backup unit that can simultaneously keep a router and ONT powered for between 4-7 hours (depending on the power consumption of the router). It’s super simple to set up and full of unique features such as an emergency mode, fast charging, an accurate Remaining Time Display and a handy USB C charging port.

“We have also established a full lifecycle plan which enables us to recycle the product in the UK. We developed this with our exclusive partner and vendor, Wire Technologies, who have plans to expand their manufacturing based onshore in the Cotswolds with a focus to hire and re-train military veterans for their resettlement career plan. The design, specifications and development have been purely customer first and focussed, which I believe has led to this being the best in the market in terms of features and safety. The other wonderful thing about this product is that we recognise the customer need for this solution is far greater than only Vodafone customers, so we have white-labelled it and we are wholesaling this product for all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the UK and across the globe.”

As Elliott elaborates, products like the advanced battery backup unit encapsulate how Vodafone UK responds to broader trends as an agile business with its customers at the front and centre of its strategies – whether

these developments arise from advancements in the telco industry, policy changes or evolving consumer trends.

In particular, developments in the emerging world of wifi technology are a top priority for the company, explains Elliott.

“I think the evolution of wifi technology is fascinating, with wifi 6, 6E, 7 already here, and even wifi 8 being explored,” says Elliott. “We can talk ‘chip-sets, ‘schematics,’ ‘configurations’ and geek out all day. But at the end of the day, it’s really about the end user.

“Customers want faster speeds, greater reliability, and optimal coverage throughout their homes, all while managing an increasing number of smart devices. The notion of a Smart Home is now. The average UK household has around 18 connected devices, this will increase significantly over the next two years. Customers will soon realise they need the appropriate router and home network set up to support this, and I am super proud of our product portfolio because we genuinely have the perfect router solution to suit everyone’s needs.

“In terms of speed, welcome to the gigabit+ era. Full fibre speeds are awesome and will continue to improve. We already offer our customers 1.6Gbps, 1.8Gbps and 2.2Gbps, and I have seen results that show our Ultra Hub router in the PROII plan producing remarkable speeds via multiple devices. In fact, the Ultra Hub

“Our partner Airties helps us turn wifi data into useful information with their Managed Wi-Fi services, including advanced network monitoring, optimisation, and device management”

can connect more than 150 devices simultaneously! In my opinion, this router is currently the most capable and best value consumer router on the market.

“Reliability is crucial for us as we strive to become the number one company for customer experience (CX). Our WiFi Xperts team, I call them the ‘connectivity gurus,’ proactively assesses wifi quality and support

customers if there’s ever a problem. Our partner Airties helps us turn wifi data into useful information with their Managed Wi-Fi services, including advanced network monitoring, optimisation, and device management. Airties’ Edge and Cloud services ensure seamless connectivity across all customer devices.

“Airties plays a central role in improving Vodafone UK's customer experience

by optimising home wifi, resulting in fewer wifi-related issues, fewer support calls, increased satisfaction, and enhanced customer loyalty. Their Proactive Wi-Fi Experience Index (WFEI) Monitoring allows us to proactively monitor customer wifi performance and make recommendations based on real-time network conditions. This has a significant impact, as higher WFEI scores correlate with improved Net Promoter Score (NPS), product

experience, customer satisfaction score (C-SAT), and ultimately happy customers. Airties’ AI-driven tools continuously improve WFEI scores, ensuring stable connectivity, reducing disruptions and avoiding dreaded wifi dropouts.

“When it comes to coverage, our bespoke wifi extenders ensure optimal coverage for any home. Identifying all devices connected to the network is

crucial for providing the best service possible.

Blazing a trail the latest technologies enabling connectivity is of course paramount at Vodafone UK, but as Elliott highlights the company recognises its influential position and corporate responsibility to protect the safety, security and privacy of its customers – and their families. Here, Elliott

emphasises how Vodafone UK is actively engaged in protecting and educating children when using their mobile phones as an example.

“Protecting and educating children using their mobile phones is a complex issue, but I believe it starts with guidance and education,” insists Elliott. “The train has left the station when it comes to young people’s online access. But for me, the key now is promoting

responsible use, which I believe should be part of the school curriculum. A smartphone is an incredibly powerful tool that can enhance knowledge, productivity, and opportunity if used correctly. It’s essential to guide younger generations on how to stay safe and use their phones responsibly.

“This responsibility must be shared among parents, guardians, teachers, social media companies, search engines and telcos. At Vodafone UK, we recognise our role in helping families navigate the digital world. For over twelve years, we’ve provided tools and guidance to parents, teachers and guardians to have important conversations with children about online safety.

“We offer services like Secure Net and cybersecurity tools, and our Digital Parenting Hub (Digital Parenting - Vodafone UK News Centre) provides blogs, articles, parental guidance, and free e-books. We’re also proud to partner with NSPCC, offering their Trust toolkit to support families. However, we can’t do it alone: we need the entire online industry, including competitors, regulators, device manufacturers, app developers, platform owners, and the government, to play their part.”

To learn more about Vodafone UK and the company’s latest innovations, visit vodafone.co.uk.

ADDED VALUE

Elliott recommends

“I have been listening to a lot of podcasts recently – I’m a naturally curious person so always craving more brain food,” shares Elliott.

“Recently I stumbled upon the ‘Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal,’ a podcast which explores theoretical physics, consciousness and AI. Curt has some great guests and he really explores everything in such depth – it’s a fascinating listen!

“I have also just finished re-reading a novella called The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster, which was published in 1909. Without giving too much away the story is set in a future where humanity lives underground and relies on a giant machine to provide for all its needs. Forster had incredible vision, and it’s uncanny how many elements of this book came to fruition in the real world.”

Looking ahead

“I have started getting invites for CES which is always exciting,” says Elliott.

“But it’s also Vodafone’s 40th birthday, so I am looking forward to the various internal celebrations to come!”

Connect with Elliott

MEET THE UK’S MOST PROMISING TECH FOUNDERS

MOST FOUNDERS

The Department for Business and Trade’s Venture Capital Unit has launched the Female Founders Initiative to tackle the funding gap.

ccording to Pitchbook, women-founded startups account for 2% or less of venture capital (VC) funding invested in Europe and the United States. To tackle this, the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade’s Venture Capital Unit recently launched the Female Founders Initiative, addressing the funding gap facing some of the UK’s most promising tech founders.

This initiative will support female founders to raise funds from international venture capital investors.

We’re spotlighting the initiative’s latest cohort, who will be offered mentors, promoted to Venture Capital investors around the world and given opportunities to join investment events.

1 NADIA SOOD

Nadia is the CEO of CreditEnable, a fintech platform that is transforming the market for SME credit. The company applies proprietary data analytics and Al to help lenders grow efficiently and provides digital services to help SMEs access affordable credit when they need it.

She has been instrumental in developing the technology, adapting the business to reach new customer segments, enhancing revenue streams and cementing CreditEnable’s reputation as a global leader in addressing the finance gaps for SMEs.

Turn over for number 2 >

2 DR AMBER MICHELLE HILL

Amber is the founder of Research Grid, an automation engine for adminfree clinical trials. Previously, she was a medical research expert and was pivotal in setting up the first patient engagement infrastructure at the clinical trials facility in the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

What began as an idea to solve admin bottlenecks is now helping to accelerate new treatments. Amber has been named as one of the Financial Times’ 100 most influential women in engineering.

3 LOUISE BIRRITTERI

Louise is the CEO & founder of Pikl, an Insurtech focused on the holiday rental and sharing economy markets. Louise has 20 years’ experience in the insurance market, working at Aviva, RAC, Gallagher, Sainsburys and the Co-op.

She also has a background in actuarial and finance in C-suite roles. Recently, Louise was nominated as a finalist for female high growth entrepreneur of the year at the UKBAA (UK British Angel Awards).

4 PEONY LI

Peony is the founder of Jude, a healthcare company focused on bringing bladder care into the mainstream with its clinically proven bladder health plans, supplements and symptom tracker. Jude has improved the lives of 70,000 customers in the UK to date.

Before founding Jude in 2021, Peony supported the launch of Daye, one of the biggest venture-capital backed women’s health platforms in 2019.

5

HEININ ZHANG AND SIDDHI MITTAL

Heinin and Siddhi are co-founders of yhangry, a consumer marketplace where customers can book a private chef at the same cost as going to a restaurant. The platform also empowers chefs to build their portfolio, upskill faster and earn 2-3x more than in a restaurant.

Siddhi brings a technical background in Computer Science from Columbia University coupled with experience in trading bonds, while Heinin brings credentials in Economics and Philosophy from LSE and experience in Fixed Income sales.

Heinin Zhang Siddhi Mittal

6 MEHAK MUMTAZ

Mehak is co-founder and chief operating officer at iLoF, an Al-powered platform that accelerates personalised drug discovery and development by building a digital library of biomarkers and biological profiles using advanced photonics.

This enables faster and more accurate patient screening for clinical trials, reducing clinical trial time by 40% and costs by 70%. Mehak holds a Masters in Biochemistry and a PhD in Pathology from the University of Oxford.

DR SUSAN GRAHAM

Susan is the co-founder and CEO of Dendra Systems, an Al-powered environmental operating system that accelerates ecosystem restoration at scale.

So far, Dendra’s platform has enabled large-scale ecosystem restoration across mangrove, arid and mining lands. She has leveraged her expertise in engineering and natural sciences and has earned numerous accolades including Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

8

MELISSA SNOVER

Melissa is an award-winning entrepreneur and the inventor patented technologies. In 2019, she founded Rem3dy Health the highest-ever female founder seed round in UK history. is dedicated to personalised health solutions for both preventative curative care through its brands, Nourished and Scripted.

The business was recently honoured with the prestigious Enterprise in Innovation, for the use of patented 3D-printing and a unique vegan encapsulation formula.

9 SAASHA CELESTIAL-ONE AND TESSA CLARKE

Saasha and Tessa are the co-founders of Olio, the world’s largest food-sharing app. The duo are on a mission to solve the climate crisis by addressing the enormous problem of food waste in homes & local communities. Olio’s eight million users globally share over three million food and household items per month, saving around 5,000 tonnes of CO2 and 700m litres of water monthly. Both Saasha and Tessa have executivelevel experience across the private sector and both hold MBAs from Stanford University.

inventor of several Health and raised history. Rem3dy Health preventative and Scripted.

prestigious King’s Award for 3D-printing technology

10

DR MAY REZAI

May is the COO of MirZyme Therapeutics, an early-stage clinical women’s health biopharmaceutical company that has uncovered what causes preeclampsia and how to predict and prevent it. The company’s digital diagnostic algorithm takes blood test results and tells a pregnant woman halfway through pregnancy if she is going to develop preeclampsia.

May has a Ph.D. in preeclampsia and conducted the pre-clinical studies on MirZyme’s lead therapeutics.

If you’re a UK-based female tech founder planning a Series A-C funding round in 2025-26, register your interest to apply for the next cohort here.

Source: The Department for Business and Trade

Saasha Celestial-One

Tessa Clarke

ENCOURAGING INNOVATION

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AT

IN THE AT TARMAC

Ben Garner, Head of Logistics Development & Standards at construction materials giant Tarmac, on the company’s sustainable solutions and the role of logistics in facilitating them.

AS THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS COMPANY IN THE UK AND THE PIONEER OF THE MODERN

ASPHALT

ROAD, TARMAC’S SOLUTIONS

ARE HELPING TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE COUNTRY’S LONG-TERM FUTURE.

he company has contributed to some of the UK’s biggest construction and infrastructure projects, including Wembley Stadium, Heathrow Terminal 5 and London Olympics 2012.

As new environmental legislation comes into play, the company is building new partnerships to facilitate sustainable innovation in the construction industry. Here to tell us more is Ben Garner, Head of Logistics Development & Standards at Tarmac.

“Innovation is driving change as the industry continues to make progress to support the UK government’s legally binding commitment to net zero by 2050,” says Ben. “As requirements for zero-emissions vehicles move closer, we need to be proactive in our

transition. To facilitate this, Tarmac is prioritising supporting first-of-a-kind demonstrations to help members of our supply chain network take the first steps towards sustainability.

“We have an EV discovery programme that we developed in partnership with Renault Trucks. The idea behind this is our suppliers get to effectively try before they buy – leasing the truck for a six-month period. This approach is very low risk for them, and gives them an opportunity to understand the vehicle, the different cost mechanisms behind it and the kinds of operating processes that they’ll need to have in place. Ultimately, this de-risks the first step for them.

“At the end of the six-month period, they can decide if they want to buy the

vehicle. If they don’t want to, we’ll give the truck to someone else to trial. At some point in the more distant future, we’ll have to mandate the use of electric vehicles but before that process begins, we want to create an understanding within our supply chain of how electric vehicles can work within their business to make that long-term transition much smoother.”

However, while Tarmac’s EV discovery programme is helping to encourage that first step into electrification, developments in the charging infrastructure will be a key part of shaping the direction of the construction sector in the next few years. So, how is Tarmac navigating these changes?

“The government is committed to decarbonising the grid by 2030, which is a mammoth task,” says Ben. “Within Tarmac and our sister company NAL, we supply solutions that support the charging infrastructure – making it scalable to build a low carbon model of construction. To further progress this, we are developing a partnership with EV innovator Fleete, and they’ve been able to help us identify opportunities to improve in this area.

Partnerships such as this have fostered innovation within the company and led to exciting new developments –including the creation of the UK’s allelectric mixer (e-mixer).

“A couple of years ago we held an innovation competition, and Renault

“IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT NONE OF OUR INNOVATIONS HAVE BEEN DONE IN ISOLATION. PARTNERSHIP IS ALWAYS GOING TO PLAY A ROLE IN PROGRESS”

Ben Garner, Head of Logistics Development & Standards

and TVS Interfleet came to us with the outline for an e-mixer,” says Ben. “What excited us about this particular project was that they came to us and said ‘This isn’t about just electrifying a piece of kit. This is about redesigning it for the 21st century.’ They took a close look at the problems with concrete mixers today, and how deploying new innovations could fix them.

“Concrete mixers are much more unstable than a traditional truck. The liquid concrete that’s being spun around can increase the risk

Fleete Group: Powering the Future of Commercial Transport

Fleete Group is at the forefront of the revolution in commercial vehicle electrification. Established by Macquarie Asset Management, a global asset manager and the world’s leading infrastructure investor. Macquarie’s expertise in long-term, sustainable investments has allowed Fleete to build a business rooted in innovation and scalability, driving real change in the transportation and logistics sectors.

Origins & Vision

Fleete was created with a clear mission: to simplify the process of fleet electrification for businesses. As part of Macquarie’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure, Fleete’s shared infrastructure hubs and unique digital platform are uniquely positioned to offer smart, efficient charging solutions that meet the complex needs of commercial operators.

We recognize that the energy transition requires more than just advanced technology; it requires an ecosystem of infrastructure that can meet the diverse

needs of commercial operators. From small businesses to large enterprises, Fleete removes the financial and logistical barriers associated with electrification, allowing companies to make a seamless transition to zero-emission transportation.

Our First Hub at Port of Tilbury

Our collaboration with Forth Ports marks our first major milestone with the opening of a 5MW state-of-the-art Fleete Hub charging facility at the Port of Tilbury. It’s designed to support up to 12 heavy duty commercial electric vehicles and 6 light to medium vehicles with ultra-fast charging speeds. The Fleete Hub provides reliable

and rapid charging for the Port’s customers, and operators.

Importantly, this hub forms a key part of the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium, a pioneering project that Fleete is proud to be part of. Led by VOLTEMPO and backed by the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstration (ZEHID) programme, eFREIGHT 2030 aims to accelerate the uptake of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) across the UK. With a £49 million investment from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK, the initiative is expected to unlock £500 million of private investment into EV and charging hubs by 2030.

As part of the ZEHID programme, Fleete will deliver four commercial charging hubs across the UK, providing cutting-edge digital platform software integrated with

VOLTEMPO hardware. This will allow realtime network management across sites, benefitting both the Port of Tilbury and consortium members. Work on the eFREIGHT 2030 project has already begun and will continue over the next six years, driving forward the UK’s zero-emission future.

Fleete’s hub will not only benefit the Port’s customers but will also play a significant role in reducing Forth Ports’ Scope 3 emissions, showcasing the impact that innovative, shared infrastructure can have on sustainability goals.

A Path to a Cleaner, Greener Future

At Fleete, we believe that electrification is the key to a sustainable future. Our pioneering infrastructure and forwardthinking solutions make the transition to EVs practical and cost-effective. Backed by the strength of Macquarie Asset Management, we are committed to driving the future of clean energy in commercial transport. Join us as we continue to empower businesses to make the switch to cleaner energy and accelerate their journey toward net-zero emissions.

For enquiries email contact@fleete.com

www.fleete.com

“WE ARE DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP WITH EV INNOVATOR FLEETE, AND THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP US IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE IN THIS AREA”

of rollovers, and with 20 to 30 mixer rollovers in the UK each year, this is happening far too regularly. So TVS Interfleet and Renault decided to see how they could reduce that risk.

“An electric truck already has a lower centre of gravity thanks to the weight of the batteries, which is a big tick in the box already. They then looked at a number of videos of concrete mixers toppling over and realised that what was happening was the mixer drum started to spin off its axis, which triggered the truck to fall over due to the shift in the centrifugal force.

“The drum sits on an open cradle. What they’ve done to prevent the drum spinning off its axis is implement a retention bracket, so it can’t spin off

centre unless the bracket breaks. With the e-mixer, it requires three times as much force to roll the vehicle over – so something really straightforward has massively improved that truck’s safety characteristics.”

By working with other businesses on projects like this, Tarmac is championing new innovations and de-risking these developments for suppliers.

“CRH, our parent company, set up a $250m venturing and innovation fund a couple of years ago to encourage innovation across the Group.

“The e-mixer was the first project supported by the fund and we’re building on that success by working on a number of new projects across Tarmac to drive forward innovation in a range of areas.”

But while these projects are significant developments for the industry, one of Tarmac’s most innovative changes in recent years has been the centralisation of logistics within the company.

“Traditionally, logistics in the construction materials sector is a function of the commercial teams –not a separate specialism,” explains Ben. “Tarmac decided to change that

“WE’RE WORKING ON SCALING OUR INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IN THE MOST COSTEFFECTIVE WAY, AND WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS”

around two years ago by appointing Graham Waters as a Logistics Director and changing our structure including creating my role as Head of Logistics Development & Standards. The company wanted to transform the way it approached logistics, with a focus on the future.

“This transformation looks at all different aspects of the business including, customer performance, future tech and our people. One of the things Tarmac recognised was that we have some great people in logistics but they were on the fringes of the business. It wasn’t until recently that it’s been seen as a core component.

“The main thing we did to centralise logistics was to create a development and innovation programme for this branch of the company. We took high performers that were ready to take their next steps in the coming years and we created this development and innovation programme around them. There were four sessions, with a project at the end of it. Within these sessions, we gave them the opportunity to get to know one another, explore ideas of innovation within logistics and construction and develop new ways of thinking. The final project in these sessions was focused on transforming our logistics model.

“There were six people on that original course, and four of them have been promoted to new roles in the past year. We’re about to kick off our second year of this programme, and we’re excited to make a difference with our people and

get them to think beyond the day-today, which can be really challenging in logistics, where everything is coming at you all at once.”

One way Tarmac is thinking beyond the day-to-day is to look outside the construction industry while conceptualising and deploying new innovations – particularly when it comes to considering the future of the company’s vehicles.

“Looking at the future of our trucks themselves, we want to make sure that we’re effectively utilising emerging technologies to improve

safety,” says Ben. “What we’ve said now is that we want to see all of our new trucks installed with radar braking systems. So that’s a radar system on the rear that’s activated when you put it in reverse, that will automatically stop the vehicle if there’s any kind of obstruction within a couple of metres of the back of the truck.

“This system is already used on road sweepers and is starting to be used on bin lorries, but to my knowledge, it has never been used on trucks in our sector. So we ran a trial on one of our vehicles, and this new model was so

successful that we’re implementing it across the company.

“I think active safety, where the truck has the mechanism to take over from the person in emergency situations, will be a big trend that we see going forward. It’s very promising technology, and I’m excited to see how it transforms our industry.”

But Ben stresses that innovations such as this are a credit to the company’s partnerships.

“It’s really important to note that none of our innovations have been done

in isolation,” says Ben. “Partnership is always going to play a role in progress. We may have a specific vision, but our supply chain is incredible at designing and creating effective solutions for us that meet our vision.

“Electrification is a great example of partnership in action. Truck manufacturers need to make sure they’re meeting regulations when it comes to selling electric vehicles, which can be challenging. So they could sell them in the traditional way, or they can work with the people who are using them to figure out the best way

ADDED VALUE

Opening up the industry

“I have four daughters and I would love for the logistics and construction materials industries to be a place where they could have a career, if that’s what they chose,” says Ben. “Being a truck driver is a very challenging job. The environment is dirty, it’s stressful and there’s a lot of long hours. We do have a lot of women drivers within our fleet, which is fantastic, but I’d love to see that shift further and I think electrification could be a key enabler of that.

“I recently went for a ride in the brand new Renault T Series electric tractor unit, and it’s beautiful. The seats

to implement these new vehicles into businesses.

“By working together, we can develop new solutions – like longer battery guarantees and streamlined charging infrastructure – which will help unpick the areas that are blocking us from scaling new innovations. We’re working on scaling our innovations to improve operational efficiency in the most costeffective way, and we wouldn’t be able to do this without our strategic partners.”

Learn more about Tarmac here.

are comfortable, the layout is really nice and you can tell that the vehicle manufacturers are putting a great deal of thought into the environment that the drivers are in. I think changes like this are going to play a huge role in opening up this industry to more people.”

A force for change

“I’ve worked in logistics for my entire career, but my degree was in Geography with Ancient History and Archaeology,” says Ben. “As a part of the geography element, I did an extended essay on climate change. This would have been in 2005, and I remember reading the research at the time and

coming to the conclusion that it was too late to reverse climate change.

“At the time, governments weren’t thinking about it, companies didn’t have an action plan and there was no general consensus. Because of this, it’s been really exciting to be a part of an industry where real sustainable change is now taking place. Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our age, and it’s been inspiring to see the world coming together and starting to realise that we need to do something about it.

“With so many new regulations coming into place, it’s easy to see

these changes as a threat, but I see it as an opportunity. More and more companies are taking that first step in the energy transition, which is fantastic to see.

“I attended the Road Transport Expo in June of this year, and I thought the amount of electric vehicles that were there was very telling. It demonstrates that the industry is embracing sustainability, and we’ll soon see huge amounts of change coming off the back of that.”

Connect with Ben

INSIGHTS: strategy

INSIGHTS: Digital security strategy at Leonardo

Roberto De Paolis, Head of Digital Security & Security Operations at Leonardo joins us for an exclusive Q&A.

Leonardo is a global industrial group, among the main global players in aerospace, defence and security that realises multi-domain technological capabilities in helicopters, aircraft, aerostructures, electronics, cyber security and space.

With over 53,000 employees worldwide, the company has a solid industrial presence in Italy, the UK, Poland and the US.

It also operates in 150 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures and investments.

As a key player in major international strategic programmes, it is a technological and industrial partner of governments, defence administrations, institutions and companies. In 2023, Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of €15.3bn, new orders for €17.9bn and invested € 2.2bn in R&D.

Innovation, continuous research, digital industry and sustainability are the pillars of its business worldwide.

Joining us for an exclusive Q&A today to shine a light on his career and the company’s security strategy is Roberto De Paolis, Head of Digital Security & Security Operations at Leonardo.

Can you tell us about your background and how you came to be the Head of Digital Security at Leonardo?

I have been fascinated by Information Technology since I was a child – but at that time I also liked to write creatively, small compositions mostly. Back in

1984, I participated in a regional literary competition for school students about the importance of communication and avoiding isolation.

I was surprised that the judges appreciated the theme of my entry since I wrote a story that sounded more fantastical or futuristic, rather than dealing with the lived reality of the time. I wrote about how computers could connect us and how humans can take advantage of this to avoid isolation. I scored highly, nine out of ten overall, and as a reward, I won €100. To put this in perspective, the cost of a computer at that time was about €120.

Afterwards, I bought my first computer, learned its language and began to code simple programmes. Not long after, I exchanged this small computer and bought a new one that could connect to another computer with the so-called modem. At that time the only way was to dial in using the phone line. I set up one of the first Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) in southern Italy giving a service for all users with a PC and Modem to connect, read mail and connect in a forum. We are speaking not of the Internet Age (this was 1986), so it was all command line with scrolling text.

I continued to explore, study, code and decode software and viruses. After I

“I love Information Technology, so I am always keen to study and explore the latest industry trends”

Roberto De Paolis, Head of Digital Security & Security Operations

graduated in electronic engineering with an IT specialisation in Rome, I began to work for consulting companies as a computer languages and system operation teacher, then

as a security consultant and firewall engineer. After five years of consulting, I left this path and I was hired by Northrop Grumman Italia. Here, I began to work more with enterprise software, cutting-edge equipment and I had the budget to steer and manage a security strategy.

As my career developed, I enjoyed several opportunities to work with multiple companies and businesses in media, telecoms and banking. In 2006, I configured one of the first Web Application Firewall (WAF) in Italy for a portal exposed to clients for a broadcasting company, and also established one of the first security information and event management (SIEM) platforms in Italy in 2008. I spent several years working in banking environments, always in operative security roles, until Leonardo called me at the end of 2017 to deliver, implement and maintain a security roadmap for them.

At that time, the IT Infrastructure and security operations were both overseen by a single organisation unit. My first thought was that it was a conflict of interest to manage and secure the IT infrastructure within one function, so I separated it and established

an organisation unit called IT Security Operations (now renamed Digital Security & Security Operations for the enlarged scope) with four pillars: Data & Identity Protections, Security Architectures & Operations, System & Application Security, and Digital Assurance.

What excites you most about working in this area?

I love Information Technology, so I am always keen to study and explore the latest industry trends. But every time I see a new technology, I always think about its risk, how it could be used as a weapon and how this technology must be protected. Security threats are always changing, so the work is always an ever-evolving challenge. In my operative role of managing

almost all technologies at Leonardo from the periphery to endpoints, in order to protect the company you must always read, plan, experiment and deploy new technologies, measures and solutions to meet the rapid developments in the security landscape.

How does Leonardo's digital security strategy align with its overall business objectives?

My motto is ‘fast secure.’ Fast, because we need to respond quickly to business needs. Secure, because everything must be fully protected.

In terms of aligning the ‘fast secure’ approach with Leonardo’s overall company objectives, I see the business as a client for me and my organisation

“My motto is ‘fast secure.’ Fast, because we need to respond quickly to business needs. Secure, because everything must be fully protected”

Roberto De Paolis, Head of Digital Security & Security Operations

unit. As such, we endeavour to understand the goals, vision, identity, and priorities at Leonardo. It is then a question of establishing what is being asked of us so we can deploy the relevant security requirements, including considerations such as: segregation of duties, identifying implementation and delivery representatives, delivering and managing sweeping security operations, and then allocating resources in order meet the milestones of the business.

Can you share some specific digital security initiatives or projects that Leonardo is currently working on?

At the moment, some of the most exciting projects we are working on are identity protection (for people and machines) and automation.

One example of this is we are building the capacity to provision (in near real-time) what is needed for the onboarding of a new

employee, including: account creation, software access and configurations for one-time passwords.

We are then looking to automate specific digital security processes that follow.

For instance, we are thinking about the specific security and business needs to expose a web server on the Internet or to renew a digital certificate for an existing web server used by our suppliers or clients. A digital certificate is needed from an approved Certification Authority in order to avoid a warning from the browsers. Keep in mind that Google is proposing to reduce the validity of TLS certificates to 90 days. This will carry a significant impact on organisations reliant on manual certificate management processes. In the next few weeks, we will have this automation process live. At the same time, we are focusing on secret management, inventory and governance (see figure 1) as well as Kubernetes monitoring environments.

We are also working on implementing Passwordless technology in specific environments, by using a Risk Base Analytics & Behavioural approach (see figure 2).

Figure 2

Figure 1

Do you have any advice for companies looking to strengthen their digital security practices?

Do not follow ‘moda’, or what is trendy, for the sake of it. Choose the technology and platform that better adapts to your business needs and target IT architecture. However, do not forget to redesign processes to support your choices.

What are some of the additional contributions you’ve made to the industry that you are most proud of?

I am very proud of a research project I took part in about 20 years ago: “Threat Analysis in Wireless 802.11 Networks - A Practical Approach to Wireless Lans Security,” which was

presented at the 8th International Symposium on Wireless Personal Multimedia Communications in Denmark.

Last year I made an innovative speech “FROM DIGITAL HUMAN IDENTITIES TO MACHINE TO MACHINE IDENTITY.”

Although I gave the presentation in Italian, I recommend giving it a listen with English subtitles.

Lastly, I am a contributor to an Italian online newspaper that spreads the culture of cybersecurity.

For more information about Leonardo, visit leonardo.com.

Connect with Roberto

SUTTON

"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

5 AI PROJECTS RESHAPING HEALTHCARE

The AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare is working alongside leading clinicians, researchers and organisations to increase NHS efficiency while reducing costs.

PROJECTS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IMPROVES HEALTHCARE BY HELPING TO DELIVER EARLIER DIAGNOSIS AND BETTER TREATMENT BASED ON ACCUMULATED LEARNING FAR BEYOND EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED CLINICIAN.

will help the NHS increase efficiency, improve therapies and reduce costs – all of which benefit patients, medical staff and wider society. This is currently one of the most exciting and inspiring areas of healthcare being researched and developed, with organisations such as the AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare spearheading new innovations to improve patient care and facilitate earlier diagnosis.

With a team of AI, data science, research and clinical experts based in St Thomas’ Hospital MedTech Hub, the AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare is currently working on several projects in a range of medical fields.

We’ve compiled a list of the five most exciting and innovative projects set to reshape the future of healthcare.

1. ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Led by Alistair Young in partnership with Siemens Healthineers

The most common cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, is commonly treated with catheter ablation – a treatment with a high recurrence rate. However, identifying the geometry and volume of the left atrial can be hugely beneficial when looking at diagnosis and prognosis. This is currently estimated with multiple measurements, a limited method that can lead to inaccurate calculations.

The AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare is developing a tool alongside Siemens Healthineers that will automatically analyse the atria and ventricles using MRI images. This tool infers the 3D shape, volume and surface area of the left atrial with greater accuracy. Looking ahead, the results will also include risk prediction scores and highlight optimal sites for ablation treatment.

2.RADIOTHERAPY PLANNING

Led by Dr Marc Modat (academic) and Dr Teresa Guerrero Urbano & Dr Tony Greener (clinical) in partnership with Mirada Medical

AI-based medical image contouring allows clinicians to easily see suspected disease, but its performance greatly depends on the quality of the data provided. However, challenging access to high-quality contoured data alongside policies that lead to that data not being widely deployed within the NHS mean that we are currently not harnessing the benefits of AI in healthcare at scale.

Mirada Medical is seeking to address the above issues with its DCLExpert™, a CE marked deep learning auto-contouring solution for radiotherapy treatment planning that produces computergenerated contouring outputs set to achieve greater accuracy and improve generalised models.

Once embedded within the NHS, it will improve current

Dr Marc Modat Dr Teresa Guerrero Urbano

contouring practices used for treatment planning in prostate radiotherapy and will reduce variability among radiologists performing assessments, ensuring patients receive more consistent and accurate treatment.

3. MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA

Led by Dr Amedeo Chiribiri in partnership with Siemens Healthineers, Philips Healthcare, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Medis and GE Healthcare

Heart disease is the second most common cause of death for NHS patients over 75, and coronary artery disease (CAD) was listed as the most frequent cause of these acute heart disease instances.

CAD develops when the blood vessels supplying the heart become damaged, limiting oxygen and blood supply. This can be challenging to diagnose, as test results can sometimes be conflicting, and the interpretation of diagnostic tests often relies on

the availability of trained experts who are often inaccessible to more rural communities.

This project focuses specifically on the use of AI to better understand the complex relationship between medical images and patient symptoms, eventually providing personalised care that doesn’t rely on local resources or expertise.

Using the large scale historical dataset at St Thomas’ Hospital, the project will develop novel algorithms that can guide physicians in selecting right from the start the best treatment pathway.

4. PROSTATE CANCER

Led by Professor Vicky Goh in partnership with Siemens Healthineers

Current best practice guidelines for prostate cancer suggest active surveillance as the preferred monitoring strategy. This can avoid or delay the need for further treatment until absolutely necessary, with only

patients whose cancer shows signs of progressing considered for radical therapies.

However, there is a need for improved and objective criteria when determining which patients should remain on active surveillance and which should switch to definitive therapy. In this project, the AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare is developing an AI-based assessment of longitudinal changes in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate in patients on active surveillance.

5. HD-NEURO

Led by Dr Jorge Cardoso (academic) and Professor James Teo (clinical) in partnership with the UCL Institute of Neurology

Incredibly individually complex, computational constraints have traditionally limited our understanding of neurological illnesses to generic, weakly predictive models. This leads to an inability to provide personalised treatment and delayed reactions to patient needs – rather than early anticipation of them.

Dr Jorge Cardoso Professor James Teo

By applying novel machine learning to the biological information brain imaging provides, the AI Centre for Value Based Healthcare can create complex models with high individuating power, to be deployed within existing healthcare pathways.

Care is then personalised without the burden of new investigations – improving clinical outcomes, enhancing operational efficiency and catalysing the development and evaluation of new interventions across healthcare.

Building the future global blood supply with Cerus

Erik Bosman, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Cerus, discusses the evolution of the company’s global supply chain, and the strategies needed to innovate in the highly regulated medical industry.

Cerus Corporation (Cerus) has spent the past 30+ years safeguarding the world’s blood supply by developing vital technologies to pathogen reduce blood components.

he company’s INTERCEPT Blood System remains the only pathogen reduction system for platelets and plasma with both the CE mark and FDA approval, while development of its red blood cell system is in late-stage clinical trials.

Joining us from Cerus to discuss the process of building a global supply chain in such a high-stakes industry is Erik Bosman, Vice President of Global Supply Chain. To begin, Erik explains how his role has evolved alongside the company over the years.

“I’ve been with Cerus for over 11 years, and I have been fortunate to be part of our drive to grow patient access

to safe transfusions,” says Erik. “Cerus was founded in the early 1990s, during the tragedy of the HIV epidemic, when so many people around the world unknowingly received contaminated transfusions. Cerus has always been focused on preventing this from happening again. I am proud that during my tenure at Cerus, we have exceeded sales of 19 million kits sold to produce transfusible doses of INTERCEPT-treated platelets and plasma units. Before we obtained FDA approval for the INTERCEPT System, I worked in a Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) focused role taking care of all operational and finance matters. However, once we started having commercial traction in the US, it became clear that we

needed a global approach from a supply chain perspective – both upstream and downstream.

“This is when I got the opportunity to build a global supply chain team,” continues Erik. “Half our team is based in Europe, and the other half is in the US. Our supply chain is end-to-end –from starting with taking care of our manufacturing partners for the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the INTERCEPT System, to certain key materials and components as well as the products we eventually

commercialise, the disposable sets and the hardware. We take care of all of this, as well as the warehousing, logistics and customer side of the business.

“Customer and technical service are crucial pieces of the global supply chain organisation. I really appreciate being part of this, because it allows us to operate a truly customer-centric supply chain. At Cerus, a key tenet for us is that supply chain starts with understanding the customer, and

“We want to be the standard of care for transfused blood components globally”

Erik Bosman, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Cerus

I’m glad this is something my team facilitates each and every day.

“The patient is our ultimate concern, whom we reach through our delivery of our products to blood banks and hospitals that process blood themselves. In most countries, it’s a dedicated blood banking organisation which acquires our technology to treat the blood products they collect and dispense. The INTERCEPT System is used to inactivate many contaminants that may exist in these products, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites,

as well as donor white blood cells. For many patients, transfusion of contaminated blood can be lifethreatening, so the ability to reduce this risk is critical.”

For Erik, this work is absolutely crucial for the wellbeing of the global blood supply.

“We want to be the standard of care for transfused blood components globally,” emphasises Erik. “Our mission is to enable our customers to do everything in their power to deliver

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“Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Texas manufactures the INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex product using our supplied components”

safe and effective blood products to patients. In short, our vision is that blood should be available when needed and safe for transfusion. It’s a very specific focus, and that’s what we do and why we come to work every day.”

With this focus in mind, Cerus has played a critical role in preventing the spread of dangerous blood-borne diseases through blood transfusions.

“Let’s compare our technology with testing, as an example,” says Erik. “Testing is by definition a reactive intervention, because you test only what you specifically choose to test, and you can only test for pathogens that have that testing capability available. This became a real problem in 2016, when the Zika virus started spreading.

“Developing a test for a new pathogen typically takes three to six months. In the time it takes to finalise, you wouldn’t know if your blood supply is compromised if you’re dealing with a blood-borne pathogen like Zika. This is where our technology is instrumental. It targets the nucleic acids of

pathogens, which means that a broad spectrum of known and unknown pathogens are inactivated by our technology. This is where we’re really able to make an important difference.

“Some of these blood products have a very short shelf life,” says Erik. “Platelets, in that respect, are the most critical component. Because platelets are stored at room temperature and have a risk of bacterial growth, they typically have a four- to seven- day shelf life, which includes approximately one day of processing, which leaves the blood bank facing rapid turnarounds.

“In addition, there are other factors to consider like donor matching and different blood types, so the supply chain for blood banks is incredibly complex. If blood establishments decide to adopt our technology, they rely on Cerus’ ability to supply them at all times. This is a very serious obligation on our side.

“One of our production partners, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Texas manufactures the INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex product using

our supplied components,” elaborates Erik. “This is a cryoprecipitated plasma product with high concentrations of fibrinogen and other important clotting factors, currently FDAapproved and available in the US. Fibrinogen is a critical coagulation factor that is required for blood clotting but also quickly lost in patients experiencing massive haemorrhage (heavy bleeding), such as in trauma, surgery and obstetric patients.

“Typically, trauma centres and hospitals may keep conventional cryoprecipitate frozen until needed for a specific patient because, once thawed, its shelf life is only four to six hours, due in part to infectious risk at room temperature. The problem here is that this delay can prevent ready access upon arrival of the

bleeding patient, for whom time is really of the essence. In contrast, pathogen reduction of INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex has facilitated a five-day shelf life in thawed condition, so clinicians can have it ready to transfuse as soon as the patient arrives without risking wastage of the conventional product.

“The intimate relationship we have built with our partner Gulf Coast is critical – this is a product in high demand, so our open and communicative relationship is key to ensuring vital blood components can be made and commercialised.

“In light of this, the way we approach our work on a day-to-day basis is based on a few simple concepts: we always strive to have a 100% fill rate,

where we always need to be able to supply our customers, and we have to be fully focused on business continuity.

“In the medical industry, we are heavily regulated – which means new developments can move relatively slowly. So we need to focus not only on today, but also on the future, to ensure we have the right products, the right capacity and the right manufacturing locations available to continue that supply in the long run.

“We do that by creating a real intimacy with our customers, where we hold regular meetings with them to truly understand what’s going on with their operations, and give them transparency so they know exactly

what’s going on with us. Customers sometimes have to get used to that, because it’s a different concept or level of information sharing which they might not be familiar with. We have found that ultimately, our customers see the value of it, and become very open with us to forge extremely strong partnerships.

“By doing so, we can anticipate many things. What I want to establish with these processes is the ability to signal a risk in our ability to supply well in advance – three, four months ahead of time. We never confront our customers with the problems we have today, we approach them with the potential problems that might be coming in the future. By doing so, we can mitigate

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“Porex makes a critical component that’s an integral part of our technology”

risk and collaborate on the solution – making sure that a theoretical problem never becomes a true problem.

“On the flip side, I also want our manufacturing partners to deeply understand what’s going on in Cerus so that they can serve us best. My team and I often do product demonstrations with our manufacturing partners. We speak about what our technology does, how it saves lives and how the people we work with are also contributing to that life-saving work. This has been quite effective for us, because it’s about more than a particular product they produce – it’s about how they’re making a meaningful contribution to safeguarding the blood supply.

“We typically find that, through this kind of engagement, someone tells us that a family member recently had surgery, for example, and needed to receive several units of plasma and platelets. This is the moment where we can make a connection between how they contribute to our product and how they have therefore contributed to that supply of safe

blood for their family. It really brings the product to life and reminds everyone involved of the importance of the work we’re doing.”

A notable partner for Erik – and for Cerus as a whole – in these lifesaving endeavours is Porex, a plastics manufacturer specialising in innovative porous materials solutions.

“Porex makes a critical component that’s an integral part of our technology,” remarks Erik. “They’ve been a manufacturing partner for us since the beginning, and the component they make is a compound absorption device. This device absorbs residual API after the blood product has been treated, to give the patient a platelet or plasma product that is ready to transfuse. Porex has been a great partner for Cerus, because as a company they understand the need to focus on continuity of supply and ensuring they have the capacity to support us long term.”

Learn more about Cerus here.

Turn over for Added Value with Erik.

ADDED VALUE

Around-the-world care

“I really appreciate having the opportunity to go on great trips with my family,” says Erik. “We tend to avoid going on ordinary holidays, and instead we try to go off the beaten track. This has brought us to beautiful places, but it always makes you appreciate what you have access to in your daily lives.”

“When my family and I were in Mozambique, my youngest son got an ear infection, so we went to a local medical facility to have a physician look at his ear,” recalls Erik. “We were advised it was easy to skip the lines by paying a little extra. We decided not to do this especially as pregnant women, young children and elderly people were waiting as well. After a while the physician examined my son’s ear using a cell phone camera. We ended up paying something like $2 for the visit including antibiotics and painkillers. This was an eyeopening experience, and it’s the kind of experience that I want my family to have.”

“It also triggers another type of motivation in me,” continues Erik.

“I believe that the technologies we have access to will ultimately have to become available to every person in the world, and this is something I try to build with my team. Besides coming to work and doing what we do, we need to be good corporate citizens as well.”

Scaling within the medical industry

“A few years ago, I read BLITZSCALING: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Powerful Companies by Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh,” says Erik. “This book explores how the world is scaling at a very rapid pace, and how companies need to keep up with that. This is so contradictory with the medical industry, but we still need to apply certain concepts discussed in that book to succeed. For instance, red blood cells are by far the most frequent transfused blood products in hospitals, so upon potential commercialisation of our red blood cell system, we need to be able to rapidly scale it for maximum patient access.”

Connect with Erik

Automating network architecture at TELUS:

The journey to building Canada’s digital future

Tim Fell, Vice President of Networking Technology and Services and Brian Lakey, Vice President of Service Reliability Center at TELUS on transforming the Canadian telecom landscape.

It’s a pivotal time in the telecom industry, where the convergence of technological advancements and evolving customer expectations calls for a transformative shift in network architecture.

ELUS is laying the foundation for a more agile, innovative, secure and future-ready telecommunications landscape in Canada by embedding AI and large-scale automation, with the goal of enabling a highly autonomous network that provides uninterrupted connectivity, delivers personalised experiences, continuously optimises network traffic, rapidly adapts to unexpected changes, and automatically detects and resolves issues.

Here to tell us more about TELUS’ strategies for building Canada’s digital future in this exclusive Q&A are Tim Fell, Vice President, Networking Technology

and Services and Brian Lakey, Vice President, Service Reliability Center.

Can you tell us about TELUS’ journey to build a robust network automation ecosystem?

Tim Fell

TELUS is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and cloud technology to elevate customer experiences and enhance the reliability, speed and scalability of our networks.

It’s a journey we proudly started many years ago, aiming for zero delays, zerotouch interactions and zero disruptions through five stages — from reactive to fully autonomous — inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

To help drive this transformation, we’ve developed an internal ecosystem to accelerate automation across the business. Built on top of our cloudified network, it allows us to seamlessly integrate technology like generative AI (GenAI) and advance new initiatives. For example, in 2024, we successfully stood up an innovative 5G network slicing proofof-concept that enabled smooth payment transactions at one of the largest motor racing events in Canada.

My vision, in the coming years, is end-to-end automation that requires minimal intervention for managing

our networks. That’s why we’re actively exploring all the ways automation can meet the current and future needs of our business — making strides in integrating self-configuring, selforganising, self-optimising and selfhealing features.

Brian Lakey

We’re on our way to achieving level four of TM Forum’s Autonomous Networks maturity model, representing a fully autonomous network that demonstrates cognitive capabilities and learns from its environment to make decisions. Fault management and self-healing capabilities are a top

priority for me, enabling our networks to recover or adapt to failures and unexpected scenarios like climate events and solve problems accordingly. We always embed ‘reliability by design’ and standardisation into our architecture and change processes to help simplify automation and build resilient solutions with fail-safes in place right from the start. This helps us deploy changes gradually, minimise disruptions and uphold our commitment to putting customers first.

How

is TELUS automating network management, monitoring and operations?

Tim Fell

We’re fully embracing the responsible integration of GenAI, LLMs and machine learning across TELUS, working better, smarter and faster to

“We’re fully embracing the responsible integration of GenAI, LLMs and machine learning across TELUS, working better, smarter and faster to benefit our team members, customers and business”

Tim Fell, Vice President of Networking Technology and Services

benefit our team members, customers and business.

I’m particularly proud of the set of internal GenAI tools we’ve launched, inspiring more than 50,000 team members of all skill sets and backgrounds to experiment with ways the technology can help boost productivity and creativity in their everyday work. This includes automating routine tasks and supporting decision-making. For example, using GenAI, our operations team can generate answers to network-related questions — streamlining troubleshooting processes, optimising resources and enhancing operational efficiency.

In addition, to enable the rapid deployment of services while remaining adaptable to changing network demands, we’re leveraging GenAI

to assist with automating network configuration and orchestration, particularly within our 5G networks.

By combining machine learningbased analytics, GenAI and LLMs, we’re developing intelligent systems for issue identification, diagnosis, root-cause analysis and 360-degree observability so we can address silent network failures before they impact our customers. We’re also integrating machine learning to support network traffic forecasting, improving our ability to understand traffic patterns, manage resources and ensure our networks are running smoothly during times of high traffic.

Brian Lakey

Our machine learning models leverage large amounts of network data to quickly identify outages and root causes, allowing for quicker resolution. We’re also using the data to improve

service performance and predict maintenance needs by analysing past trends and creating self-healing networks that automatically take corrective actions, such as rerouting traffic or adjusting settings. We’re using LLMs to assist with filtering data as well as for change, problem and incident management.

“Our machine learning models leverage large amounts of network data to quickly identify outages and root causes, allowing for quicker resolution”

Brian Lakey,

Vice President of Service Reliability Center

Part of our strategy includes partnerships with technology leaders like Juniper Networks, which has a clear industry advantage through the advanced AI, LLMs and machine learning capabilities in its solutions. We’re currently working on nextgen applications and infrastructure in the realm of automation — from enhancing customer experience to wifi in the cloud — to be deployed in the coming years.

What are the benefits of introducing this type of automated network ecosystem? How do these efforts lead to improved performance and efficiency?

Tim Fell

An automated network ecosystem allows us to meet rapidly evolving customer needs and differentiate

“Part of our strategy includes partnerships with technology leaders like Juniper Networks, which has a clear industry advantage through the advanced AI, LLMs and machine learning capabilities in its solutions”

Rise above network complexity.

Discover the AI-Native Network. Visit Juniper.net.

ourselves as a trusted business partner without having to completely rebuild our existing infrastructure. We’re offering the latest and greatest in network technology and delivering best-in-class experiences that stand the test of time.

For example, the dynamic nature of network traffic — especially during large-scale events like the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul boxing match, which peaked at 65m concurrent streams on Netflix in November, 2024 — means that operators need to build solutions that ensure customers remain connected. This is one area where an autonomous

network would be able to seamlessly handle sudden traffic spikes by dynamically allocating resources in real-time, maintaining a consistent customer experience even when the network faces heavy and unpredictable bandwidth demands. We’re taking this approach further in anticipation of the growing trend of live-streaming events, such as for the FIFA World Cup taking place in Canada in 2026.

Brian Lakey

We’re elevating the role and agency of team members and removing human error wherever possible.

Rather than having the majority of our network team’s time focused on day-to-day operational tasks, our goal is to empower them to embrace higher levels of expertise and human intelligence — helping innovation thrive.

At the same time, by reducing the number of mistakes and speeding up our ability to test and perform changes, we can launch better services and significantly improve performance. When we prioritise

time and efficiency, we can redirect our brainpower to focus more on strategic growth and lead in network technology not only in Canada, but around the world.

From its global-best technology and commitment to putting customers first, to its passion to drive social change, TELUS is helping make the world a better place for generations to come.

Learn more at telus.com.

ADDED VALUE

Tim Fell

I’m interested in energy management and, in particular, how the next generation of networks can enhance energy efficiency because we’re able to scale down our resources so much. Applying this into my personal life and inspired by TELUS’ commitment to create a greener network, I’m exploring solar energy options for my home. I’m also learning more about the TM Forum’s approach to autonomous networks and automation, with the goal to draw from the rich insights and learnings that come out of a global industry alliance.

Brian Lakey

I’m interested in how advancements in technology remove barriers and make it easier for individuals and companies to innovate and solve realworld problems. There’s a huge community of innovators and collaborators online, beyond established industry forums. It’s the digital Medici Effect with a global scope. I’m amazed at the creativity people have to solve problems and the degree they share online has a multiplicative effect on society. Low-cost connectivity, computing and sensors are powerful foundations to build upon. It’s a great time to be a problem solver and tinkerer.

Looking ahead…

Brian Lakey

I enjoy attending industry forums like Mobile World Congress (MWC) and the TM Forum to learn how service providers and suppliers are advancing technology in our sector. Vendor events like Google Next, ServiceNow Knowledge, Juniper AI-Native and IBM Think provide the opportunity to learn about specific vendor products and customer implementations while building personal relationships and collaboration opportunities. Offline, I still read the TM Forum documentation and articles on automation.

Tim Fell

I’m also excited about the MWC lineup of events in 2025. Our team is plugged in with various network and cloud-evolution organisations and I look forward to learning with my colleagues across the industry this year — accelerating progress in our networks.

Global Head of Aerospace at Kuehne+Nagel, company’s agile approach to supply

ANDREAS NYMAN

Kuehne+Nagel, on the supply chain strategy.

Transforming Water for How Affinity Water’s Innovation Customers,

Dean Garvey-North, Chief Information Officer and Faye England, Head of Transformation at Affinity Water, share how emerging technologies are enhancing customer experiences, driving sustainability, and reshaping the future of water supply.

Communities and

Tomorrow: Innovation

Benefits and the Planet

As the largest water-only supplier in the UK, Affinity Water delivers 950 million litres of reliable, high-quality water each day to over 3.9 million customers, while driving sustainability and innovation

hrough the adoption of modern technologies and the transformation of their operations, they aim to deliver an improved experience for their customers, promote water efficiency, and safeguard this essential resource for future generations.

Joining us from Affinity Water are Dean Garvey-North, Chief Information Officer and Faye England, Head of Transformation. To begin, Dean explains the importance of having a specific vision when developing a transformation strategy.

“We see the word transformation everywhere,” says Dean. “However,

what makes Affinity Water stand out is that we have a very clear strategy around what we want to transform into. For us, it’s not just about the digitalisation of our assets, but how we become datadriven to improve our customer experience, enable our field teams to reduce leaks and reduce interruptions to supply. We do this by aligning to four goals with the technology and transformation team: simplify the lives of customers, enhance colleague experiences, deliver innovative digital and technology solutions, and continually improve.

“At our core, we are essentially a large asset organisation, with the majority of our team being

Dean Garvey-North, Chief Information Officer

field based – so our focus is on keeping them connected, driving operational efficiencies through their work and ultimately looking to continually improve our customer service.”

Here, Faye jumps in to elaborate on the transformation journey at Affinity Water to lead the way.

“We have three focus areas for transformation as we look ahead,” says Faye. “First, we are revolutionising our customer experience by reshaping our key customer touchpoints for a seamless, intuitive experience that prioritises their needs and preferences. It will be simple for our customers to self-serve and our app will provide a new channel for our customers to engage with us. Our focus is also on using emerging technologies as an opportunity to make the lives of our colleagues easier, while simultaneously

Faye England, Head of Transformation

delivering great service to our customers in the process.

“Second, much of our transformation activity is focused around unlocking the potential of data. Currently, we’re on a journey to roll out smart meters, and it’s our job to realise the full potential of the data we collect. We will proactively support our customers to save water offering them personalised usage information and alert them when we think there could be a leak. In the background, we will use the data to make sure we’re running our networks effectively –optimising performance, reducing inefficiencies and making smarter decisions.

“Our third big focus area is based on our people. We can’t be successful without our people – we’ve strived to create a highperforming culture with a clear

“AWS has been a big partner of ours over the past few years, and leveraging their data stack has shown us the power of the information and insights that we have”

purpose and values, and ultimately our people will help us deliver on our vision.”

To lead the way on its transformation journey, Affinity Water is taking a fresh perspective on its data.

“We’ve already started leveraging our data in many ways,” explains Dean.

“By using GenAI, we’ve been able to have fewer leaks, and our use of AWS’ Redshift alongside their SageMaker AI has empowered our data scientists to ask more questions.

“AWS has been a big partner of ours over the past few years, and leveraging their data stack has shown us the power of the information and insights that we have. With that, we’re able to use tools such as Qlik, a visualisation tool that really brings that data to life. We have some smart

assets, and bringing it together with tools like this gives us some very useful insights. We are currently developing Gen AI overlays for our dashboards to enable our teams to ask questions of the data presented for further insight.”

These new data insights have been instrumental in shaping the future of the company, Faye adds.

“Building on what Dean has said here, I’m very passionate about the power of data-driven transformation,” says Faye. “It’s easy to go after the newest, shiniest thing but being data-driven is far more effective. Within Dean’s wider team, he’s built a Performance and Data Insight team, which will be our vehicle for funnelling change.

“For example, pulling together data to really understand a customer’s key pain points is instrumental in

Transform your water management with AWS to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s demands.

The water utility sector faces significant challenges. Ageing infrastructure, shifting weather patterns and expanding urban populations are putting increased pressure on water management systems. As stewards of a critical resource, it’s crucial to adapt to these evolving demands while maintaining efficiency and reliability.

AWS is how leading utility organisations are powering innovation at scale to transform operations and customer experiences. By embracing AWS cloud solutions, you can help drive significant financial and sustainability improvements:

• Reducing capital expenditure through extended asset life and improved project delivery

• Lowering operational expenditure with optimised energy usage and increased workforce efficiency

• Enhancing customer satisfaction with personal AI-powered experiences

• Modernising smart infrastructure to improve overall water operational resilience and security

Scan the QR code to learn more:

“We’re working very closely with Cognizant, looking at how we serve and interact with our customers in new ways”

understanding where we need to target change and drive new efficiencies. From there, we can translate those insights into change initiatives and really build on this foundation.”

However, Dean emphasises that none of these transformation initiatives would be possible without the company’s network of partners – particularly Amazon Web Services (AWS) and technology service provider Cognizant.

“Partners are really important to us,” says Dean. “In the past 12 months or so, we’ve really bonded with AWS

as a key partner: we are 95% cloud based utilising AWS’ cloud capabilities and services. We’ve worked closely with them on a lot of our data and AI projects, and they’ve been instrumental in helping us drive down technology costs. Using AWS’ cloud capabilities, Affinity Water is ensuring faster response times and better leak detection through AI, keeping water flowing seamlessly for customers.

“Another key partner for us is Cognizant, who is our chosen partner to work alongside us on the digitalisation of our customer experience. We’re working very closely

with them, looking at how we serve and interact with our customers in new ways. We are reimagining how customers interact with their water services, ensuring every touchpoint is simple, intuitive and effective.

“We’ve taken a very fresh approach, and Cognizant are on the same page as us in terms of customer interaction. A customer isn’t interacting with us because they want to but because they need to – usually because they need something from us in terms of billing or moving house.

“With those factors in mind, Cognizant is helping us develop a new app designed to make it as easy as possible for our customers to interact with us and for us to interact with our customers. Having their foresight and ability to understand our vision has been a great help for us.”

Here, Faye celebrates how the relationships Affinity Water has built up have provided the company with a wide pool of resources when developing new innovations.

“We collaborate closely with our partners, working together with them to deliver value for our customers,” says Faye. “We are a water company, and our expertise is in supplying safe and drinkable water. Our partners really do help us bring in ideas they’ve seen elsewhere, helping us realise the benefits of effective customer

engagement techniques and operational strategies. By bringing that insight, they can really help us push forward and transform.”

Looking ahead, the company is exploring how new technologies can further its sustainability initiatives and better provide to its customers. From reducing inefficiencies in water networks to embracing green technologies, Affinity Water is ensuring that every drop counts – for today’s customers and tomorrow’s planet.

“We’re driven by providing our customers with high-quality drinking water in a very challenging environment, and we want to make sure that we can continually do that in a sustainable way,” says Dean. “We’re very focused on doing the

right thing for the environment, for our customers and for the industry. Technology is playing a huge part in that, in terms of how we can drive efficiencies to provide greater quality drinking water consistently to our customers.

“We’re really looking to transform the industry, looking at how water is delivered globally to customers and how customers interact with their water companies. We strongly believe that we are leading the charge in terms of this, and we hope to continue to do so as we look to the future.”

To learn more about how Affinity Water is shaping the future of water supply and how you can get involved in conserving this precious resource, visit Affinity Water’s website for more insights into their journey.

ADDED VALUE

Memberships and recognition

“I’m a British Computer Society member, as well as a Gartner member,” says Dean. “I’ve contributed significantly to Gartner, and I’m incredibly lucky to be a governing body member for Gartner UK and Ireland. I was also very privileged this year to receive the World CIO 200 LEGEND award and UK CIO 100 awards.”

Dean recommends…

“I always recommend Inc’s Productivity Tip of the Day, which is absolutely brilliant and only five minutes long. I’d also recommend the podcast a16z, which focuses on technology leadership and transformation - it’s a great listen while hitting the treadmill. Finally, I’d recommend Data Science for Business, which is a textbook used in the Harvard MBA programme.”

Connect with Dean

Keeping things balanced

“As a full-time working mum with an 18 month-old son, I have a thousand tabs open in my brain – from remembering to buy more nappies to working out how to shape our transformation strategy,” says Faye. “It keeps me busy, but each week I’m strict on making sure I get two 45-minute slots of ‘me’ time for a short run.”

Faye recommends...

“I’m fascinated by people and what drives behaviours,” says Faye.

“Currently, I’m reading Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson, and I recently watched Brené Brown’s ‘Empathy vs Sympathy’, which explains how empathy is what truly creates human connection. When leading change and transformation, empathy is critical to success.”

Connect with Faye

Let’s collaborate…

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TROJAN BATTERY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF INNOVATION

As the battery technology leader marks a century of operating, we’re taking a look back at its history of transformation and development.

YEARS

TROJAN BATTERY (TROJAN), A GLOBAL LEADER IN DEEP-CYCLE BATTERY AND LITHIUM-ION TECHNOLOGY, MARKS ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR.

Since being founded in 1925, the company has revolutionised industries worldwide with innovative battery solutions – from golf cars to renewable energy systems. Today, the company is celebrating a century of milestones and looking towards the future of energy storage.

With a mission to deliver reliable, high-performance energy storage

solutions, Trojan has been at the forefront of power innovation since its inception, and continues to shape the future of power.

From pioneering deepcycle technology to leading advancements in lithium-ion batteries, the company has remained steadfast to its deeprooted values of innovation, quality and sustainability over the decades.

TROJAN BATTERY'S JOURNEY IS ONE OF CONTINUOUS INNOVATION:

1925

Founded by George Godber and Carl Speer, Trojan Battery began as a small automotive battery repair shop.

1952

Pioneered the first deepcycle golf car battery, which transformed the electric golf car industry. 1980s

Launched Maxguard® Advanced Design Separator, improving battery life and performance, solidifying Trojan as a leader in the golf car market.

1992

Established the Santa Fe Springs Technology Center, a hub for groundbreaking R&D, which has fuelled Trojan's innovations for decades. 2018

Trojan Battery Company joined C&D Technologies to become the leading global manufacturer of high-performance batteries for Stationary and Motive markets. 2023

2023

Launched Trojan Lithium 24V, 48V GC2 batteries allowing customers to go farther and charge faster, with no maintenance.

Launched Award Winning maintenance free AES AGM batteries delivering consistent, unrivalled high output and up to 3x the cycle life of standard AGM batteries.

2024

Debuted the Lithium OnePack™ 48V battery, offering up to a 60mile range on a single charge.

In particular, Trojan’s commitment to its value of innovation has been its greatest strength. For instance, the company’s recent introduction of the GC2 48V Lithium-ion batteries and AES AGM batteries – offering three times the cycle life of traditional models – are revolutionising the performance of golf cars and utility fleets. It’s thanks to new innovations like this that Trojan’s batteries power 98% of the top golf courses in the US.

Over its years of operation, the company’s dedication to excellence has earned it numerous accolades.

Recent examples include the 2023 Gold LLEAP (Leadership in Lift Equipment and Access Platforms) Award, Rental’s 2023 Editor’s Choice Award and FacilitiesNet’s Vision Award for Power & Renewable Energy.

Last year, Trojan’s AES AGM batteries were named Product of the Year by the IAPA (International Awards for Powered Access) and won the ISSA Show North America Innovation Award.

Spanning all its products, however, is Trojan’s commitment to sustainable

practice. In battery design, the company incorporates 80% reclaimed materials in new lead-acid batteries, while high-quality materials and proprietary technologies ensure extended battery life and reduce the need for replacements.

In its manufacturing operations, Trojan is focused on investing in emerging technologies to minimise its carbon footprint, continuously reducing CO2 emissions per unit produced. By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, the company is ensuring its products and practices contribute to a more sustainable future.

With an extensive global network of distributors, sales offices and manufacturing facilities, Trojan is expertly positioned to respond quickly and efficiently to customer needs, providing local support and services no matter where its customers are located.

“Trojan Battery's legacy is one of constant evolution and innovation,” says Rick Heller, CEO of C&D Technologies, the parent company of Trojan Battery. “We've come a long way since our humble

“WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE OUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AND WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE RECOGNISED AS THE LEADER IN ENERGY SOLUTIONS”

Rick Heller, CEO of C&D Technologies

beginnings and we are extremely proud to be recognised as the leader in energy solutions. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to charging into the next century with the same passion, quality and commitment to excellence.”

Looking to the future, Trojan is committed to furthering its R&D initiatives – focusing on increasing energy density, extending cycle life and leveraging artificial intelligence for smarter battery management. Additionally, as the world shifts towards renewable energy, Trojan is continuing to innovate and invest in green tech, ensuring a more sustainable and empowered future.

For more information, visit www.trojanbattery.com.

SOURCE: Trojan Battery

strategies deliver measurable outcomes, foster sustainable growth and redefine the future of healthcare.

In the Company of...

Welcome to our spotlight profile feature where we chat with the leaders driving innovation and delivering transformative results in their respective fields.

Today, we’re sitting down with Markus Weiss, President and CFO at Miltenyi Biotec North America.

A brief summary of your role and what your company does.

My role focuses on driving strategic growth by creating the conditions for success, bringing together the right people and resources, to drive innovation in cell and gene therapy. Miltenyi Biotec is transforming lives through groundbreaking medical advancements. Our work spans the divisions Miltenyi Biomedicine, Miltenyi Bioindustry, and Miltenyi Biotec – advancing research, clinical applications, and personalised therapies. My role is to ensure our

How did you start working in general management?

My journey was fuelled by curiosity and the willingness to step outside my comfort zone – it has been defined by a commitment to transformation and value creation. Early on in my career, I worked in roles that exposed me to a diverse range of industries and cultures. Each pivot deepened my understanding of how to unite people, align goals, and tackle challenges, which naturally led me to opportunities to learn new functions, oversee the bigger picture, drive improvements, scale effectively and inspire collective success. This is what shaped my ability to unlock potential, solve complex challenges and deliver long-term strategic value.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career to date?

A key career milestone was leading a market expansion that drove doubledigit growth, improved operational efficiency and reduced complexity. This achievement was underpinned by building a scalable framework, fostering a culture of accountability and aligning teams around a common vision. The result was not only measurable growth but also a long-term foundation for sustained success.

Which emerging trend do you think will be most crucial in your industry in the next ten years?

The rise of personalised medicine will continue to define the next decade – particularly in the cell and gene therapy space, where the potential to treat diseases at the cellular level is really becoming a reality.

What excites me most about these new innovations is how we can make them accessible to everyone. We’re really focusing on bridging the gaps where we can improve patient access and foster trust to make these treatments available to all.

If you could spend a day in the life of another profession, what would it be and why?

If I weren’t in my current field, I’d explore a career as a diplomat. My internship at the Austrian Embassy taught me the art of uniting diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration and navigating complexity – skills that closely mirror the demands of leadership. Diplomacy reinforced my belief in building consensus, creating trust and inspiring collective action to drive meaningful impact.

Outside work, what helps you feel like the best version of yourself?

Connecting with others, continuous learning and giving back are integral to my personal and

professional growth. Volunteering with organisations like City Year allows me to create meaningful impact beyond the workplace while reinforcing the importance of community and collaboration. Spending time with family keeps me balanced and energised, serving as a reminder of the broader purpose behind leadership.

Connect with Markus on LinkedIn to explore insights on driving innovation, creating scalable systems, and transforming industries.

Connect with Markus

How biotechnology research innovator Sano Genetics is accelerating the process of clinical trials in precision medicine.

inding, screening and engaging patients for clinical trials can be slow and inefficient, particularly in precision medicine. Although access to DNA sequencing has surged in the past decade, precision medicine studies have failed to keep up. They are still

complex, time-consuming and costly, and many potentially life-changing treatments never see daylight.

However, Sano Genetics (Sano) is changing this. With a 360° platform that seamlessly connects every stage

“Sano was founded in 2017 by Patrick Short, Charlotte Guzzo and William Jones. The three Cambridge PhD students felt there was enormous potential to improve the process of clinical trials – having experienced it as both participants and researchers”

Patrick Short CEO

Charlotte Guzzo COO

William Jones CTO

– strategy consultation, patient finding, biomarker screening, patient engagement and analytics – the biotechnology company’s mission is to accelerate the future of personalised medicine.

Sano was founded in 2017 by Patrick Short, Charlotte Guzzo and William Jones. The three Cambridge PhD students felt there was enormous potential to improve the process of clinical trials – having experienced it as both participants and researchers.

By offering an approach that combines patient recruitment, genetic testing, analytics and long-term patient engagement in one place, Sano is radically improving medical research. The startup is enabling precision medicine teams to move up to 10 times faster, reduce costs by up to 55% and – most importantly –achieve breakthroughs for patients.

Currently, Sano is supporting Neuron23 in its NEULARK Phase 2 clinical trial, a groundbreaking study exploring the brain-penetrant LRRK2 inhibitor NEU411, which has the potential to slow Parkinson’s progression.

As part of this effort, Sano is providing saliva test kits to identify individuals with LRRK2-driven Parkinson’s disease,

offering genetic counselling and facilitating trial referrals to streamline the patient journey.

As the biotechnology startup continues to grow, it has secured flagship partnerships in the US and launched projects aimed at enhancing patient access to clinical trials and advancing precision medicine across the UK.

These initiatives are significantly contributing to the broader healthcare landscape by enabling more inclusive and efficient research which ultimately help to create lifesaving treatments in the near term.

Learn more about Sano Genetics here.

Images: Sano Genetics